Facts about the Bible

The books that are regarded to be a part of the collection of holy scriptures vary according to the historic tradition that defines or uses it. Here are some interesting facts:

The Christian Bible includes the scriptures of the Hebrews, known as the Old Testament, along with later writings, referred to as the New Testament. Some Christian groups also include the biblical apocrypha or the deuterocanonical books as part of either the Old or the New Testament.

The Christians regard the collection of religious writings before the life of Jesus Christ as the Old Testament, which is also referred to as the Jewish, or the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew Bible in Hebrew is known as 'Tanakh'.

Thus, the terms 'Old' and 'New' have two meanings: 1) A chronological one, since the Old Testament predates the New Testament; and 2) A theological one, which implies that the Old Testament is supposed to be replaced by the New Testament.

In fact, the terms 'Old Testament' and 'New Testament' appear to have been incorporated after 200 A.D.

Old Testament Books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra; Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

Amongst these, the first five are referred to as the Torah, or the Pentateuch, or the Five Books of Moses. Traditionally, they are thought to have been authored by Moses, although modern scholars think that they may have been written by multiple authors. The only book amongst these, where the word 'God' is not mentioned, is the book of Esther.

Apart from the Hebrew Scripture, the Bible that most Christians use, comprises the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, along with the Apostle Paul's letters. It also includes the writings of other disciples, as well as the early church, along with the Book of Revelation.

Written in Greek, although some people argue that it was written in Aramaic first, the New Testament comprises 27 books, which are: Matthew; Mark; Luke; John; Acts; Romans; 1 & 2 Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; 1 & 2 Thessalonians; 1 & 2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon; Hebrews; James; 1 & 2 Peter; 1, 2 & 3 John; Jude; and Revelation.

The Bible is made up of several genres of literature such as myth, poetry, prophecy, narrative, letters, and sermonic literature. It was first translated into English by John Wycliffe, in 1382 A.D.

The first book that was printed was the Bible, in 1454 A.D. This was accomplished by Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the 'type mold' used in the printing press.