The Bible is a collection of 66 ancient religious texts written by approximately 40 authors over the course of a millennium. Today, the Bible is observed by religions like Judaism, Christianity, and some more minor faiths such as Samaritanism. Tucked neatly between the leathery covers of your standard Bible rests a library containing some of the world’s oldest and arguably most influential works of literature. According to a 2021 study conducted by the British and Foreign Bible Society, throughout its publication, the Bible has sold somewhere between 5 and 7 billion copies worldwide, making it the number one best-selling book of all time.
What is the Bible? History and Facts
The Bible is divided into two major sections: The Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament is comprised of 39 books, which were written by ancient Israelites over approximately 1000 to 1500 years. Most of these texts were penned in Hebrew; however, some books, like Daniel or Ezra, contain Aramaic.
The Old Testament was created by a diverse group who lived in different times, locations, and cultures. However, collectively, they tell the story of Israel’s ancient history and explore various philosophical/ Theological topics like the human condition, the meaning of life, and the nature of God.
Upon the completion of the Old Testament, there was a 400-year period where no new works were added to the Biblical library. This very long break ended with the arrival of Jesus Christ, who claimed to be the fulfillment of promises made throughout the Old Testament. After his death, Jesus’s earliest followers began writing the books and letters that eventually became the second half of the Bible, called the New Testament.
Like the Old Testament, The New Testament is a collection of ancient writing; 27, to be exact. However, unlike the Old, the New Testament library is smaller and is predominantly composed of letters written by Church leaders. The New Testament was written in Greek and was completed in a considerably shorter amount of time, taking less than 100 years to create. Much like the Old, the New Testament documents historical events and explores theological/ philosophical topics. However, unlike the Old Testament, it is primarily focused on the person of Jesus Christ, Christianity’s foundation, and the actions of the early church.
The Old Testament
As mentioned above, the Old Testament is not a single book but rather a library of religious texts. Inside this holy collection, you will find a vast array of genres, including Legal documentation, narratives, poetry, wisdom texts, apocalyptic literature, and prophetic writing.
Typically these books are categorized in one of two ways. The first comes from the Jewish tradition, which divides the collection into three groups: the Torah (Law or teaching, also called the Pentateuch), the Neviʾim (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings). The other comes from the Christian tradition, which generally breaks down Old Testament into four or five categories: Law, History, Poetry/Writings, Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets. (However, sometimes people lump all the prophets together.)
The New Testament
Like the Old Testament, the New Testament contains a variety of texts and genres. Some of these ancient works are biographies, historical documentation, personal letters, instructive letters, and apocalyptic literature. Traditionally the New Testament is broken up into four sections the Gospels, History, Letters, and Prophesy.
Final Thoughts And A Personal Perspective
The Bible is one of my favorite books. I have read it cover to cover, studied the original languages, and have journeyed down many of its philosophical roads. Yet, to this day, the scope and size of the Biblical project still leaves me in awe. The fact that we have a collection of ancient texts as accurate, well preserved, and narratively cohesive as the Bible is something truly extraordinary.
“The biblical texts were produced over a period in which the living conditions of the writers – political, cultural, economic, and ecological – varied enormously. There are texts which reflect a nomadic existence, texts from people with an established monarchy and Temple cult, texts from exile, texts born out of fierce oppression by foreign rulers, courtly texts, texts from wandering charismatic preachers, texts from those who give themselves the airs of sophisticated Hellenistic writers. It is a time-span which encompasses the compositions of Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Thucydides, Sophocles, Caesar, Cicero, and Catullus. It is a period which sees the rise and fall of the Assyrian empire (twelfth to seventh century) and of the Persian empire (sixth to fourth century), Alexander’s campaigns (336–326), the rise of Rome and its domination of the Mediterranean (fourth century to the founding of the Principate, 27 BCE), the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple (70 CE), and the extension of Roman rule to parts of Scotland (84 CE).”
John K. Riches
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