The Bible and Verse of the Day
The Bible
The Bible
is a compilation of 66 books and letters written by more than 40 authors during a period of approximately 1,500 years. Its original text was communicated in just three languages: Hebrew, koine or common Greek, and Aramaic. The Old Testament was written for the most part in Hebrew, with a small percentage in Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek.
'Bible' Definition
The English word "Bible" comes from bíblia in Latin and bíblos in Greek. The term means book, or books, and may have originated from the ancient Egyptian port of Byblos (in modern-day Lebanon), where papyrus used for making books and scrolls was exported to Greece.
Other terms for the Bible are the Holy Scriptures, Holy Writ, Scripture, or the Scriptures, which means "sacred writings."
Beyond its two main sections--the Old and New Testament--the Bible contains several more divisions: the Pentateuch, the Historical Books, the Poetry and Wisdom Books, the books of Prophecy, the Gospels, and the Epistles.
Originally, the Holy Scriptures were written on scrolls of papyrus and later parchment, until the invention of the codex. A codex is a handwritten manuscript formatted like a modern book, with pages bound together at the spine within a hardcover.
The Inspired Word of God
Christians and Jews have been called "people of the Book" throughout history. Both Judaism and Christianity are based on the Bible. A key doctrine of Christianity is the Inerrancy of Scripture, meaning the Bible in its original, handwritten state is without error.
The Bible itself claims to be the inspired Word of God, or "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). It unfolds as a divine love story between the Creator God and the object of his love, humankind. In the pages of the Bible, we learn of God's interaction with humans. We discover his purposes and plans from the beginning of time and throughout history.
Mary Fairchild, "What Is the Bible?" Learn Religions, Apr. 17, 2019, learnreligions.com/what-is-the-bible-700735.3
