The Bible
The word ‘Bible’ comes from the Greek word BIBION which means book.
The Old Testament was written in Hebrew.
The New Testament was written in Greek.
Both the Old and New Testaments contain passages written in Aramaic (<1%).
The word ‘Scripture’ comes from the Greek word GRAPHAI, which means ‘writings’.
The Word ‘Testament’ derives from a Latin term translated from Greek and Hebrew as ‘will’ or ‘covenant’.
The Bible was written over a 1,500 year time span, covering 40 generations.
The earliest parts were written some 3,500 years ago.
It was written by 40 inspired authors from all walks of life: Kings, fishermen, tax collectors, farmers, scholars, poets, peasants, and more.
It was written in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Africa.
The Bible was written in times of peace and war.
Today, the Bible is by far the most widely circulated book in the world. There are over 3,000 translations today. Overto 7 billion copies of the Bible (in whole or in part) are have been printed, making it the most widely distributed book in history.
The Bible is the most preserved ancient document. There are over 24,000 ancient pieces of the New Testament. The Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint confirm that, after thousands of years of copying, the Old Testament remains a highly reliable text, with no copying errors. It also proves that the Old Testament promises of the Messiah to come, which are fulfilled in Jesus, were written long before His birth! Like Is 52-53.
The fact that 40 different authors over a long period wrote a book with a single central theme, ‘the redemption of man’ (that is, bringing man back to God), demonstrates its inspiration that it is ‘God-Breathed’. Each man wrote with his own vocabulary and style, but each was moved by the Holy Spirit.
This book of old is still alive and current, changing lives and healing hearts today.