Fast
Facts on the Bible
The following
list is not designed to discuss doctrine, or provide in-depth teaching.
It is merely a resource center for factual information on the Bible. Many
of these questions have been addressed in various locations throughout
our website; however, as many people do not have the time to comb through
the entire website to find the answers they are looking for, we have compiled
the following list. Please submit further questions (of this sort) to BibleQuestions@bible.com
We will not be able to answer you directly, but will continue to develop
this site, as we receive additional questions about the Bible. Don't forget
to read our teaching on Bible History, for a more in-depth study.
1. How many
books are in the Bible?
The Bible contains
66 books, divided among the Old and New Testaments.
2. How many
books are in the Old Testament?
There are 39
books in the Old Testament.
3. How many
books are in the New Testament?
There are 27
books in the New Testament.
4. What does
"testament" mean?
Testament means
"covenant" or "contract."
5. Who wrote
the Bible?
The Bible was
written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by over 40 different authors
from all walks of life: shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen,
priests, philosophers and kings. Despite these differences in occupation
and the span of years it took to write it, the Bible is an extremely cohesive
and unified book.
6. Which single
author contributed the most books to the Old Testament?
Moses. He wrote
the first five books of the Bible, referred to as the Pentateuch; the foundation
of the Bible.
7. Which single
author contributed the most books to the New Testament?
The Apostle
Paul, who wrote 14 books (over half) of the New Testament.
8. When was
the Bible written?
It was written
over a period of some 1,500 years, from around 1450 B.C. (the time of Moses)
to about 100 A.D. (following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ).
9. What is
the oldest book in the Old Testament?
Many scholars
agree that Job is the oldest book in the Bible, written by an unknown Israelite
about 1500 B.C. Others hold that the Pentateuch (the first five books of
the Bible) are the oldest books in the Bible, written between 1446 and
1406 B.C.
10. What is
the youngest book in the Old Testament?
The book of
Malachi, written about 400 B.C.
11. What is
the oldest book of the New Testament?
Probably the
book of James, written as early as A.D. 45.
12. What is
the youngest book in the New Testament?
The Book of
Revelation is the youngest book of the New Testament, written about 95
A.D.
13. What languages
was the Bible written in?
The Bible was
written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek.
14. When was
the Bible canonized?
The entire
New Testament as we know it today, was canonized before the year 375 A.D.
The Old Testament had previously been canonized long before the advent
of Christ.
15. What does
"canon" mean?
"Canon" is
derived front the Greek word "Kanon," signifying a measuring rod. Thus,
to have the Bible "canonized" meant that it had been measured by the standard
or test of divine inspiration and authority. It became the collection of
books or writings accepted by the apostles and leadership of the early
Christian church as a basis for Christian belief. It is the standard by
which all Christians throughout the ages live and worship.
16. When was
the first translation of the Bible made into English?
1382 A.D.,
by John Wycliff.
17. When was
the Bible printed?
The Bible was
printed in 1454 A.D. by Johannes Gutenberg who invented the "type mold"
for the printing press. It was the was the first book ever printed.
18. What is
the oldest almost-complete manuscript of the Bible now in existence?
The Codex Vaticanus,
which dates from the first half of the fourth Century. It is located in
the library of the Vatican in Rome. There are older fragments of the Bible
that are still preserved however-- the oldest being a tiny scrap of the
Gospel of John was found in Egypt, dating back to the beginning of the
second century. (It is currently in the Rylands Library in Manchester,
England).
19. What is
the longest book in the Bible?
The book of
Psalms.
20. What is
the shortest book in the Bible?
2 John.
21. What is
the longest chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 119
22. What is
the shortest chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 117
23. What is
the longest verse in the Bible?
Esther 8:9
24. What is
the shortest verse in the Bible?
John 11:35
25. Which book
in the Bible does not mention the word "God?"
The book of
Esther.
26. Who was
the oldest man that ever lived?
Methuselah
who lived to be 969 years old (Genesis 5:27).
27. Who were
the two men in the Bible who never died but were caught up to heaven?
Enoch, who
walked with God and was no more (Genesis 5:22-24).
Elijah, who
was caught up by a whirlwind into heaven (II Kings 2:11).
28. Who does
the Bible say was the meekest man in the Bible (not including Jesus)?
Moses (Numbers
12:3).
29. How many
languages has the Bible been translated into?
The Holy Bible
has been translated into 2,018 languages, with countless more partial translations,
and audio translations (for unwritten languages). (This is an enormous
amount of translations. In comparison, Shakespeare, considered by many
to be the master writer of the English language, has only been translated
into 50 languages.)
30. Is the
Bible still the best-selling book in the world?
Yes, indeed!
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