Bible trivia
Information on the Bible
How many books are in the Bible?
The Bible contains 66 books, divided among the Old and New Testaments.
How many books are in the Old Testament?
There are 39 books in the Old Testament.
How many books are in the New Testament?
There are 27 books in the New Testament.
What does "testament" mean?
Testament means "covenant" or "contract."
Who wrote the Bible?
The Bible was written (claimed by many, as "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.
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.
Based on the following verses however, it would suggest another author(s) wrote at least some of the Pentateuch: Exo. 17:14, 24:4, 34:27, Lev. 1:1, 6:8, Deut. 31:9, 31:24-26. SOURCE: http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_tora.htm
Which single author contributed the most books to the New Testament?
The Apostle Paul, who wrote 14 books (over half) of the New Testament.
Is the Bible the world's oldest book?
No.
The oldest known religious texts are Pyramid texts of Ancient Egypt that date to 2400-2300 BCE. SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_text
What most Christians consider to be the Bible was determined at the Synod of Hippo in 393 CE and confirmed at the Third Synod of Carthage in 395 CE. Before then, there was no accepted standard for which specific scriptures belonged in the bible. An argument can be made that the Christian Bible dates only to the late fourth century. And countless books are older than that.
The world's oldest book in the history of mankind was discovered in Bulgaria, written in Etruscan over 2,500 years ago, a language that is now lost, and can be seen in Bulgaria's National Museum of History in Sofia. The rarity consists of 6 pages made of 24-carat gold and fastened together; the pages are covered with text and carry images of a horseman, a mermaid, a lyre and warriors.
When was the Bible written?
Many Christian scholars believe it was written over a period of some 1,500 years, from around 1450 BCE (the time of Moses) to about 100 CE (following the supposed death and resurrection of Jesus Christ).
There's a wide range of estimates for the books of the New Testament but no text can be dated earlier than 50 CE and some may have been written 150 CE or later. So, if we consider the collection of texts that make up the bible, we could say the bible dates to the early second century. And countless books are older than that.
Consider then, the earliest books of the bible. Scholars generally consider the oldest books of the Old Testament were written between 800 BCE and 650 BCE with the more recent date becoming more accepted. But, whatever date in this range we pick, there are many books older than that.
Suppose that the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament were actually written by Moses as tradition claims; a strange claim given that Moses' death is recorded in Deuteronomy 34. But if we accept that Moses personally wrote these texts, then at least part of the Bible can be said to have been written in the early 13th century BCE. And there are no claims that it was written earlier than Moses. And yet, there are still books of greater age.
What other ancient texts are known to exist?
There are claims that the I Ching is the oldest book in the world, however, it can safely be assigned to the 13th century, BCE - thus about the same age as the Mosaic attribution for the Pentateuch.
The Papyrus Ebers is the oldest medical text in the world, dated to the middle 16th century BCE
The Epic of Gilgamesh is dated to the Third Dynasty of Ur or between 2100 and 2000 BCE
The Precepts of Ptah-hotep has been dated to the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt or between 2300 BCE and 2150 BCE.
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 BCE. Others hold that the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) are the oldest books in the Bible, written between 1446 and 1406 BCE.
What is the youngest book in the Old Testament?
The book of Malachi, written about 400 BCE.
What is the oldest book of the New Testament?
Probably the book of James, written as early as CE 45.
What is the youngest book in the New Testament?
The Book of Revelation is the youngest book of the New Testament, written about 95 CE.
What languages was the Bible written in?
The Bible was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek.
When was the Bible canonized?
The entire New Testament as we know it today, was canonized before the year 375 CE The Old Testament had previously been canonized long before the advent of Christ.
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.
Who "canonized" the Bible?
[need citation]
When was the first translation of the Bible made into English?
1382 CE, by John Wycliffe.
When was the Bible printed?
The Bible was printed in 1454 CE. by Johannes Gutenberg who invented the "type mold" for the printing press. It was the first book ever printed.
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 Rayland's Library in Manchester, England).
What is the longest book in the Bible?
The book of Psalms.
What is the shortest book in the Bible?
2 John.
What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 119
What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 117
What is the longest verse in the Bible?
Esther 8:9
What is the shortest verse in the Bible?
John 11:35
Which book in the Bible does not mention the word "God?"
The book of Esther.
Who was the oldest man that ever lived according to the Bible?
Methuselah who lived to be 969 years old (Genesis 5:27).
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).
Who does the Bible say was the meekest man in the Bible (not including Jesus)?
Moses (Numbers 12:3).
How many languages has the Bible been translated into?
The Holy Bible has been translated into more than 2,454 languages, with countless more partial translations, and audio translations (for unwritten languages).
Is the Bible still the best-selling book in the world?
Yes.
References
- American Bible Society, 1865 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
- Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1927, 1965).
- Maxwell, Arthur. Your Bible And You (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1959).
- Mickelson, A. Berkley and Alvera. Understanding Scripture (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1982, 1992).
- Unger, Merrill F. TH.D., PH.D. Unger's Bible Handbook (Chicago: Moody Press, 1967)
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