The Holy Bible

The word Bible comes from the Greek word "byblos" which means papyrus or paper. Byblos is an ancient Phoenician city, from which papyrus was exported in the 14th century. The Bible comprises the sacred sciptures of the Old Testament and tThe New Testament and some scriptures of Judaosm as well.

The Bible is the most sacred book of the Jewish & Christian Religions. Jews & Christians consider the Bible to be the word of God. They base their most important beliefs, ceremonies, and holy days on it. The Bible is also known as the holy writ on the Holy Scriptures.

The Bible has two major parts - Old Testament and New Testament. Jews accept only the Old Testament which is also known as the Hebrew Bible. However, Christians accept both the Testaments.

The Old Testament begins with an account of God's creation of the Heavens and the Earth. The New Testament describes the birth of Jesus Christ and ends about 125 AD. The Bible views God as the chief character of the events, but does not define God or try to prove his existence.

For many centuries the Bible existed only as a hand written manusript. Bible became one of the first books in Europe to be printed. The Gutenberg Bible remains one of the most famous & valuable books ever printed. It actually consists of many books. The Hebrew Bible has 24 books. The protestant Bible has 60 books, and the Roman Catholic Bible has 73 books.

The Bible is the most widely read book and also the most influential. It has also been translated more times and in to more languages. Many forms of literature like songs, love, poetry, hymns, and riddles fiction. History and proverbs are included in it. It is also considered as an expression of faith. The Jewish canon is in 3 sections with Hebrew names.

1.The Law - TORAH - The word Torah comes from the Hebrew word "to ra h". These are the five books if Moses constituting the Pentateuch. It is the body of wisdom and Law contained in Jewish scripture and other sacred literature and oral tradition. It is actually a leather or parchment scroll of the Pentateuch used in a synagogue for liturgical purposes.

2.The Prophets - NEBIUM -

3.The Writings - KETHUBIUM

The Christian Bibles are in four sections.

PENTATEUCH

The word Pentateuch originates from the Greek word "Pentateuchos". These are the first five books of Jewish and Christian Scriptures.

HISTORICAL BOOKS

BIBLICAL BOOK OF LAMENTATION - A sacred book which is read mainly in Jewish Synagogues.

THE GOSPELS - Consists of four books - Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. Gospel comes from the word "Godspell" meaning good news.

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES - Tells us about the expansion of the Church.

THE APOCRYPHA - The Apocrypha consists of 15 books. Some of these were written in Hebrew, others in Greek, and still others in Aramaic.

TALMUD - Is a collection of Jewish religious and civil laws, together with scholarly interpretations of their meaning. The Talmud ranks second to the Bible as the most sacred and influential work of the Jewish religion. Judaism considers the full time study of the Talmud to be one of the most honourable occupations. The Talmud consists of two parts - Mishna & Gemara.

THE FORMER PROPHETS - This is a collection of four books dealing with Hebrew life.

THE LATTER PROPHETS - This is a collection of four books dealing with teachings of prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah etc.

THE WRITINGS - Books of Psalms contains Prayers and Hymns.

THE VULGATE - The Greek texts & Latin translations of Bible - the only version of the bible authorized by the Roman Catholic Church.

ZEPHANIA - The Zephania is the Sacred book containing prophecies of Hebrew Prophet of the 70th century.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS - Are Biblical rules and the basic, religious and moral ideals of Judaism and Christianity. The commandments are also called Decalogue. Christian teachers believed that God had stamped the commandments on the conscience of every human being, even before the laws were engraved on stone. It is believed that they are principles of a universal natural law governs human conduct.

REVELATION - also called "APOCALYPSE"

The word Apocalypse is derived from the Greek word "apokalypsis". It is one of the Jewish and Christian writings of 200 B.C. to A.D. 150 marked by pseudonimity, symbolic imagery and the expectation of an imminent cosmic cataclysm in which God destroy's the ruling powers of evil and raises the righteous to life in a messianic kingdom. It is something viewed as a prohetic revelation.

THE MASORETIC TEXT - This text is the standard Jewish version of the Old Testament The English priest John Wycliffe translated the Bible in to English. The German protestant reformer Martin Luther, translated the New Testament in to German.

THE WATCHTOWER BIBLE - A book of daily prayers hymns etc. published and prescribed for the priests - used by JEHOVAS WITNESSES - members of a religious group - Tract Society was its Corporate Body. They took the version from Isariah "Ye are my witnesses" - Saith Jehora (Christ). "And I am God". Then the witnesses believed there is one God. They considered the resurrected Jesus to be divine in nature, as God's son, but not equal to God as father. ABEL was the first of 'Jehova's Witnesses'. 'Jehova's Witnesses' conduct activities throughout the World.

WISDOM BOOKS

PROPHETS THE PROPHETS - Teachers and Thinkers who played major role in the political & religious life of the ancient Hebrews.

EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS - This ancient scripture is the 19th book of the New Testament in the Bible. It is actually a type of religious essay. Its author is unknown, propably it was written during the persecution of Christians by Rome under the Emperor Domitian. The author tries to help the readers to remain faithful to Christianity depite persecution. Christianity is praised by showing that it is superior to Judaism, setting Jesus as an example being perfected through suffering, warning the readers of spiritual consequence of abandoning their faith.