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{| class="infobox" style="whitespace:nowrap; font-size:85%"
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<span font-size=100%>'''The Bible''' is</span>
* '''Part of a series on ] '''
:(see ] below)
* '''Part of ] '''
:(see ] below)
----
]

The ] displayed by the <br />United States ]
|}

The word "'''Bible'''" refers to the canonical collections of ] of ] and ].

Judaism's Bible is often referred to as the ''']''', or ''']''', which includes the sacred texts common to both the Christian and Jewish ].<ref>See Patrick H. Alexander The SBL Handbook of Style. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers. ISBN 1-56563-487-X.</ref> The Christian Bible is also called the '''Holy Bible''', '''Scriptures''', or '''Word of God'''. The ] and ] Old Testament canons contain books not found in the Tanakh, but which were found in the ] ].

More than 14,000 ] and fragments of the ] Tanakh exist, as do numerous copies of the Septuagint, and 5,300 manuscripts of the Greek New Testament, more than any other work of ].<ref>{{cite web
|title=Reliability of Ancient Manuscripts
|publisher=AllAboutTruth.org
|url=http://www.allabouttruth.org/Origin-Of-The-Bible.htm
}}</ref>

==Derivation of term Bible==
]According to the the word bible<ref></ref> is from Anglo-Latin ''biblia'', traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin, as used in the phrase ''biblia sacra'' ("holy books"). This then stemmed from the term ('']:'' {{polytonic|τὰ βιβλία τὰ ἅγια}} ''ta biblia ta hagia'', "the holy books"), which derived from ''biblion'' ("paper" or "scroll", the ordinary word for "book"), which was originally a diminutive of ''byblos'' ("Egyptian papyrus"), possibly so called from the name of the ]n port from which Egyptian ] was exported to Greece.
<br>Biblical scholar Mark Hamilton states that the Greek phrase ta biblia ("the books") was "an expression Hellenistic Jews used to describe their sacred books several centuries before the time of Jesus<ref> on PBS's site </ref>," and would have referred to the ]<ref></ref>.
<br>The Online Etymology Dictionary differs from Mark Hamilton's opinion on the matter simply stating "The Christian scripture was referred to in as Ta Biblia as early as c.223.", quite the opposite of what Mark Hamilton said in that it was used to refer to Cristian scripture, and not for their own "sacred books".
<br><br>The Online Etymology Dictionary continues and concludes that the Christian scripture was referred to in Greek as ''Ta Biblia'' as early as 223 CE. The word "Bible" replaced Old English ''biblioðece'' ("the Scriptures") from the Greek ''bibliotheke'' (lit. "book-repository" from ''biblion'' + ''theke'', meaning "case, chest, or sheath"), used of the Bible by Jerome and the common Latin word for it until ''Biblia'' began to displace it 9c. Use of the word in a figurative sense, as in "any authoritative book" is from 1804.

== The Hebrew Bible ==
{{Judaism}}
{{main| Hebrew Bible | Tanakh | Old Testament}}
The ] (]: {{hebrew|תנ"ך}}) is a term that refers to the common portions of the ]ish and ] ]s. Its use is favored by some academic Biblical scholars as a ''neutral term'' that is preferred in academic writing both to "Old Testament" and to "Tanakh" (an acronym used commonly by Jews but unfamiliar to many English speakers and others) {{ref_harvard|Alexander|Alexander 1999, p. 17|none}}.

"Hebrew" in "]" may refer to either the ] or to the ] who historically used Hebrew as a spoken language, and have continuously used the language in prayer and study, or both.

Because "Hebrew Bible" refers to the common portions of the Jewish and Christian biblical canons, it does not encompass the ] (largely from the ] ] translation (LXX), included in the canon of the ] and ] churches). Thus the term "Hebrew Bible" corresponds most fully to the Old Testament in use by ] denominations (adhering to ]'s ''Hebraica veritas'' doctrine). Nevertheless, the term can be used accurately by all Christian denominations in general contexts, except where reference to specific translations or books is called for.

The Hebrew Bible consists of 39 books. Tanakh is an acronym for the three parts of the Hebrew Bible: the ] ("Teaching/Law" also known as the ]), ] ("Prophets"), and ] ("Writings", or ]).

(see ])

===Torah===
{{main|Torah}}
], or Jewish scripture. In the background are the ] and a ], two important symbols of Judaism.]]
The ], or "Teaching," is also known as the five books of ], thus ] or ] (Hebrew and Greek for "five," respectively).

The ] is composed of the following five books:
*I ] (''Bereisheet'' בראשית),
*II ] (''Shemot'' שמות),
*III ] (''Vayikra'' ויקרא),
*IV ] (''Bemidbar'' במדבר), and
*V ] (''Devarim'' דברים)

The Hebrew book titles come from the first words in the respective texts. The Hebrew title for Numbers, however, comes from the fifth word of that text.

The Torah focuses on three moments in the changing relationship between God and people.
*The first eleven chapters of Genesis provide accounts of the ] (or ordering) of the world, and the history of God's early relationship with humanity.
*The remaining thirty-nine chapters of Genesis provide an account of God's covenant with the Hebrew patriarchs, ], ] and ] (also called ]), and Jacob's children (the "]"), especially ]. It tells of how God commanded Abraham to leave his family and home in the city of ], eventually to settle in the land of ], and how the Children of Israel later moved to Egypt.
*The remaining four books of the Torah tell the story of ], who lived hundreds of years after the patriarchs. His story coincides with the story of the liberation of the Children of Israel from slavery in ], to the renewal of their covenant with God at ], and their wanderings in the desert until a new generation would be ready to enter the land of Canaan. The Torah ends with the death of Moses.

Traditionally, the Torah contains the ], or commandments, of God, revealed during the passage from slavery in the land of Egypt to freedom in the land of Canaan. These commandments provide the basis for ] (Jewish religious law).

The Torah is divided into fifty-four portions which are read in turn in Jewish liturgy, from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Deuteronomy, each ]. The cycle ends and recommences at the end of ], which is called ].

===Nevi'im===
{{main|Nevi'im}}
The ], or "Prophets," tells the story of the rise of the Hebrew monarchy, its division into two kingdoms, and the prophets who, in God's name, judged the kings and the Children of Israel. It ends with the conquest of the Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians and the conquest of the Kingdom of Judah by the Babylonians, and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Portions of the prophetic books are read by Jews on the Sabbath (]). The ] is read on ].

According to Jewish tradition, Nevi'im is divided into eight books. Contemporary translations subdivide these into seventeen books.

The eight books are:
* I. ] or Yehoshua
* II. ] or Shoftim
* III. ] or Shmu'el (often divided into two books; Samuel may be considered the last of the judges or the first of the prophets, as his sons were named judges but were rejected by the Hebrew nation)
* IV. ] or Melakhim (often divided into two books)
* V. ] or Yeshayahu
* VI. ] or Yirmiyahu
* VII. ] or Yehezq'el
* VIII. Trei Asar (The Twelve ]) תרי עשר
*# ] or Hoshea
*# ] or Yo'el
*# ]
*# ] or Ovadyah
*# ] or Yonah
*# ] or Mikhah
*# ] or Nachum
*# ] or Habaquq
*# ] or Tsefania
*# ]
*# ] or Zekharia
*# ] or Malakhi


===Ketuvim===
{{main|Ketuvim}}
The ], or "Writings," may have been written during or after the ] but no one can be sure. According to Rabbinic tradition, many of the psalms in the book of ] are attributed to ]; ] is believed to have written ] in his youth, ] at the prime of his life, and ] at old age; and the prophet ] is thought to have written ]. The ] is the only biblical book that centers entirely on a non-Jew. The book of Ruth tells the story of a non-Jew (specifically, a ]ite) who married a Jew and, upon his death, followed in the ways of the Jews; according to the Bible, she was the great-grandmother of ]. Five of the books, called "The Five Scrolls" (Megilot), are read on Jewish holidays: Song of Songs on ]; the ] on ]; ] on the ]; Ecclesiastes on ]; and the ] on ]. Collectively, the Ketuvim contain lyrical poetry, philosophical reflections on life, and the stories of the prophets and other Jewish leaders during the Babylonian exile. It ends with the Persian decree allowing Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple.

Ketuvim contains eleven books:
* I. Tehillim (]) תהלים
* II. Mishlei (]) משלי
* III. 'Iyyov (]) איוב
* IV. Shir ha-Shirim (]) שיר השירים
* V. Ruth (]) רות
* VI. Eikhah (]) איכה
* VII. Kohelet (]) קהלת
* VIII. Esther (]) אסתר
* IX. Daniel (]) דניאל
* X. Ezra (often divided into two books, ] and ] (עזרא (נחמיה
* XI. Divrei ha-Yamim (], often divided into two books) דברי
הימים

===Translations and editions===
{{unreferenced|date=November 2006}}

The Tanakh was mainly written in ], with some portions (notably in ] and ]) in ].

Some time in the 2nd or ], the Torah was translated into ], and over the next century, other books were translated (or composed) as well. This translation became known as the ] and was widely used by Greek-speaking Jews, and later by Christians. It differs somewhat from the later standardized Hebrew (]). This translation was promoted by way of a legend that seventy separate translators all produced identical texts.

From the ] to the ], Jewish scholars today known as Karaites ] compared the text of all known Biblical manuscripts in an effort to create a unified, standardized text. A series of highly similar texts eventually emerged, and any of these texts are known as Masoretic Texts (MT). The Masoretes also added ] points (called ]) to the text, since the original text only contained consonant letters. This sometimes required the selection of an interpretation, since some words differ only in their vowels— their meaning can vary in accordance with the vowels chosen. In antiquity, variant Hebrew readings existed, some of which have survived in the ], the ], and other ancient fragments, as well as being attested in ancient versions in other languages.

Versions of the Septuagint contain several passages and whole books beyond what was included in the Masoretic texts of the ]. In some cases these additions were originally composed in Greek, while in other cases they are translations of Hebrew books or variants not present in the Masoretic texts. Recent discoveries have shown that more of the Septuagint additions have a Hebrew origin than was once thought. While there are no complete surviving manuscripts of the Hebrew texts on which the Septuagint was based, many scholars believe that they represent a different textual tradition ("vorlage") from the one that became the basis for the Masoretic texts.{{fact}}

Jews also produced non-literal translations or paraphrases known as ]s, primarily in Aramaic. They frequently expanded on the text with additional details taken from Rabbinic oral tradition.

==The two Torahs of Rabbinic Judaism==
By the ] of Jewish history, Jews were divided over the nature of the Torah. Some (for example, the ]) believed that the Chumash contained the entire Torah, that is, the entire contents of what God revealed to Moses at Sinai and in the desert. Others, principally the ], believed that the Chumash represented only that portion of the revelation that had been written down (i.e., the Written Torah or the Written Law), but that the rest of God's revelation had been passed down orally (thus composing the Oral Law or ]). ] and ] and ] state that the ] contains some of the Oral Torah. ] also gives credence to the Talmud containing the Oral Torah, but, as with the written Torah, asserts that both were inspired by, but not dictated by, God.

== The Old Testament ==

The Christian ], while having most or all books in common with the Jewish ], varies from Judaism in the emphasis it places and the interpretations it gives them. The books come in a slightly different order. In addition, some Christian groups recognize additional books as canonical members of the Old Testament, and they may use a different text as the canonical basis for translations.

===Differing Christian usages of the Old Testament===
The ] (Greek translation, from Alexandria in Egypt under the ]) was generally abandoned in favor of the ] text as the basis for translations of the Old Testament into ] languages from ] ] to the present day. In ], translations based on the Septuagint still prevail. Some modern Western translations make use of the Septuagint to clarify passages in the Masoretic text, where the Septuagint preserves an ancient understanding of the text. They also sometimes adopt variants that appear in texts discovered among the ].

A number of books which are part of the Greek Septuagint but are not found in the Hebrew Bible are often referred to as ] by Roman Catholics referring to a later secondary (i.e. deutero) canonisation. These books are not deuterocanonical for Orthodox Churches because they were always canonical for them. Most Protestants term these books as ]. ] and those of the Modern ] traditions do not accept the deuterocanonical books as canonical, although Protestant Bibles included them until around the 1820s. However the ], ], and ] Churches include these books as part of their Old Testament. The Roman Catholic Church recognizes seven such books (], ], ], ], ], ], and ]), as well as some passages in ] and ]. Various Orthodox Churches include a few others, typically ], ], ], ], ], and occasionally ].

==The New Testament==
{{Portalpar | Christianity | Heart2.jpg | 35}}
{{Christianity}}
The Bible as used by the majority of ] includes the Hebrew Scripture and the ], which relates the life and teachings of ], the ] of the ] and other disciples to the early church and the ].

The ] is a collection of 27 books, produced by Christians, with ] as its central figure, written primarily in ] in the early Christian period. Nearly all Christians recognize the New Testament (as stated below) as canonical ]. These books can be grouped into:
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==== Original language ====
The ] was probably completely composed in ], the language of the earliest manuscripts. Some scholars believe that parts of the Greek New Testament (in particular, the Gospel of Matthew) are actually a translation of an Aramaic or Hebrew original. Of these, a small number accept the Syriac Peshitta as representative of the original. See further ].

==== Historic editions ====
]''' from the 13th century, held at the ] in ].]]
Concerning ancient manuscripts, the three main textual traditions are sometimes called the ], the ], and ]. Together they compose the majority of New Testament ]s. There are also several ancient versions in other languages, most important of which are the ] (including the ] and the ] gospel harmony), ] and the ] (both the ] and the Vulgate).

The earliest surviving complete manuscript of the entire Bible is the ], a Latin Vulgate edition produced in eighth century England at the double monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow.

The earliest printed edition of the New Testament in Greek appeared in ] from the ] press. It was compiled by ] on the basis of the few recent Greek manuscripts, all of ] tradition, at his disposal, which he completed by translating from the Vulgate parts for which he did not have a Greek text. He produced four later editions of the text.

Erasmus was a Roman Catholic, but his preference for the textual tradition represented in ] text of the time rather than that in the Latin Vulgate led to him being viewed with suspicion by some authorities of his church.

The first edition with critical apparatus (variant readings in manuscripts) was produced by the printer ] of Paris in ]. The type of text printed in this edition and in those of Erasmus became known as the '']'' (Latin for "received text"), a name given to it in the ] edition of ], which termed it the text ''nunc ab omnibus receptum'' ("now received by all"). Upon it, the churches of the ] based their translations into ] languages, such as the ].

The discovery of older manuscripts, such as the ] and the ], led scholars to revise their opinion of this text. ]’s critical edition of ], based on manuscripts dating from the fourth century and earlier, was intended primarily to demonstrate that the Textus Receptus must finally be corrected by the earlier texts. Later critical texts are based on further scholarly research and the finding of papyrus fragments, which date in some cases from within a few decades of the composition of the New Testament writings.{{fact}} It is on the basis of these that nearly all modern translations or revisions of older translations have been made, though some still prefer the Textus Receptus or the similar "Byzantine ]".

==Christian Theology==

While individual books within the Christian Bible present narratives set in certain historical periods, most ]s teach that the Bible itself has an overarching message.

There are among Christians wide differences of opinion as to how particular incidents as described in the Bible are to be interpreted and as to what meaning should be attached to various prophecies. However, Christians in general are in agreement as to the Bible's basic message. A general outline, as described by ], is as follows:<ref name=cslewis></ref><br clear="left"/>

#At some point in the past, mankind learned to depart from God's will and began to ].
#Because no one is free from sin, humanity cannot deal with God directly, so God revealed Himself in ways people could understand.
#God called ] and his progeny to be the means for saving all of mankind.
#To this end, He gave the ] to ].
#The resulting nation of Israel went through cycles of sin and ], yet the prophets show an increasing understanding of the Law as a moral, not just a ceremonial, force.
#Jesus brought a perfect understanding of the Mosaic Law, that of love and salvation.
#By His death and resurrection, all who believe are saved and reconciled to God.

Many people who identify themselves as ], ], or ] regard the Bible as inspired by ] yet written by a variety of imperfect men over thousands of years. Belief in sacred texts is attested to in Jewish antiquity,<ref>See Philo of Alexandria, ''De vita Moysis'' 3.23; Josephus, ''Contra Apion'' 1.8</ref> and this belief can also be seen in the earliest of Christian writings. Various texts of the Bible mention Divine agency in relation to prophetic writings,<ref name="Original Source">{{
cite book
|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Sam%2023:2,2%20Tim%203:16,Luke%201:70,Heb%203:7,10:15-16,1%20Peter%201:11,Mark%2012:36,2%20Peter%201:20-21,Acts%201:16,Acts%203:18,Acts%2028:25;&version=50;
|publisher=Biblegateway
|title="Basis for belief of Inspiration"
}}</ref> the most explicit being: ''2 Timothy 3:16: "All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice."'' In their book ''A General Introduction to the Bible'', ] and William Nix wrote: "The process of inspiration is a mystery of the providence of God, but the result of this process is a verbal, plenary, inerrant, and authoritative record."<ref>
{{cite book
| author = Norman L. Geisler, William E. Nix
| title = A General Introduction to the Bible:p86
| year = 1986
| publisher = Moody Publishers
|authorlink = http://www.normgeisler.com/
| id = ISBN 0-8024-2916-5
}}</ref>
Some Biblical scholars,<ref>for example, see{{cite book
| author = Leroy Zuck, Roy B. Zuck
| title = Basic Bible Interpretation:p68
| year = 1991
| publisher = Chariot Victor Pub
| id = ISBN 0-89693-819-0
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite book
| author = Roy B. Zuck, Donald Campbell
| title = Basic Bible Interpretation
| year = 2002
| publisher = Victor
| id = ISBN 0-7814-3877-2
}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
| author = Norman L. Geisler
| title = Inerrancy:p294
| year = 1979, 1980
| publisher = The Zondervan Corporation
| id = ISBN 0-310-39281-0
}}</ref> particularly Evangelicals, associate inspiration with only the original text; for example some American Protestants adhere to the 1978 ] which asserted that inspiration applied only to the ] text of Scripture.<ref>
{{cite paper
| author = International Council on Biblical Inerrancy
| title = THE CHICAGO STATEMENT ON BIBLICAL INERRANCY
| publisher = International Council on Biblical Inerrancy
| date = 1978, ICBI.
| url = http://www.churchcouncil.org/ccpdfdocs/01_Biblical%20Inerrancy_A&D.pdf#search=%22We%20further%20affirm%20that%20copies%20and%20translations%20of%20Scripture%20are%20the%20Word%20of%20God%20to%20the%20extent%20that%20they%20faithfully%20represent%20the%20original.%22
| format = pdf}}</REF>

==The canonization of the Bible==
{{main|Biblical Canon}}

=== Canonization of the Hebrew Bible ===
It has been theorized that canonical status of some books of the ] was still being discussed between ] and ], and that it had yet to reach definitive form. It is unclear at what point during this period the Jewish canon was fixed, though the Jewish canon which did eventually form did not include all the books found in the various editions of the ].{{fact}}

===Canonization of the Old Testament and New Testament===
The Old Testament canon entered into Christian use in the Greek Septuagint translations and original books, and their differing lists of texts. In addition to the Septuagint, Christianity subsequently added various writings that would become the New Testament. Somewhat different lists of accepted works continued to develop in antiquity. In the fourth century a series of synods produced a list of texts equal to the 27-book canon of the New Testament that would be subsequently used to today. Also ''c''. 400, Jerome produced a definitive Latin edition of the Bible (see ]), the canon of which, at the insistence of the Pope, was in accord with the earlier Synods. With the benefit of hindsight it can be said that this process effectively set the New Testament canon, although there are examples of other canonical lists in use after this time. A definitive list did not come from an Ecumenical Council until the ] (1545-1563).

During the ], certain reformers proposed different canonical lists than what was currently in use. Though not without debate, the list of New Testament books would come to remain the same; however, the Old Testament texts present in the Septuagint, but not included in the Jewish canon, fell out of favour. In time they would come to be removed from most Protestant canons. Hence, in a Catholic context these texts are referred to as deuterocanonical books, whereas in a Protestant context they are referred to as Apocrypha, the label applied to all texts excluded from the Biblical canon. (Confusingly, Catholics and Protestants both describe certain other books, such as the ‘’Acts of Peter’’, as apocryphal).

Thus, the Protestant Old Testament of today has a 39-book canon&mdash;the number varies from that of the books in the Tanakh (though not in content) because of a different method of division&mdash;while the Roman Catholic Church recognizes 46 books as part of the canonical Old Testament. The term “Hebrew Scriptures” is only synonymous with the Protestant Old Testament, not the Catholic, which contains the Hebrew Scriptures and additional texts. Both Catholics and Protestants have the same 27-book New Testament Canon.{{cn}}

Canonicity, which involves the discernment of which texts are divinely inspired, is distinct from questions of human authorship and the formation of the books of the Bible.{{fact}}

==Bible versions and translations==
]
In scholarly writing, ancient translations are frequently referred to as "versions", with the term "translation" being reserved for medieval or modern translations. Bible versions are discussed below, while Bible translations can be found on a separate page.

The original texts of the Tanakh were in Hebrew, although some portions were in Aramaic. In addition to the authoritative Masoretic Text, Jews still refer to the Septuagint, the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, and the ], an Aramaic version of the Bible.

The primary Biblical text for early Christians was the ]. In addition they translated the Hebrew Bible into several other languages. Translations were made into Syriac, ], ] and Latin, among other languages. The Latin translations were historically the most important for the Church in the West, while the Greek-speaking East continued to use the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament and had no need to translate the New Testament.

The earliest Latin translation was the Old Latin text, or Vetus Latina, which, from internal evidence, seems to have been made by several authors over a period of time. It was based on the Septuagint, and thus included books not in the Hebrew Bible.

] assembled the first list of books of the Bible at the ] in 382 A.D. He commissioned Saint ] to produce a reliable and consistent text by translating the original Greek and Hebrew texts into Latin. This translation became known as the ] and was declared by the Church to be the only authentic and official Bible.

] for many languages have been made through the various influences of Catholicism, Orthodox, Protestant, etc especially since the ]. The Bible has seen a notably large number of ].

The work of Bible translation continues, including by Christian organisations such as ] (), ]s () and the ] (). Of the world's 6,900 ], 2,400 have some or all of the Bible, 1,600 (spoken by more than a billion people) have translation underway, and some 2,500 (spoken by 270m people) are judged as needing translation to begin.<ref> </ref>

=== Differences in Bible Translations ===
:''See also: ]''.
As Hebrew and Greek, the original languages of the Bible, have idioms and concepts not easily translated, there is an on going critical tension about whether it is better to give a word for word translation or to give a translation that gives a parallel idiom in the target language. For instance, in the English language Catholic translation, the ], as well as the Protestant translations of the Christian Bible, translations like the King James Version, the New Revised Standard Version and the New American Standard Version are seen as literal translations (or "word for word"), whereas translations like the New International Version and ] attempt to give relevant parallel idioms. ] and ] are two paraphrases of the Bible that try to convey the original meaning in contemporary language. The further away one gets from word to word translation, the text becomes more readable while relying more on the theological, linguistic or cultural understanding of the translator, which one would not normally expect a lay reader to require.

=== Inclusive Language ===
Further, both Hebrew and Greek, like some of the Latin-origin languages, use the male gender of nouns and pronouns to refer to groups that contain both sexes. This creates some difficulty in determining whether a noun should be translated using terms that refer to men only, or men and women inclusively. Some translations avoid the issue by directly translating the word using male only terminology, whereas others try to use inclusive language where the translators believe it to be appropriate. Translations that attempt to use inclusive language are the ] and the latest edition of the New International Version.

===The introduction of chapters and verses ===
:''Main article: ]; see ] for the Jewish textual tradition.''

The ] ] contains verse endings as an important feature. According to the ]ic tradition, the verse endings are of ancient origin. The Masoretic textual tradition also contains section endings called ''parashiyot'', which are indicated by a space within a line (a "closed" section") or a new line beginning (an "open" section). The division of the text reflected in the ''parashiyot'' is usually thematic. The ''parashiyot'' are not numbered.

In early manuscripts (most importantly in Tiberian Masoretic manuscripts, such as the ]) an "open" section may also be represented by a blank line, and a "closed" section by a new line that is slightly indented (the preceding line may also not be full). These latter conventions are no longer used in Torah scrolls and printed ]s. In this system the one rule differentiating "open" and "closed" sections is that "open" sections must ''always'' begin at the beginning of a new line, while "closed" sections ''never'' start at the beginning of a new line.

Another related feature of the Masoretic text is the division of the ''sedarim''. This division is not thematic, but is almost entirely based upon the ''quantity'' of text.

The Byzantines also introduced a chapter division of sorts, called ''Kephalaia''. It is not identical to the present chapters.

The current division of the Bible into chapters and the verse numbers within the chapters have no basis in any ancient textual tradition. Rather, they are medieval Christian inventions. They were later adopted by many Jews as well, as technical references within the Hebrew text. Such technical references became crucial to medieval rabbis in the historical context of forced debates with Christian clergy (who used the chapter and verse numbers), especially in late medieval Spain. Chapter divisions were first used by Jews in a ] manuscript, and for a printed edition in ]. However, for the past generation, most Jewish editions of the complete ] have made a systematic effort to relegate chapter and verse numbers to the margins of the text.

The division of the Bible into chapters and verses has often elicited severe criticism from traditionalists and modern scholars alike. Critics charge that the text is often divided into chapters in an incoherent way, or at inappropriate rhetorical points, and that it encourages citing passages out of context, in effect turning the Bible into a kind of textual quarry for clerical citations. Nevertheless, the chapter divisions and verse numbers have become indispensable as technical references for Bible study.

] is reputed to have been the first to put the chapter divisions into a Vulgate edition of the Bible, in ]. They were then inserted into Greek manuscripts of the New Testament in the ]. ] (Robert Stephanus) was the first to number the verses within each chapter, his verse numbers entering printed editions in ] (New Testament) and ] (Hebrew Bible).

==Advocacy of the Bible==
{{main|Advocacy of the Bible|Christian apologetics}}

] advocate a high view of the Bible and sometimes advocate the doctrine of ].

Christian scholar ] is often quoted by ] for writing the following in his work ''Protestant Christian Evidences'':

<blockquote>"Jews preserved it as no other ] has ever been preserved. With their ] they kept tabs on every letter, syllable, word and paragraph. They had special classes of men within their culture whose sole duty was to preserve and transmit these documents with practically perfect fidelity – ]s, ]s, ]s.</blockquote>

<blockquote>In regard to the New Testament, there are about 13,000 manuscripts, complete and incomplete, in ] and other languages, that have survived from ]. </blockquote>

<blockquote>A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and committal read. But somehow the corpse never stays put. No other book has been so chopped, knifed, sifted, scrutinized, and vilified. What book on philosophy or religion or psychology or belles lettres of classical or modern times has been subject to such a mass attack as the Bible? With such venom and skepticism? With such thoroughness and erudition? Upon every chapter, line and ]?</blockquote>

==Criticism of the Bible==
:''Main articles: ] and ]

Theologians and clerics, most notably ], think that there are contradictions in the Bible. ] concluded from a study of such contradictions that the ] could not have had a single author, and thus, neither God nor Moses could be the authors of the Torah. By the 19th century, critical scholars, such as ] and ] argued that the various books of the Bible were written not by the presumed authors but by a heterogeneous set of authors over a long period. Although Biblical archeology has confirmed the existence of some of the people, places, and events mentioned in the Bible, many critical scholars have argued that the Bible be read not as an accurate historical document, but rather as a work of literature and theology that often draws on historical events &mdash; and often draws on non-Hebrew mythology &mdash; as primary source material. For these critics the Bible reveals much about the lives and times of its authors. Whether the ideas of these authors have any relevance to contemporary society is left to clerics and adherents of contemporary religions to decide.

===The documentary hypothesis===
{{main|Documentary hypothesis}}
The '''documentary hypothesis''' posits that the ] (written ]) has its origins in sources who lived during the time of the ] or later, labeled J (]), E (]), D (]s), and P (]). These in turn are said to go back to oral traditions, drawing on (and sometimes parodying) earlier ] mythology. ], who in the late ] gave this hypothesis a definitive formulation, suggested that these sources were edited together or ] during the time of ], perhaps by Ezra himself. Since that time Wellhausen's theory has been widely debated by critical scholars (e.g. ]).

==Trivia==
* The ] fast food chain has hidden bible references on its foods packaging.<ref>See </ref>
* John 3:16 is often parodied in wrestling and sports by its fans, with a favorite team or team members name, with 3:16, put on a sign held up when cheering.
* ] references the bible in a similar manner, when Brian reads out loud a non existent line in the bible "And the lord said, Go ]"
* Many ] or ] are alternatively called Literary Bibles, with no connection to the Christian bible.
* The Japanese sometimes carry a different meaning for the word Bible (Baibaru), meaning a phrase that one takes to heart. This is notably mentioned in the Japanese pop song "Zankoku Na Tenshi no TE-ZE".

==Notes and references==
<references/>

* Berlin, Adele, Marc Zvi Brettler and Michael Fishbane. . Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-19-529751-2
* ] ''Understanding the Old Testament'' (ISBN 0-13-948399-3)
* ] ''Asimov's Guide to the Bible'', New York, NY: Avenel Books, 1981 (ISBN 0-517-34582-X)
* ] ''Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did they Come from?'' Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2003. ISBN 0-8028-0975-8.
* ] ''Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why'' New York, NY: HarperSanFrancisco, 2005. ISBN 0-06-073817-0.
* Geisler, Norman (editor), ''Inerrancy'', Sponsored by the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, Zondervan Publishing House, 1980, ISBN 0-310-39281-0.
* Head, Tom. ''The Absolute Beginner's Guide to the Bible''. Indianapolis, IN: Que Publishing, 2005. ISBN 0-7897-3419-2.
* Hoffman, Joel M. . New York University Press. 2004. ISBN 0-8147-3690-4.
* Lindsell, Harold, ''The Battle for the Bible'', Zondervan Publishing House, 1978, ISBN 0-310-27681-0.
* Lienhard, Joseph T. "The Bible, The Church, and Authority." Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1995.
* Miller, John W. ''The Origins of the Bible: Rethinking Canon History'' Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1994. ISBN 0-8091-3522-1.
* Riches, John. ''The Bible: A Very Short Introduction'', Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 0-19-285343-0
* ] and ] ''The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts''. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2001. ISBN 0-684-86913-6.
* Taylor, Hawley O., "Mathematics and Prophecy," ''Modern Science and Christian Faith'', Wheaton,: Van Kampen, 1948, pp.175-183.
*''Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia'', subject: prophecy, page 1410, Moody Bible Press, Chicago, 1986
*''Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia'', subject: Book of Ezekiel, page 580, Moody Bible Press, Chicago, 1986
* On gender neutrality. .

==See also==
{{portal}}
{{commons|Bible}}
{{wiktionary|Bible}}
{{wikiquote}}
{{wikisource|Wikisource:Religious texts#Bible_and_Works_about_the_Bible|The Bible and Works about the Bible}}
{{wikisource|EB1911:Bible|1911 Britannica entry}}

===Biblical analysis===
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===Perspectives on the Bible===
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===History and the Bible===
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===Biblical scholarship and analysis===
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==External links==
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===Bible Societies and Translations===
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===Bible texts===
====Hebrew====
* (] 1917 translation; includes Hebrew audio)
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====Greek====
* See "External Links" under ] and ].

====Latin====
* - Latin Vulgate with parallel Douay-Rheims and King James English translations
* - Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible
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====English====
* - Audio version of the King James Version
* - On-line interactive reference library continuously updated from the teachings and commentaries of selected pastors and teachers who hold to the conservative, historical Christian faith.
*-Downloadable Bible in many different versions
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* — from the website of Good News / Crossway (the publisher of the ESV)
* — E-sword text for Microsoft Windows
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* w/audio, extensive commentary and cross-references
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====Turkish====
* (Turkish Old and New Testament)

====Others====
* with side-by-side translations in English, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew at the ]
* text search in any one of many translations/languages, or lookup complete passages in up to five different translations/languages at once. Select from among NIV, NASB, MSG, AMP, NLT, KJV, ESV, CEV, NKJV, ASV, NLV, NIrV and many others.
* - read through the Bible aid that has a standard one year read through as well as the ability to design your own read through.
* provides free Bible software downloads
* from the original Hebrew and Koine Greek
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* PDT version
* (long download)
* to see two versions side by side, any of NAS, ASV, ESV, NKJV, KJV, NLT, NRS, GNT, WEB, MSG, NIV, NIrV and many others.
* provides resources on a verse by verse basis, such as commentaries, definitions, concordance with Hebrew/Greek, related information and parallel bible on the one selected verse in KJV, NKJV, NLT, NIV, ESV, NASB, RSV, ASV and others.
* to search NASB, KJV, CEV, ASV and others.
* for word proximity searches on the KJV bible.
*

===Commentaries===
* The Jewish History Resource Center - Project of the Dinur Center for Research in Jewish History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
* - Includes the Tanakh and ]'s entire commentary
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* – An historical approach the Bible
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* - Verse by verse commentary
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===Analysis===
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Revision as of 21:00, 8 December 2006

is still all lies