The Bible: Understanding its Composition and History

The Meaning of the Word "Bible"

• The Bible is a collection of 66 books written over a period of 1,600 years, covering 4,000 years of human history.
• The 39 books of the Old Testament took about 1,000 years to appear (roughly from 1400-400 B.C.).
• The 27 books of the New Testament were written in a much shorter span of time, about 50 years (A.D. 45-95).

Origin of the Word "Bible"

• The English word "Bible" came from the Greek plural "ta biblia", meaning 'the books'.
• The word "Bible" originated from the name of the papyrus or Byblos reed used in Egypt as early as 1100 BC for making scrolls and unbound leafed pages.
• The singular translation came into English via Latin and Old French as "Bible".

The Testaments

• The Bible is divided into two parts called Testaments, with the Old Testament written and preserved by the Jewish community before the time of Christ.
• The New Testament was composed by the followers of Christ during the first century A.D.
• The term "Testament" (berith in Hebrew and diatheke in Greek) means "covenant" in the Hebrew Old Testament.
• The Old Testament is associated with the "old covenant", and the New Testament is associated with the "new covenant" ushered in by the work of Christ.
• The New Testament writers see the fulfillment of the Jeremiah prophecy concerning the new covenant in the new Kingdom order.

Correlation between the Two Covenants

• The Old Testament books are associated with the history of the "old covenant", and the New Testament books are the foundational documents of the "new covenant".
• The terms "Old Testament" and "New Testament" for the two collections of books came into general Christian use in the later part of the second century.
• The correlation between the two covenants is described by St. Augustine as "... the Old Testament revealed in the New, the New concealed in the Old."
• The New Testament is the fulfillment of the prophecies in the Old Testament, and Christ is the theme of both covenants.

Learn about the origins and composition of the Bible, including its 66 books and the time periods in which they were written. Explore the history and cultural significance of the Old and New Testaments.