Topic 3 of 35 — Your Place in the Learning Journey
What Is the Bible?
The Bible is the sacred book of the Christian faith. Its contents were written over the course of several hundred years by 40 or more human authors. Compositionally, it is a binding of 66 to 81 individually authored or composited books. The number of books depends upon the particular Christian tradition. The books present the experience of the Jewish people in their interaction with God and other peoples, and God's interaction with them and the coming of Jesus Christ, his life, crucifixion and resurrection along with and early church history, apostolic letters, and apocalyptic writing. For Christians, it is the premier written materials revealing God to humanity.
All Christian theological views see the Bible as resulting from God working through human authors for its production. For reading about the character and nature of God so working see divine inspiration.
It is the most sold book in human history and for most Christians serves as the ultimate and final written authority on God's truths.
At a Glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Number of Books | 66 (39 Old Testament + 27 New Testament) |
| Written Over | ~1,500 years (approx. 1400 BC – AD 95) |
| Number of Authors | More than 40 |
| Original Languages | Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek |
| Written On | Three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe |
| Literary Styles | History, poetry, law, prophecy, letters, apocalyptic |
| Central Theme | God's redemption of humanity through Jesus Christ |
| Copies in Existence | More than 5 billion (most widely distributed book in history) |
Explore Further
Is There One Unified Story?
With 40+ authors across 15 centuries, is there a single coherent narrative formed from the 66 books?
Read more →Old vs. New Testament
What is a "testament"? How are the two halves of the Bible different, and what holds them together?
Read more →Why Should I Trust It?
Archaeological discoveries, manuscript evidence, and fulfilled prophecy supply good reasons for many to have confidence in the Bible's reliability.
Read more →