15 Amazing Bible Facts

The Bible is one of the most notable publications in the world. Even non-Christians know of its existence and perhaps some of the stories in it. Yet the details of the Bible and how it came to be passed down are largely unknown to many. In addition, many people – both Christian and non-Christian – are unaware of the history and intent of this amazing piece of work. Here are fifteen amazing Bible facts that you may not have known!

• The Bible was compiled over the course of 1,500 years or 40 generations, from 1400 B.C. to A.D. 100, and includes the writings of over 40 individual authors.
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• The scriptures were written in Aramaic, Greek, and Hebrew.
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• The first five books of the Old Testament, which include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, are known by three different titles, the Five Books of Moses, The Pentateuch, or the Torah.
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• While Moses is believed to have contributed the most to the Old Testament, scholars also believe that four or five additional authors may have also contributed to the writings of the Old Testament.
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• The apostle Paul is believed to have written the 14 books of the New Testament.
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• The Bible was the first book to be printed on the new moveable print machine invented by Johann Gutenberg. Scholars believe the printing of the Gutenberg Bible was completed toward the end of 1455.
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• The Bible is one of the best-selling books of all time, with over 50 copies sold every day.
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• The Bible is also one of the most shoplifted books in the world.
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• The Bible contains material that is presented in a variety of different literary forms, including poetry, prose, romance, mystery, biographical, science, history, and more.
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• There are more than 80,000 versions of the Bible in circulation, with new versions of it added or updated on a regular basis.
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• Popular English versions of the Bible include the American Standard, the Jerusalem Bible, and the King James Version.
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• The Bible is one of the most translated documents on earth. It has been completely translated by scholars into 531 languages and partially translated into at least 2,883 languages.
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• There are over 8,000 predictions in the Bible. Matthew, in verse 24:22, says the human race will have the ability to exterminate itself, while Luke, in verse 21:20:22, says the Jewish homeland will be reestablished in the Middle East.
• The oldest, almost-complete Bible dating back to the fourth century can be found in the Codex Vaticanus, located in the Vatican library in Rome.
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• There are older fragments of the Bible that have been preserved. For example, the tiny scrap of the Gospel of John, which was found in Egypt and dates back to the beginning of the second century. It is currently housed in the Rayland’s Library in Manchester, England.

While the occurrences and lessons in the Bible may not seem to be directly correlated to modern lives, its teachings are still vital for Christians to study. Knowing more about the Bible and the meanings behind its stories can help one understand not only life’s greatest mysteries but provide everyone with the roadmap for spiritual growth.