

There is still debate over what all the council selected to be canonized as the Bible, as this council has only been mentioned in ancient Hebrew writings.

The Hebrew Bible consists of 24 books, believed to be determined by the councils of Jamnia in AD 90 and 118 as the list of books to be part of the Bible.

It comes from the Greek word “ kanon,” which means reed or measurement. The same process was applied to determine what books of the Bible would be included, whether they were inspired by the Spirit or not, to be the authorized Word of God. How the Bible was established to include what it does of stories and parables is part of the canonization process, which is, initially, a Christian communion performed by the Roman Catholic Church (as well as the Eastern Orthodox Church) to appoint selected deceased members of the church into the determined canon, or list, to be considered a saint in the church. The two sections are arranged this way to highlight the birth of Jesus, with the Old Testament sharing the emerging prophecies of the Messiah and Jesus’ actual birth, death, and resurrection taking place at the start of the New Testament with the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).ĭifference Between the Hebrew and Protestant Bible The English Bible consists of 66 books with two distinct sections: The Old Testament (39 books) and the New Testament (27 books). Let’s journey through the origins of the Bible, learning how the Bible has affected countless people's lives and has become the foundational building blocks for the leading faiths in our world today. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart, ( Hebrews 4:12). The Book of Hebrews states it best when explaining why the Word of God is something everyone is drawn to:įor the word of God is alive and active.

What about the Bible has made it the book to “turn to” for the last half-century? It is a book with various translations and even different representations among the Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant faiths. The Bible is the most-read book of all time, surpassing favorites such as The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter , and even classics like The Diary of Anne Frank and To Kill a Mockingbird. Business Insider records that the Bible has sold 3.9 billion copies over the last 50 years, while the Harry Potter series has sold 400 million copies. Daniel - In English and Greek Bible translations, Daniel is considered one of the Major Prophets however, in the Hebrew canon it is part of "The Writings.Written with the divine guidance of the Holy Spirit by shepherds, prophets, nobility, and more, the Bible includes 66 books that have inspired laws, influenced culture, and uplifted billions in faith over three millennia.The book, a poetic work, is placed here with the Major Prophets in English Bibles because of its authorship. Lamentations - Scholarship favors Jeremiah as the author of Lamentations.They are further divided by Major and Minor Prophets. The Prophetic Books were written from the days of Elijah (874-853 B.C.) until the time of Malachi (400 B.C.). There have been prophets throughout every era of God's relationship with mankind, but the books of the prophets address the "classical" period of prophecy-during the later years of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel, throughout the time of exile, and into the years of Israel's return from exile.
