Few readers can read the ancient languages and since the early centuries of the church, the bible has been translated into numerous languages. The number of translations of the bible was greatly increased in the 19th and 20th centuries due to the activities of the Bible Societies. The bible or parts of the bible have now been translated into over 1000 languages or dialects. Both used the Hebrew and Greek texts then available, inadequate texts by modern standards, and now much more exact texts and translations are available. It is important to notice that all translations are interpretations, which can be clearly seen if the various English translations are compared with each other.
All dates are B.C. unless otherwise stated.
A Bible Atlas is very helpful in studying the bible. Before 10,000 - Stone Age cultures. Hunters and food-gatherers. Cultivation of cereals and domestication of animals. Beginning of writing.