The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-10-23

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Observed
This is National Bible Week and
well should it be observed for this
great book is the best seller of all
books ever written. It has become
a way of life for all who choose t.
live right.
This question often arises, "What
Is the Bible?"
In the derivation of our word
Bible, lies its definition. It come.
from the Greek word, biblion which
in its plural biblia signifies little
books" The Bible is actually a col
lection of little books, Of every
sort, and description, written over
a long period of time, the very
earliest dating, in part at least, al
far back as 1900 BIC. or perhaps
even earlier; tn latest as late as
$50 AID. In its rich and manifold
nature it might be called a library
of Hebrew literature; in its slow
production over a period Of many
centuries it might be termed q
survey of that literature to be un'
derstood as we understand a sur
vey of English literature, in which
we become familiar with types Of
English prose and poetry from
Anglo-Saxon times to the twentieth
century.
The Bible, in the form in which
most of US wisely read it, the King
James, or Authorized, Version, has
been called by John Livingstone
Loves ''the noblest monument Of
English prose"
These stories Of men and women,
old and young, although they &C.
cupy large portion Of the Bible,
are only one Of its many literary
forms.
There is poetry in the Bible. In
addition to the ancient songs al
ready spoken Of, there are lyrical
love songs, odes, laments, hymns
of all kinds, both secular and re-
lisious dramatic monologues, and,
above all else, the exalted poetry
Of the prophets and Of the book Of
Job.
There is at least one great dra.
ma in the Bible, that contained in
the book of Revelation, with its
majestic and awful stage settings,
its celestial actors, its solemn acts
and scenes. And there are a score
of tragedies which, if placed in
dramatic form would rival Othello
or Hamlet on Broadway. -,
Thare are great biographers n
mong the biblical writers such as
Baruch who wrote the biography
of the prophet jeremiah and whose
copy of it was cut in pieces by
King Jehoachim's pen-knife and
thrown into the open fire on .
cold December day.
The best letters ever written are
in the Bible, and st. Paul is the
author Of them, a more vivid let
ter writer than even Horace Wal
pole or Lord Chesterfield.
There are countless proverbs In
the Bible, many contained in the
book bearing their name, others
scattered elsewhere, maxims and
aphorisms, some of great ANTIGUA
ty, some of other origin than Jew
ish.
There are two philosophers In the
Bible, both of whom give to US
mingled prose and poetry, their
questions and their conclusion con-
corning the meaning of life and the
ways of God with men.
The Bible is a collection, a lib
rary of various books, rejecting
and Illuminating the long life Of a
small, yet a great people.
The language of the Bible, now
simple and direct in its homely
vigour, now sonorous and stately
in its richness, has placed its IN
delible stamp upon our best writ
ers from Bacon to Lincoln and
even to the present day.
The Bible belongs among the
noblest and most indispensable of
our humanistic and literary tradi"
tons. No liberal education is truly
liberal without it.
To all English speaking peoples
the Bible is a national as well as
a noble monument, for much OF
their history is securely rooted and
anchored within it. In 18th century
England it nurtured the Puritan re-
volt and paved the way for the
Bill Of Rights.
And lastly. the Bible in its slow,
patient evolution is the nOblest rec.
ord in any language or the hearts
and the minds of men. Those who
wrote it and those of whom it was
written thought and wondered over
the eterna. questions of life and
death, of mans lot upon this earth,
and OF his ultimate destiny. Amos
on the Tekoan hills, the Great Is
aiah BY the waters Of Shiloah and
the Second Isaiah by those of Ba-
bylon, Job in the dust with his SEN