The Shortest and Longest Books of the Bible The Shortest and Longest Books of the Bible 10 Shortest Books in the Bible l. 3 John --- 1 chapter, 14 verses, 299 words 2. 2 John --- 1 chapter, 13 verses, 303 words 3. Philemon --- 1 chapter, 25 verses, 445 words 4. Jude --- 1 chapter, 25 verses, 613 words 5. Obadiah --- 1 chapter, 21 verses, 670 words 6. Titus --- 3 chapters, 46 verses, 921 words 7. 2nd Thess. ---3 chapters, 47 verses, 1042 words 8. Haggai --- 2 chapters, 38 verses, 1131 words 9. Nahum --- 3 chapters, 47 verses, 1285 words 10. Jonah --- 4 chapters, 48 verses, 1321 words * * * * 10 Longest Books in the Bible 1.

Psalms -- 150 chapters, 2461 verses, 43,743 words 2. Jeremiah -- 52 chapters, 1364 verses, 42,659 words 3. Exekiel -- 48 chapters, 1273 verses, 39,407 words 4. Genesis -- 50 chapters, 1533 verses, 38,267 words 5. Isaiah -- 66 chapters, 1292 verses, 37,044 words 6. Numbers -- 36 chapters, 1288 verses, 32,902 words 7. Exodus -- 40 chapters, 1213 verses, 32,602 words 8. Deut. --34 chapters, 959 verses, 28,461 words 9. 2nd Chron. -- 36 chapters, 822 verses, 26,074 words 10.

Luke -- 24 chapters, 1151 verses, 25,944 words * * * * 10 Old Testament Books Most referred to in the New Testament l. Isaiah, referred to 419 times in 23 N. T. 2. Psalms, 414 times in 23 books 3. Genesis, 260 times in 21 books 4. Exodus, 250 times in 19 books 5. Deuteronomy, 208 times in 21 books 6. Ezekiel, 141 times in 15 books 7. Daniel, 133 times in 17 books 8. Jeremiah, 125 times in 17 books 9. Leviticus, 107 times in 15 books 10. Numbers, 73 times in 4 books Facts about the Bible Facts about the Bible Facts about the Bible Facts about the Bible The following list is not designed to discuss doctrine, or provide in-depth teaching. It is merely a resource center for factual information on the Bible.

Many of these questions have been addressed in various locations throughout our website; however, as many people do not have the time to comb through the entire website to find the answers they are looking for, we have compiled the following list. How many books are in the Bible? The Bible contains 66 books, divided among the Old and New Testaments. How many books are in the Old Testament? There are 39 books in the Old Testament. How many books are in the New Testament? There are 27 books in the New Testament. What does "testament" mean? Testament means "covenant" or "contract." Who wrote the Bible? The Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by over 40 different authors from all walks of life: shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers and kings. Despite these differences in occupation and the span of years it took to write it, the Bible is an extremely cohesive and unified book. Which single author contributed the most books to the Old Testament? Moses. He wrote the first five books of the Bible, referred to as the Pentateuch; the foundation of the Bible. Which single author contributed the most books to the New Testament?

The Apostle Paul, who wrote 14 books (over half) of the New Testament. When was the Bible written? It was written over a period of some 1,500 years, from around 1450 B.C. (the time of Moses) to about 100 A.D. (following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ). What is the oldest book in the Old Testament? Many scholars agree that Job is the oldest book in the Bible, written by an unknown Israelite about 1500 B.C. Others hold that the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) are the oldest books in the Bible, written between 1446 and 1406 B.C. What is the youngest book in the Old Testament? The book of Malachi, written about 400 B.C. What is the oldest book of the New Testament? Probably the book of James, written as early as A.D. 45. What is the youngest book in the New Testament? The Book of Revelation is the youngest book of the New Testament, written about 95 A.D. What languages was the Bible written in?

The Bible was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek. When was the Bible canonized? The entire New Testament as we know it today, was canonized before the year 375 A.D. The Old Testament had previously been canonized long before the advent of Christ. What does "canon" mean? "Canon" is derived front the Greek word "Kanon," signifying a measuring rod. Thus, to have the Bible "canonized" meant that it had been measured by the standard or test of divine inspiration and authority. It became the collection of books or writings accepted by the apostles and leadership of the early Christian church as a basis for Christian belief. It is the standard by which all Christians throughout the ages live and worship. When was the first translation of the Bible made into English? 1382 A.D., by John Wycliffe. When was the Bible printed? The Bible was printed in 1454 A.D. by Johannes Gutenberg who invented the "type mold" for the printing press. It was the first book ever printed. What is the oldest almost-complete manuscript of the Bible now in existence?

The Codex Vaticanus, which dates from the first half of the fourth Century. It is located in the library of the Vatican in Rome. There are older fragments of the Bible that are still preserved however-- the oldest being a tiny scrap of the Gospel of John was found in Egypt, dating back to the beginning of the second century. (It is currently in the Rayland's Library in Manchester, England). What is the longest book in the Bible? The book of Psalms. What is the shortest book in the Bible? 2 John. What is the longest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 119 What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 117 What is the longest verse in the Bible? Esther 8:9 What is the shortest verse in the Bible? John 11:35 Which book in the Bible does not mention the word "God?" The book of Esther. Who was the oldest man that ever lived? Methuselah who lived to be 969 years old (Genesis 5:27). Who were the two men in the Bible who never died but were caught up to heaven?

Enoch, who walked with God and was no more (Genesis 5:22-24). Elijah, who was caught up by a whirlwind into heaven (II Kings 2:11). Who does the Bible say was the meekest man in the Bible (not including Jesus)? Moses (Numbers 12:3). How many languages has the Bible been translated into? The Holy Bible has been translated into 2,018 languages, with countless more partial translations, and audio translations (for unwritten languages). (This is an enormous amount of translations. In comparison, Shakespeare, considered by many to be the master writer of the English language, has only been translated into 50 languages.) Is the Bible still the best-selling book in the world? Yes, indeed! The 5 Shortest Books of the Bible, in Order The 5 shortest books of the Bible, in order by Jeffrey Kranz | Jan 17, 2016 | Bible facts | 8 comments What’s the shortest book of the Bible?

(Spoiler alert: it’s 3 John, and I’ll explain why later.) The Bible is a pretty long book , and that might give the impression that every book of the Bible is long, too. But good news! Not every book of the Bible is so long. It has some tiny documents in it. In fact, the shortest books of the Bible are shorter than this blog post. The shortest books of the Bible Here are the five shortest books of the Bible, beginning with the very shortest. These measurements are by words in the original languages. Each of these books is only one chapter long, and would take you a few minutes to read, tops: Jude (461 words) I got these word counts using Word Lists in Logos Bible Software . Again, these aren’t listed by English word count: this is from the underlying Greek and Hebrew. “That’s a lot of work, dude! Why not just count the verses?” Because verses vary in length, and with such brief books, it’s best not to risk it. And if we were going by verse count, we’d be dealing with a different ordered list. Philemon has more verses than Obadiah (the shortest book in the Old Testament), but fewer words.

Second John has fewer verses than Third John, but more words. If we were going by verse count, we’d still know the shortest books of the Bible, but we’d have them out of order. Contrast that with the longest books Here’s an infographic comparing the shortest books of the Bible to the longest books of the Bible . Read these books front-to-back One of the best habits to form when studying the Bible is to read the entire book you’re working with in one sitting. It’s certainly helped me with this project . If you’re setting out to study a book of the Bible, it’s best to try reading the entire book at once. Andy Naselli just wrote a nice bit on this at the Desiring God blog: Have you ever read the Gospel according the Matthew straight through in one sitting? Or Romans ? Or Job ? Or Revelation ? If not, you’re missing out. That’s the way they’re meant to be read. He’s right. The Bible’s made up of letters and stories and oracles, but we tend to treat it more like a reference guide. Maybe that’s because the Bible’s so big—really, where are you going to find the time to read 150 Psalms?

Reading entire books of the Bible at once can be a tough habit to get into, but starting with some of the shortest books of the Bible might help you get the hang of it. And by the way, this blog post is weighing in at around 450 words, so if you can read this sort of stuff, Third John , Second John , and Philemon will be no problem at all! In fact, here’s a challenge: set a timer for 15 minutes and read all five of these books. Not only will you have read five books in one sitting, but you’ll be able to say you read Obadiah —how many people do you know who can say that? (Probably not many … it’s the least popular book of the Bible .) Download that chart for yourself Plug in your email address and I’ll send you a copy on the infographic in this piece. You’ll also be first in line to hear about more cool stuff that happens around here. =) Email address What about the other books of the Bible? So you know the shortest five books of the Bible (and the longest five, from that infographic). But what about the other 59 books in the middle? How do they line up?

Well, here’s every book of the Bible, lined up from shortest to longest, with word counts. I’ve linked each book to a brief summary that I’ve written. 1 Longest and shortest book in the New Testament | Daniel Ayad's blog on Coptic Orthodoxy Daniel Ayad's blog on Coptic Orthodoxy Biblical and scientific truth Longest and shortest book in the New Testament July 11, 2011 Posted by daniel ayad in Unique . trackback It is quite well known that the longest book in the bible is the Psalms, of which there are 150 individual Psalms. However the Psalms are contained in the Old Testament, so what about the New Testament….Which book is the longest in the New Testament? Before you jump at an answer, here are basic stats to consider. – The Gospel of Matthew contains 28 chapters – The Gospel of Mark contains 16 chapters – The Gospel of Luke contains 24 chapters – The Gospel of John contains 21 chapters – The book of Acts contains 28 chapters – The book of Revelation contains 22 chapters At first impression the battle is between Matthew and Acts as they both contain 28 chapters.

You would probably put your money on Acts being longer as it is a continuation of the Gospels… it probably has further detail on the Gospels and so on….. But this battle is wrong! The longest book in the New Testament is the Gospel of Luke. Despite the Gospel of Luke containing 24 chapters, four less than both Matthew and Acts, it contains more verses and words [1] . For the statistically minded, Luke contains 1151 verses compared to 1071 found in Matthew and 1006 found in Acts [2] . Also, despite Matthew containing more verses than Acts, it actually contains fewer words in total than both Acts and Luke. The question as to why Luke is greater in volume than both Matthew and Acts must be asked. But I want to try and answer this next time. Also since we are here, what is the shortest book in the New Testament? Here are some basic stats to consider: – Philemon contains one chapter – 2 John contains one chapter – 3 John contains one chapter – Jude contains one chapter Probably tough to call just based on this.

Here are some further stats: – Philemon’s single chapter contains 25 verses – 2 John’s single chapter contains 13 verses – 3 John’s single chapter contains 15 verses – Jude’s single chapter contains 25 verses So we are now battling between 2 John and 3 John, and you would have to assume that 2 John is shorter……..but it is not! Despite 3 John containing two more verses than 2 John it actually contains less words [3] . Surprise, surprise….. So the Gospel of Luke is the longest book in the New Testament, while 3 John is the shortest. At first glance both of these answers appear unlikely, but I think the answers give testimony to the depth of the bible. The more you study the bible, the more you realise the wonders it contains….. [1] Felix Just, New Testament Statistics, 2005. Accessed on 11th July 2011, available at: Chapter 1: What Is the Old Testament? Chapter 1 - What Is the Old Testament? THE Old Testament is a collection of selected writings composed and edited by members of the Hebrew-Jewish community between the twelfth century B.C.

and the beginning of the Christian era. It includes such diverse materials as prophetic oracles, teachings of wise men, instructions of priests and ancient records of the royal courts. Some material is historical, some is legendary; some is legalistic, some is didactic. For the most part the literature was written in Hebrew, but a few passages were written in Aramaic, a kindred language which came into common usage among the Jews during the post-Exilic era (after the sixth century B.C.). The Aramaic portions include Dan. 2:4b-7:28; Ezra 4:8-6:18, 7:12-26; Jer. 10:11; and one phrase in Gen. 31:47 "Jegar-sahadutha," translated "Heap of Witness." The term "Old Testament,"1 or more properly "Old Covenant," is a Christian designation, reflecting the belief of the early Christian Church that the "new covenant" mentioned in Jer. 31:31-34 was fulfilled in Jesus and that the Christian scriptures set forth the "new covenant," just as the Jewish scriptures set forth the "old covenant" (II Cor.

3:6-18; Heb. 9:1-4). Jewish scholars prefer the term "Tanak," a word formed by combining the initial letters of the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible: Torah (Law), Nebhiim (Prophets), and Kethubhim (Writings). The Bible, as we know it today, is the end product of a long process of writing, editing and selecting of literature primarily concerned with Jewish religious concepts, and, as such, it has a long literary history. It cannot be assumed that a group of men composed writings echoing what they thought God was dictating. The Bible reflects historical situations, human events, men's reactions to these happenings, and the belief that God was also involved in events. The literary history of the Bible can be said to have begun in the time of Solomon when two men, or groups of men, produced what was to become the nucleus of the Old Testament.

One concentrated on the story of David, drawing, no doubt, from court records and other sources, to produce a rather matter-of-fact and intimate account of David's rise to power, the weaknesses and strengths of the man and his family, and the successful coup by which his son, Solomon, gained the throne. The other writer or writers delved into the oral and written traditions of the past to enrich the understanding of the present. Stories of patriarchal ancestors, songs and folk-tales of the tribes, explanations concerning the origin of the world, and accounts of the action of God in the affairs of men, were gathered and woven into a saga explaining how the nation Israel came to be, and how God, who had acted in the past on behalf of his chosen people, was acting in the present and could be counted upon to act in the future. The theologized tradition or "sacred history," as it has been called, was probably utilized in the festivals and cultic rites of the temple. But the writing did not stop in the tenth century. New events and new monarchs required the extension of national history, and a developing theology saw new facets of the relationship believed to exist between God and the nation.

Some materials were undoubtedly discarded over the years, for the Bible reflects selectivity of materials, as we shall see. Study of the sacred literature and new historical events developed new insights and resulted in the addition of new materials. an extension of the creation narrative, detailed genealogies to account for various nations, and new traditions about the patriarchs to explain how history had developed. Even David's story was reinterpreted as David became, more and more, the prototype of the ideal king and, ultimately, of the Messiah. Other literary forms were added: sermonic utterances of the prophets, teachings from the schools of the wise men, devotional hymns of the temple, parables, and material related to the nation's understanding of itself and its divine purpose. Differing theological insights are often apparent, so that as one writing reflects a universalistic spirit, another stresses particularism. Over and over again, however, it is made clear that the writers believed that traditions of what God had done for his people in the past symbolized what he could be counted upon to do in the future. Thus, a people in captivity to the Babylonians could see that as God once delivered others from the Egyptians, he would do the same for those presently enslaved.

The literature had, therefore, a dynamic rather than a static quality; being more than a record of the past, it constituted a narrative of the activity of God on behalf of his people. In its present form, the Old Testament opens with religious traditions concerning the origin of the world and of mankind. In broad literary strokes, the transition is made to the beginnings of the Hebrew people with the adventures of the patriarchs-Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-as they dwelt in the land of Canaan. Because of famine, the Hebrews migrated to Egypt where Joseph attained high office and his descendants were treated well. Change in Egyptian leaders altered their attitude to the newcomers, and the Hebrews were pressed into virtual slavery. Led by Moses, they escaped to the wilderness. After Moses' death, under the leadership of Joshua, a successful invasion of Canaan gave them control of the land, a mastery maintained with great difficulty and many wars. Ultimately, internal and external pressure became so great that a single leader, a king, became a necessity. Under Saul, David, and Solomon, Canaan was united into a single empire.

When Solomon died, the Hebrew kingdom split into northern (Israel or Ephraim) and southern (Judah) sections, and during the next few centuries the great prophetic figures (Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, etc.) proclaimed their messages. Israel fell to the Assyrians in 721 B.C. and was absorbed by the Assyrian empire, never again to become a nation. In 586 B.C. Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians and Judaeans (Jews) were taken into exile in Babylon, where they managed to maintain their identity. Release came with the conquest of Babylon by the Persians under Cyrus the Great in 539 B.C. The exiled Judaeans were permitted to return to their homeland, reestablish themselves, and rebuild Jerusalem. Two leaders in the restoration movement, which reached its peak about the middle of the fifth century, were Ezra and Nehemiah. For two centuries, or until the coming of the Greeks tinder Alexander the Great in 333 B.C., 'Judah was ruled as a Persian province and the Jews enjoyed comparative freedom in matters of religion and social conduct. The introduction of Greek culture brought drastic changes.

When Alexander died in 323 B.C., his kingdom was divided among his generals and Judah was eventually controlled by the Seleucids of Syria. From this time onward, Greek social and cultural patterns made inroads into Jewish life, causing anguish and suffering to those who opposed change. Unable to endure the situation any longer the Jews rebelled and won freedom. For a short time, under Maccabaean leadership, Judah enjoyed the status of an independent nation, only to come under the control of the Roman empire. Here we leave the Old Testament period and enter the Christian era. However, as we shall see, there is far more than history or the interpretation of historical events within the literature of the Old Testament. DEVELOPMENT OF THE CANON Writings accepted as authoritative for faith and teaching are said to be canonical, and when gathered together constitute a canon. The term "canon," the Anglicized form of the Greek word kanon designating a rod used for measuring, is related to a Semitic root appearing in Hebrew as kaneh, meaning a "reed." Used metaphorically in reference to religious matters, it signifies the measure or guide or standard for principles of belief and practice.

The number of books constituting the canon of Old Testament Scripture varies among different religious groups. The Jewish Bible contains twenty-four books;2 the Protestant Bible, thirty-nine books; the Eastern Orthodox Bible, forty-three books; and the Roman Catholic Bible, forty-six books. The difference between the Jewish and Protestant versions is easily explained: one book in the Jewish Bible entitled "The Twelve" (Dodecapropheton), actually contains twelve prophetic writings which, in Christian versions, are counted individually, and four other writings which are treated as individual units in Jewish Bibles are each sub-divided into two books by Christians (I-II Samuel, I-II Kings, I-II Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah) . The additional books in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Bibles include writings not accepted as canonical by Jews and Protestants, who place them in a collection known as "The Apocrypha." (See Chart 1.) The term "Apocrypha" as applied to writings is first known to us through the work of Clement of Alexandria ( Stromata iii, 5), a Christian theologian-philosopher living in Egypt at the close of the second and beginning of the third centuries A.D.

In the preface to his translation of Samuel and Kings (Prologus Galeatus) in the fourth century, Jerome, the great Christian scholar who made the Latin translation of the Bible known as the "Vulgate" (see Part Ten), applied the term to books found in the Greek translation of Hebrew scriptures but excluded from the Jewish canon. Etymologically, "apocrypha" is derived from a Greek word meaning "hidden" or "concealed." The explanation as to why certain books were hidden may give to the word "apocrypha" either a complimentary or derogatory significance. In one sense, the books were hidden because they contained esoteric knowledge to be revealed only to members of a particular group. In another sense ' they were concealed because they were heretical writings not acceptable in the canon of scriptures. How parts of the Apocrypha came to be accepted by some and rejected by others is part of the story of the development of the canon. (See Part Ten.) It is estimated that close to 1,000,000 Jews lived in Alexandria, Egypt, during the third century B.C.

Having been separated from Palestinian Judaism for many generations, the Alexandrian Jews spoke only Greek and could not understand the Hebrew scriptures. According to a legend preserved in "The Letter of Aristeas,"3 in response to a request that the Jewish scriptures be translated into Greek, seventy Jewish scholars (another tradition says seventy-two) went to Egypt and translated the first five books of the Bible (the Law or Torah). These books, believed to be the work of Moses, had achieved a relatively fixed form and canonical status during the fifth century B.C. Subsequently other Jewish writings were translated: first the prophetic writings (the Prophets or Nebhiim), which had almost achieved canonical standing, and finally the Writings or Kethubhim, which incorporated all other authoritative religious documents. The tradition of the translation by the seventy was extended to include the entire Greek version which came to be known as "The Seventy" or in the Latin form as Septuaginta, now Anglicized to "Septuagint" and given a numerical abbreviation LXX. CHART I.

THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT Jewish Protestant Roman Catholic The Law (Torah) Genesis Genesis Exodus Exodus Genesis Leviticus Leviticus Exodus Numbers Numbers Leviticus Deuteronomy Deuteronomy Numbers Joshua Josue (Joshua) Deuteronomy Judges Judges Ruth Ruth The Prophets (Nebhiim) I Samuel I Kings (=I Samuel) The Former (Earlier) II Samuel II Kings(=II Samuel) Prophets: I Kings III Kings(=I Kings) Joshua II Kings IV Kings(=II Kings) Judges I Chronicles I Paralipomenon I Samuel II Chronicles (= I Chronicles) II Samuel Ezra II Paralipomenon I Kings Nehemiah (= II Chronicles) II Kings Esther I Esdras (Ezra) The Latter Prophets: Job II Esdras (Nehemiah) Isaiah Psalms ** Tobias (Tobit) Jeremiah Proverbs ** Judith Ezekiel Ecclesiastes Esther (with additions) The Twelve: Song of Solomon Job Hosea Isaiah Psalms Joel Jeremiah Proverbs Amos Lamentations Ecclesiastes Obadiah Ezekiel Song of Songs Jonah Daniel ** Book of Wisdom Micah Hosea ** Ecclesiasticus Nahum Joel Isaias Habakkuk

 Amos Jeremias Zephaniah Obadiah Lamentations Haggai Jonah ** Baruch (including the Zechariah Micah Letter of Jeremiah) Malachi Nahum Ezechiel Habakkuk Daniel The Writings Zephaniah Osee (Hosea) (Kethubhim) Haggai Joel Zechariah Amos Psalms Malachi Abdias (Obadiah) Proverbs Jonas (Jonah) Job The Apocrypha Micheas (Micah) Song of Songs * I Esdras (or III Esdras) Nahum Ruth II Esdras (or IV Esdras)Habacuc Lamentations * Tobit Sophonias (Zephaniah) Ecclesiastes * Judith Aggeus (Haggai) Esther Zacharias (Zechariah) Daniel * Additions to Esther Malachias (Malachi) Ezra * Wisdom of Solomon ** I Machabees Nehemiah * Ecclesiasticus ** II Machabees I Chronicles * Baruch II Chronicles Letter of Jeremiah * Prayer of Azariah and * The Song of the Three Young Men Susanna * Bel and the Dragon Prayer of Manasseh * I Maccabees * II M

accabees * Books accepted by The Eastern Orthodox Church but not included in the Jewish Canon.

** Books accepted by Roman Catholics but not included in the Jewish Canon. The contents of the Law and the Prophets had been determined by usage in the Jewish community prior to the LXX translation, but the limits of the Kethubhim had not been defined and books were included that were not to achieve canonical status among all Jews.4 When the Christian Church began to move into the Greek-speaking world during the first century A.D., the scripture used by the missionaries was the LXX. The authors of the New Testament Gospels drew upon the LXX to prove that Jesus was the Messiah and the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy, using some passages which the Jews argued had been inadequately translated from the Hebrew to the Greek (particularly Isaiah 7:14; compare with Matt. 1:23). The destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. gave Judaism a new direction, centering in scripture rather than sacrificial rites, so that it became imperative to define the limits of the authoritative writings. Consequently, in 90 A.D. at Jamnia (Jabneh) , situated west of Jerusalem near the Mediterranean, a council met under the leadership of Rabbi Johanan ben Zakkai to determine the Jewish canon.

Long debates ensued over the Song of Songs, Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Ezekiel. The books agreed upon by the Council constitute the Jewish canon of today. Concerning other writings, both Jewish and Christian, the Council stated: The Gospel and the books of the heretics are not Sacred Scripture. The books of Ben Sira and whatever books have been written since his time, are not Sacred Scripture. (Tosef Yadaim 2:13) Meanwhile the Christians continued to use the LXX including books of the Apocrypha rejected by the Jamnia Council. There was, however, some uneasiness among Christian scholars concerning certain of the books and just prior to the Protestant Reformation questions were being raised about the authority of the Apocrypha. Seeking to go back to ancient sources, Protestant reformers accepted the Jewish canon and relegated the Apocrypha to the status of writings without authority for doctrine, partially, no doubt, because certain unacceptable doctrines were based upon these writings.5 For Protestants, the writings of the Apocrypha are separated from canonical scriptures and held to be non-authoritative for doctrine.

The Roman Catholic Church took the opposite stand at the Council of Trent held in Tridentum, Italy from 1545 to 1563 and, partially on the basis of traditional usage among Christians, declared the books of the Apocrypha, with the exception of I and II Esdras and the prayer of Manasseh, to be canonical and pronounced anathema upon all who denied their status. The accepted books are labeled "Deuterocanonical"6 by Roman Catholic scholars who restrict the use of the term "Apocrypha" to designate writings purporting to be inspired but not accepted into the Roman Catholic canon. The latter writings are labeled "Pseudepigrapha" (False Writings) by Protestant scholars.

Later, in 1672, at the Council of Jerusalem, the Eastern Orthodox Church accepted I Esdras, Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, the Prayer of Azariah and The Song of the Three Young Men, Bel and the Dragon, and I and II Maccabees into the canon, for reasons that are not completely clear.7 Thus, the term "Old Testament" has a wider and a narrower meaning, depending upon who uses it. This book will discuss the literature common to Jewish, Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Bibles, and the writings called the "Apocrypha" by Protestants and Jews or "Deuterocanonical" by Roman Catholics. WHY DO WE READ? For those with religious training received in Church or Synagogue, the answer to the question "Why do we read?" may seem obvious. One reads for religious, theological, devotional, or inspirational reasons, for spiritual edification, to nourish and nurture faith. The Jew recognizes Tanak as God's word revealed to Israel, requiring neither supplement nor fulfillment.

It is used in public and private worship linking the individual Jew to the household of faith throughout history, providing strength in time of need, offering hope in moments of darkness, and giving assurance that the Covenant made with God in the past has relevance today.8 For the Christian, the Old Testament is that part of Holy Scripture known and quoted by Jesus and the New Testament writers. Often, it is viewed as the prologue to the New Testament, as a document which, pointing forward to Jesus, is to be interpreted in the light of the New Testament, where Old Testament promises find fulfillment.9 Through the Bible God speaks to man, and one may read of God's outreach or search for man, or, to reverse the idea, man's search for God.10 The very reverence and respect paid to the Bible in services of worship by Jew and Christian symbolizes its importance. The approach of the Synagogue or Church directs attention to the essentially religious nature of the Bible, to the fact that the Old Testament is the product of a community of faith reflecting theological convictions, and to the subsequent fact that this ancient document is still a powerful factor in shaping and sustaining beliefs.

However, the purposes of Bible study as defined or understood by religious organizations do not determine the goals of the classroom. Often hailed as a "literary classic," the Bible has been approached as great literature, and there have been those who have read with deep appreciation, particularly in the King James Version, the magnificent prose and poetry appearing in many passages. Biblical themes have been compared with those of other literary masterpieces.11 The impact of the Bible upon the literature of the Western world has been traced and recognition given to the permeation of our culture by this great document.12 Such an approach may ignore the intention of the authors of the Bible and the relevance of what they said to their own time, or, in stressing literary characteristics, may slight the religious convictions of the writers. The remarkable historical record preserved in the Old Testament13 has led archaeologists and historians to study it for contributions to the understanding of Near Eastern history. The great American archaeologist, W. F.

Albright, has commented upon the significant role the Bible has played in the identification of Palestinian sites,14 and in some instances the Bible has led to the discovery of ancient places by describing locations.15 But, as archaeologists would be quick to assert, the Bible is more than an historical record or a guide to buried cities. Beyond the study of the Old Testament for the contribution it may make to personal and corporate piety or to literary, historical, and archaeological studies, is the recognition of the role this body of writings has played and continues to play in shaping human concepts and values through the adherents of three great religions that acknowledge its authority: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

To study these ancient writings is, therefore, to study works that for centuries have influenced social, literary, musical, artistic, ethical, moral, and many other aspects of society.16 Understandably, no single introductory volume has been able to deal with the relationship of the Bible to all of these themes.17 It is the purpose of this volume to introduce the literature of the Old Testament, the vehicle by which the concepts of the ancient Hebrew-Jewish community are conveyed to us, in terms of the situations out of which these writings developed (so far as they can be known) , giving attention to the beliefs and commitments of the authors. Whether or not one believes that the religious, social and ethical concepts of the Old Testament are acceptable as authoritative guides for present day belief and conduct must remain a personal matter.

If, from such study, one committed to the religious teaching of Church or Synagogue can gain enriched awareness of the foundations of his convictions, or, if one without such commitments can develop sensitive understanding of the basis of another's beliefs, and, if both are able to broaden their appreciation of concepts that are fundamental to western religious thought, perhaps this will be enough to answer the question, "Why read?" But, to read with understanding the words of another is, to some degree, to apprehend the person. if, through empathy and imagination, the barriers of time and space can be transcended and some identity with the writer - his mood, his situation, his thinking, his values, and the generating sentiment of his writing - can be attained, then it is possible to discover, not only another sentient human being, but, to an extent, oneself. The question then becomes, "Why not read?" Endnotes The earliest use of the term "Old Testament" is attributed to Melito, Bishop of Sardis about A.D. 180. Tertullian, a Roman centurion who became a Christian, is believed to have been the first to designate the Christian writings as the "New Testament" (about A.D. 200).

Josephus, the Jewish historian of the first century A.D. in his first book against Apion (Contra Apion), section 8, mentions twenty-two books. He unites Ruth and Judges, and Jeremiah and Lamentations A Greek document, probably written in Alexandria, Egypt, during the second century B.C. Cf. Moses Hadas, Aristeas to Philocrates (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1961) . The Qumran Jewish community located near the Dead Sea, which produced the so-called "Dead Sea Scrolls," included among their writings all of the books of the Old Testament (with the possible exception of Esther), the book of Enoch and Jubilees, plus numerous writings of their sect including "The War of the Children of Light versus the Children of Darkness," many hymns, and a community rule book. It should be noted that at least some members of the early Christian community used the book of Enoch (cf. Jude, vss. 14-16). For example, the doctrine of Purgatory (cf. II Macc. 12:43-46). Indicating that they were written later.

The other books in the canon are called "Protocanonical." See The Old Testament Canon, Part Ten, chap. 31 for greater detail. Cf. Leo Trepp, Eternal Faith, Eternal People (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1962), pp. 78 ff.; H. J. Schoeps, The Jewish-Christian Argument (New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1963) , p. 4. For a different evaluation, cf. J. L. Liebman, "New Trends in Jewish Reform Thought," Reform Judaism (Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College Press, 1949) , pp. 58-65. Cf. Aldo J. Tos, Approaches to The Bible: The Old Testament (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1963), pp. vii f.; H. C. Kee, The Renewal of Hope (New York: Association Press, 1959), pp. 49 ff.; A. Richardson, A Preface to Bible Study (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1944) pp. 65 ff. R.

M. Brown, The Bible Speaks to You (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1955), pp. 15 ff.; E. P. Blair, The Bible and You (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1953), pp. 27 ff.; S. Mowinckel, The Old Testament as the Word of God, trans. by R. B. Bjornard (New York: Abingdon, 1959); John T. Wilkinson, Principles of Biblical Interpretation (London: Epworth Press, 1960). Mary Ellen Chase, The Bible and the Common Reader (New York: Macmillan, 1944); C. A. Dinsmore, The English Bible as Literature (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1931); Joseph Frank, Literature from the Bible (Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1963). L. A. Nelson, Our Roving Bible (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1945). Records preserved in II Sam.

9-20 and I Kings 1-2 have been recognized as unique documents, conveying to the reader a sense of factuality that indicates intimate familiarity with the events described. Cf. John Bright, A History of Israel (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1959), P. 163. Wm. F. Albright, The Archaeology of Palestine (Baltimore: Penguin, 1960), pp. 227 ff. Nelson Glueck, Rivers in the Desert (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Cudahy, 1959), pp. 30 ff. Areas of academic inquiry affected by the Old Testament include: art, archaeology, comparative literature, ethics, history, music, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and, in a controversial way, biological and geological sciences, to name but a few. Cf. H. H. Watts, The Modern Reader's Guide to the Bible (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1959) ; W. Irwin, The Old Testament: Keystone of Human Culture (New York: H. Schuman, Inc., 1952) for volumes cognizant of the cultural aspects.

Old Testament Life and Literature is copyright © 1968, 1997 by Gerald A. Larue. All rights reserved. The electronic version is copyright © 1997 by Internet Infidels with the written permission of Gerald A. Larue. King James Bible Statistics King James Bible Statistics By Nic Kizziah This article is � Copyrighted by Theological Research, a department of The Believers Organization. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this article, or any portion of it, as long as it's not for profit and not edited in any manner whatsoever. If you wish to use this article in a profit making capacity then permission must be granted by the author. Contact Nic Kizziah, President, The Believers Organization, P. O. Box 40862, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404, phone: (205) 462-1873, email: TheBelievers@charter.net , visit their website: . Many books and websites list faulty statistics on the King James Bible. Of course the number of books (66) and chapters (1,189) are fairly easy to count.

However when it comes to verses, words and letters, there are a wide variety of numbers floating around. For example when it comes to verses I have read and heard preachers and teachers say there are 31,000 verses, 31,101 verses, 31,102 verses, 31,170 verses and 31,175 verses. Many use the latter number and then proceed to tell you the middle verse is Psalm 118:8. It reads as follows: It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. Wow, what a verse to be right in the middle of your Bible. Then they tell you to count the words in this middle verse. There are fourteen. That's seven plus seven. That's the number of completeness and spiritual perfection doubled. Then they direct you to the middle two words and they read "the Lord". So the King James Bible has the words "the Lord" right in the center of it. I have read this in numerous books and on several websites. I have heard it on tapes. I have also received e-mails informing me of this information.

On top of all this I have heard my two most favorite preachers proclaim it from the pulpit. It's funny how people copy from one another. Here's the problem. They started off with a faulty statistic. They were taught there were 31,175 verses in the King James Bible and that's not true. Hey but it gets even worse. If there were 31,175 verses the middle verse would not be Psalm 118:8. It would be Psalm 104:16. This is the 15,588th verse in the King James Bible. It reads as follows: The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; - hey nothing very astounding there that jumps off the page and slaps you in the face and makes you say wow! In order for Psalm 118:8 (the 15,968th verse in the KJB) to be the middle verse there would have to be 31,935 verses in the King James Bible, which is simply not the case.

One thing that is real ironic about all this is that the New King James Version has kept this verse intact as it is written in the King James Bible. Nevertheless they did not hesitate to tamper with the previous seven verses in Psalm 118. Apparently some one on that committee was aware of all this stuff going on in the center of the Bible. It makes me laugh just to think about it. The truth is there are 31,102 verses in the King James Bible. Therefore there is no single middle verse. You cannot have a middle verse with an even number of verses. However there are two middle verses. These would be verses 15,551 and 15,552 (Psalms 103:1-2.) PSALM 103 B LESS the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: These are the middle two verses of the King James Bible. Both verses start with "Bless the LORD, O my soul". Verse 1 continues - and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Verse 2 concludes with - and forget not all his benefits. These are powerful words coming from the two center verses of the Book. Now let's count the words in these two middle verses. There are twenty-eight. That's twice as many as in the imaginary middle we discussed earlier. That's seven quadrupled (7 times 4) instead of seven doubled (7 times 2.) Here we have seven compounded twice as much. The truth is always better than fiction. Any one that knows their Bible knows that God loves the number seven. Now let's see if we can find some middle words in the center of God's middle verses. Yes, I see four (bless his holy name.) There are twelve words on one side of this phrase and twelve words on the other side. So the King James Bible has bless his holy name right in the center of the two middle verses! Once again that's twice as many words as in the imaginary center. This phrase also has exactly twice as many words (12) on each side of it. God loves the number twelve also. Next to the number seven, it is his favorite number. He uses it a lot in his word. For example there were twelve apostles and twelve tribes of Israel.

There are twelve manner of fruits bared by the tree of life. It is the number of authority and power. What else would you expect in the center of God's Holy Bible? Bless his holy name. In conclusion to all this middle of the King James Bible stuff consider this verse of scripture, PSALM 138:2...I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. We see here God thinks quite a bit about his holy name and his word has been magnified above it! So if the Bible is the word of God, and it is, and the King James Bible is the Bible, and it is, then how do you think we should treat it? The answer should be obvious: with honour and respect. Total Books in the King James Bible 66

Question: What is the longest book in the Old Testament ?
Answer: PSALMS