Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeEditor PicksHow Was The Bible Written

How Was The Bible Written

The Campfire Is Calling

Why was the Bible written?

Stress Relief in the Simple Things

Smile on me, Your servant teach me the right way to live.

PSALM 119:136 THE MESSAGE

The simple things are the best stress relievers. Things like taking a walk, watering the garden, watching the birds at the feeder, listening to a favorite playlist, the first sip of coffee in the morning, laughing with our kids, a drive through the countryside, and sitting around a campfire. The pace of the world has complicated our lives and stolen our time with screens, apps, and binge-watching. When we think back just twenty years, its shocking to realize where we are today in relation to the way we communicate and the things that monopolize our free time. And we have so little free time to begin with.

Reclaiming it takes effort. To get back to the simpler, stress-relieving activities that are so good for us, we need to be deliberate about putting a whole bunch of things in our lives on silent more of the time. God gives us the days we choose how to fill them. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, heres what you do: . . . run after peace for all youre worth .

Dear God, give me the wisdom to spend my time putting people first. Show me how important it is to invest in simple things with a quiet, thankful heart.

YouVersion uses cookies to personalize your experience. By using our website, you accept our use of cookies as described in our Privacy Policy.

The Old Testament Was Already Put Together By The Time Of Jesus

  • M.A., Christian Studies, Union University
  • B.A., English Literature, Wheaton College

Determining when the Bible was written poses challenges because it isn’t a single book. It’s a collection of 66 books written by more than 40 authors over more than 2,000 years.

So there are two ways to answer the question, “When was the Bible written?” The first is to identify the original dates for each of the Bible’s 66 books. The second, the focus here is to describe how and when all 66 books were collected in a single volume.

When Was The Bible Written

The Bible was not written in one specific year or in a single location. The Bible is a collection of writings, and the earliest ones were set down nearly 3500 years ago. So lets start at the beginning of this fascinating story.

The first five books of the Bible are attributed to Moses and are commonly called the Pentateuch .

Moses lived between 1500 and 1300 BC, though he recounts events in the first eleven chapters of the Bible that occurred long before his time .

These earliest accounts were handed on from generation to generation in songs, narratives, and poetry.

In those early societies there was no writing as yet and people passed on these oral accounts with great detail and accuracy.

The earliest writing began when symbols were scratched or pressed on clay tablets. The Egyptians refined this technique and developed an early form of writing known as hieroglyphics. The Bible tells us that Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, so he would have been familiar with the major writing systems of his time. We also read that God gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. All this leads to the conclusion that the earliest writings in the Bible were set down around 1400 BC.

The New Testament was written during a much shorter period, i.e. during the last half of the first century AD.

Don’t Miss: Who Wrote The Book Of James In The Bible

Friends Partners And Lovers: What It Takes To Make Your Marriage Work

Most marriages survive by gritting teeth and holding on. But marriages can and will not only survive but thrive when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another. Those are the powerful words of bestselling author Gary Thomas in his newest bookCherish. And in a world desperate for marriage redemption, it is needed now more than ever. Thomas shows that although there are a countless number of marriages consisting of two people just going through the motions, there are real ways this pattern can be reversed: when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another in proven, loving, and everyday actions and words.

Newest Release – Episode 2: Heroes Providing Hope

Discover the amazing work our PRCs Directors, Nurses, and Volunteers are making in their communities! Youll see firsthand testimonies of a PRC in action, and that there are other options outside of abortions! Youll also discover how your family can support your local PRC!

Yes, I Promise to Pray for the Pre-born and Their Moms!

Will you pray for the pre-born and moms that are facing unexpected pregnancies? We will send you a 7-day prayer guide that will help guide you along this journey with us!! You can even choose to receive this great resource by text!

Newest Release – Episode 4: Sometimes the Choice is Hard

Yes, I Promise to Pray for the Pre-born and Their Moms!

Newest Release – Episode 3: The Power of a Picture

Yes, I Promise to Pray for the Pre-born and Their Moms!

How A Former Abortion Doctor Became Pro

Was the Bible Written by Stoners?

As an abortion doctor at Planned Parenthood, Dr. Patti Giebink believed she was helping women. Later, she began reading scripture and God gradually changed her heart on the abortion issue. Patti tells the story of her long journey from abortion doctor to pro-life and encourages listeners to share the message of life with compassion.

Recommended Reading: Do Dogs Have Souls Bible

Reconciling Faith And Science In A Medical Crisis

Dr. Lee Warren is a neurosurgeon who has faced many heavy challenges in his life from serving in the Iraq War to removing deadly brain tumors to experiencing the loss of a teenage son. Hell share about his difficult quest to find answers to some of lifes toughest questions, while holding onto his faith in God and the sure hope of heaven

Set Aside What Religious Tradition Says And Discover Who Wrote The Bible According To The Scholars Who Have Examined The Actual Evidence

Holy books have a reach that goes far beyond what virtually all works of literature can ever accomplish. Unlike, say, The Great Gatsby, the Bible is a text upon which millions and millions of people have based their entire lives.

That fact can be good or bad, and its often been both over the many centuries throughout which Christians have been reading the Bible and Jews have been reading the Torah.

But given its immense reach and cultural influence, its a bit surprising how little we really know about the Bibles origins. In other words, who wrote the Bible? Of all the mysteries surrounding the Bible, that one may be the most fascinating.

Wikimedia CommonsA depiction of Paul the Apostle writing his epistles.

Were not completely ignorant, of course. Some books of the Bible were written in the clear light of history, and their authorship isnt terribly controversial. Other books can be reliably dated to a given period by either internal clues sort of the way no books written in the 1700s mention airplanes, for instance and by their literary style, which develops over time.

Religious doctrine, of course, holds that God himself is the author of or at least the inspiration for the entirety of the Bible, which was transcribed by a series of humble vessels. About the best that can be said for that notion is that if God really did write the Bible through a millennium-long sequence of various authors, he was certainly doing it the hard way.

Also Check: What To Read In The Bible When You Are Sad

Navigating A Toxic Culture With Your Daughter

As a pediatrician, Dr. Meg Meeker has seen thousands of girls come through her office through the years. They struggle with eating issues, sexual identity, social mediaand many other challenges in this toxic culture. Dr. Meeker will encourage parents to invest love and time in their daughters and develop their character to give them the best opportunity for a bright future, all rooted in a spiritual foundation. The discussion also includes healthy feminism vs. toxic feminism

Hebrew: Language Of The Old Testament

Who Wrote the Bible?

Hebrew belongs to the Semitic language group, a family of ancient tongues in the Fertile Crescent that included Akkadian, the dialect of Nimrod in Genesis 10 Ugaritic, the language of the Canaanites and Aramaic, commonly used in the Persian empire.

Hebrew was written from right to left and consisted of 22 consonants. In its earliest form, all the letters ran together. Later, dots and pronunciation marks were added to make it easier to read. As the language progressed, vowels were included to clarify words that had become obscure.

Sentence construction in Hebrew might place the verb first, followed by the noun or pronoun and objects. Because this word order is so different, a Hebrew sentence cannot be translated word-for-word into English. Another complication is that a Hebrew word might substitute for a commonly used phrase, which had to be known to the reader.

Different Hebrew dialects introduced foreign words into the text. For example, Genesis contains some Egyptian expressions while Joshua, Judges, and Ruth include Canaanite terms. Some of the prophetic books use Babylonian words, influenced by the Exile.

Recommended Reading: What Is The Definition Of Grace In The Bible

Identifying Triggers In Your Marriage Part 1

They were both convinced they had married the wrong person. From almost the very beginning of their marriage, Amber and Guy Lia experienced various tensions and personality clashes related to house cleaning, backseat driving, workaholism, and intimacy. In this two-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Amber and Guy discuss how they bravely faced the triggers head-on, and committed to working on their own relationships with Jesus. As you listen to the Lias story, youll feel hope that you, too, can see real marriage transformation!

Summary Question 18 To Whom Was The Bible Written

The evidence demonstrates that the Bible was written to every human being, not to just a select few. We now understand that the language of the New Testament was the common written and spoken language of the time.

The Bible was not written in some special, holy language to meet the needs of a few. Scripture has been composed in such a way as to be understandable to the masses.

Furthermore, God will hold everyone responsible as to how they receive His Word. This is another indication that the Bible was written with everyone in mind. Therefore, every person needs to pay close attention to its message.

Read Also: Where To Get Name Engraved On Bible

New Testament: Who Wrote The Gospels

Just as the Old Testament chronicles the story of the Israelites in the millennium or so leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ, the New Testament records Jesuss life, from his birth and teachings to his death and later resurrection, a narrative that forms the fundamental basis of Christianity. Beginning around 70 A.D., about four decades after Jesuss crucifixion , four anonymously written chronicles of his life emerged that would become central documents in the Christian faith. Named for Jesuss most devoted earthly disciples, or apostlesMatthew, Mark, Luke and Johnthe four canonical Gospels were traditionally thought to be eyewitness accounts of Jesuss life, death and resurrection.

12th-13th century depiction of evangelists Luke and Matthew writing the Gospels.

DeAgostini/Getty Images

But for more than a century, scholars have generally agreed that the Gospels, like many of the books of the New Testament, were not actually written by the people to whom they are attributed. In fact, it seems clear that the stories that form the basis of Christianity were first communicated orally, and passed down from generation to generation, before they were collected and written down.

Greek Opened The New Testament To Gentiles

" The 1611 King James Bible was writen more than four hundred years ago ...

When the Bible writers began to pen the gospels and epistles, they abandoned Hebrew and turned to the popular language of their time, koine or common Greek. Greek was a unifying tongue, spread during the conquests of Alexander the Great, whose desire was to Hellenize or spread Greek culture throughout the world. Alexanderâs empire covered the Mediterranean, northern Africa, and parts of India, so the use of Greek became predominant.

Greek was easier to speak and write than Hebrew because it used a complete alphabet, including vowels. It also had a rich vocabulary, allowing for precise shades of meaning. An example is Greekâs four different words for love used in the Bible.

An added benefit was that Greek opened the New Testament to Gentiles, or non-Jews. This was extremely important in evangelism because Greek allowed Gentiles to read and understand the gospels and epistles for themselves.

Recommended Reading: How Do We Study The Bible

When And Where Was The Bible Written

The Bible was written over a period of more than 1,500 years, on three continents by more than 40 authors , who wrote in three different languages: The Old Testament was written primarily in Hebrew with some Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek.

The earliest portions of the Old Testament were recorded around 1400 BC. The Old Testament writings were completed with the book of Malachi, around 400 BC. Malachis book is followed by a roughly 400-year time gap before the New Testament begins. The books of the New Testament were written between 44 AD and 95 AD.

Archaeology Confirms The Bibles Historical Accuracy

Archaeologists have consistently discovered the names of government officials, kings, cities, and festivals mentioned in the Bible — sometimes when historians didn’t think such people or places existed. For example, the Gospel of John tells of Jesus healing a cripple next to the Pool of Bethesda. The text even describes the five porticoes leading to the pool. Scholars didn’t think the pool existed, until archaeologists found it forty feet below ground, complete with the five porticoes.1

The Bible has a tremendous amount of historical detail, so not everything mentioned in it has yet been found through archaeology. However, not one archaeological find has conflicted with what the Bible records.2

In contrast, news reporter Lee Strobel comments about the Book of Mormon: “Archaeology has repeatedly failed to substantiate its claims about events that supposedly occurred long ago in the Americas. I remember writing to the Smithsonian Institute to inquire about whether there was any evidence supporting the claims of Mormonism, only to be told in unequivocal terms that its archaeologists see ‘no direct connection between the archaeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book.'” Archaeologists have never located cities, persons, names, or places mentioned in the Book of Mormon.3

Archaeology consistently confirms the historical accuracy of the Bible.

Also Check: Does The Bible Say The Earth Is Flat

Who Wrote The Bible: Prophets

Wikimedia CommonsThe prophet Isaiah

The next texts to examine when investigating who wrote the Bible are those of the biblical prophets, an eclectic group who mostly traveled around the various Jewish communities to admonish people and lay curses and sometimes preach sermons about everybodys shortcomings.

Some prophets lived way back before the Golden Age while others did their work during and after the Babylonian captivity. Later, many of books of the Bible attributed to these prophets were largely written by others and were fictionalized to the level of Aesops Fables by people living centuries after the events in the books were supposed to have happened, for example:

Wikimedia CommonsThe prophet Jeremiah

Embracing Your Role As A Spouse

Who Wrote the Bible? | Ancient Mysteries (S1, E13) | Full Episode

As a spouse, you have three roles to playa friend, a partner, and a lover. On this one-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Pastor Kevin A. Thompson explores those different roles and challenges you to live them out by investing emotionally, physically, and mentally in your relationship. As friends, he suggests we learn to play and laugh together. As partners, he equips us with solid ways to handle conflict and communication. As lovers, he offers some thoughts on how to bring back the sizzle. He shares five keys to saving your marriage: humility, respect, mercy, communication, and resilience. Youll be encouraged to intentionally invest in your marriage.

Read Also: How Did Peter Die In The Bible

What Does The Bible Say

The Bible centres on the one and only God, the Creator of all that exists. Gods will and purpose are viewed as just, loving, and ultimately prevailing. The Hebrew Bible starts with an account of Gods creation of the world, and it tells the story of the Israelites and the Promised Land. The New Testament deals with the life, the person, and the teachings of Jesus and the formation of the Christian church.

Bible, the sacred scriptures of Judaism and Christianity. The Christian Bible consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament, with the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox versions of the Old Testament being slightly larger because of their acceptance of certain books and parts of books considered apocryphal by Protestants. The Hebrew Bible includes only books known to Christians as the Old Testament. The arrangements of the Jewish and Christian canons differ considerably. The Protestant and Roman Catholic arrangements more nearly match one another.

A brief treatment of the Bible follows. For full treatment, seebiblical literature.

In the Apocrypha of the Old Testament, various types of literature are represented the purpose of the Apocrypha seems to have been to fill in some of the gaps left by the indisputably canonical books and to carry the history of Israel to the 2nd century bce.

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular