---
title: Bible
author: Joshua J. Mark
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/bible/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 2022-08-30
---
# Bible
_Authored by [Joshua J. Mark](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/JPryst/)_
The Bible takes its name from the Latin *Biblia* ('book' or 'books') which comes from the [Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) *Ta Biblia* ('the books') traced to the Phoenician port [city](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/) of Gebal, known as [Byblos](https://www.worldhistory.org/Byblos/) to the Greeks. [Writing](https://www.worldhistory.org/writing/) became associated with Byblos as an exporter of papyrus (used in writing) and the Greek name for papyrus was *bublos.*
Although the Bible is often considered a single, cohesive, work, it is actually an anthology of ancient writings by many different authors over many centuries, which were collected in a single book. The Bible contains works of poetry, religious-themed narratives, philosophical musings such as *The Book of Ecclesiastes*, epistles, and the apocalyptic masterpiece known as *The [Book of Revelation](https://www.worldhistory.org/Book_of_Revelation/)*.
The common thread in all these collected works is the existence of an all-powerful deity who is the creator of the universe and has an interest in the personal lives and final fate of human beings. The books of the Christian Bible were arranged in the sequence one finds them in today to tell the story of the creation of the world by a supreme deity, the fall of man from paradise, and humanity's redemption by the Son of [God](https://www.worldhistory.org/God/) but these books were not written in that sequence nor would the original authors of the [Old Testament](https://www.worldhistory.org/Old_Testament/) works have had that particular story in mind.
The Bible of [Judaism](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/judaism/) (collected and authorized by c. 3rd century BCE) contains the [Torah](https://www.worldhistory.org/Torah/) (the first five books of the Bible) and the Tanakh (the stories of the judges and prophets) and makes no mention of [Jesus Christ](https://www.worldhistory.org/Jesus_Christ/). The God of the Bible in these works is the God of Judaism - a single all-powerful deity - and, prior to the appropriation of Hebrew scriptures by [early Christianity](https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1205/early-christianity/), the stories which made up the Bible told the story of God's care for and intervention in the affairs of the Israelites of the Middle East.
### Structure of the Bible
In Judaism, the scriptures are called the Tanakh and are recognized as comprising 24 books divided into three categories: The Pentateuch (or Teachings of the Five Books of [Moses](https://www.worldhistory.org/Moses/)), The Prophets, and The Writings. [Christianity](https://www.worldhistory.org/christianity/), which appropriated the Tanakh and claimed it as their own early theological history, call it the Old Testament. Early Christian writers, years after the probable date of the [death](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Death/) of [Jesus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Jesus_Christ/), penned [the gospels](https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Gospels/) and The Book of Acts. [Paul the Apostle](https://www.worldhistory.org/Paul_the_Apostle/) wrote most of the epistles which make up the 27 books of the Christian [New Testament](https://www.worldhistory.org/New_Testament/) and whose theology informs the [gospels](https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Gospels/). The Book of Revelation, attributed to John of Patmos, is the last book of the Christian Bible.
[  Moses & the Parting of the Red Sea Providence Lithograph Company (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/5739/moses--the-parting-of-the-red-sea/ "Moses & the Parting of the Red Sea")
It is difficult to accurately date the composition of the books which make up the Bible, but scholars generally agree that the Pentateuch dates to the 10th and 6th centuries BCE and that the Tanakh was fixed as scripture well before the 1st century CE. The books of the Christian New Testament were composed between 60-110 CE (the Gospels), 45-130 CE (the Epistles), and 68-100 (The Book of the Revelation of St. John). Many people of the ancient world, and even today, believe the Bible to have been written by God. It is held to be the bestselling book in history and has influenced religious thought worldwide for centuries.
### Brief Synopsis & Commentary
The [book of Genesis](https://www.worldhistory.org/Book_of_Genesis/), the first book of the Old Testament, tells the story of the creation of the universe, the world, and humanity, the fall of man in the [Garden of Eden](https://www.worldhistory.org/Garden_of_Eden/), and the great flood which God sent on the world because of the evil of mankind. Following the flood, [Noah](https://www.worldhistory.org/Noah/)'s children repopulate the earth and the narrative then follows the stories of his descendents who are the Hebrew ancestors of the men who wrote the stories. The tale of Joseph and his coat of many colors brings the Hebrews from their land of [Canaan](https://www.worldhistory.org/canaan/) to [Egypt](https://www.worldhistory.org/egypt/) where, the Book of Exodus explains, they became slaves.
They were led from Egypt to freedom by the great lawgiver Moses who then passed his leadership to his second-in-command Joshua son of Nun whose army lay waste to the region of Canaan so the Hebrews could claim it as the land promised to them by their God (as told in the Books of Joshua and Numbers). Following the establishment of the people who called themselves Israelites in the land, famous kings such as David and his son [Solomon](https://www.worldhistory.org/solomon/) ruled and great prophets such as [Jeremiah](https://www.worldhistory.org/Jeremiah/) and [Isaiah](https://www.worldhistory.org/Isaiah/), Ezekial and Jonah preached the will of their God.
The New Testament focuses on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, the son of God sent to redeem humanity from sin. Jesus is born of the [virgin Mary](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mary,_Mother_of_Jesus/) and begins his ministry, preaching a direct and personal relationship with God, when he is about 30 years old. He is betrayed by one of his followers and crucified by the Romans for inciting sedition. Three days after his death, he rises from the [grave](https://www.worldhistory.org/burial/) and ascends to heaven to rule at the right hand of God the father. In his place, he sends the Holy Spirit who will henceforth minister to believers on earth. The New Testament ends with the vision of the end of the world as told by John of Patmos.
[  Jesus Christ Pantokrator Hardscarf (CC BY-NC-SA) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2157/jesus-christ-pantokrator/ "Jesus Christ Pantokrator")The first four books (Matthew, [Mark](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Mark/), Luke, and John) are often believed to be eyewitness accounts of Jesus' ministry on earth but are not. The practice of writing under a famous person's name or, at least, attributing what one had written to someone better-known was well established at the time the gospels were written, and it is probable that the authors chose the names of people who were already well respected in the Christian community to gain a wider acceptance of the material.
There is also good reason to believe that the gospel narratives (both those included in the Bible and those which were rejected) are examples of a literary genre known as [Mesopotamian Naru Literature](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mesopotamian_Naru_Literature/) in which some great historical figure (usually a king) is featured in an otherwise fictional tale. In the case of the gospels, it has been suggested, there may have been an historical figure such as [Jesus of Nazareth](https://www.worldhistory.org/Jesus_Christ/) who inspired stories and legends but the facts of that person's life are obscured by the genre they were written in which focuses on imparting an important cultural or spiritual truth, not relating history.
Because the gospels come before the Book of Acts and the Letters of [Paul](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Paul/) in the New Testament, many people seem to believe that these works were written first and the events they relate happened earlier than the later books; actually, the reverse is true. The letters of Paul came first and the gospels were written later. Paul's vision, in fact, informs all four of the gospels in the Bible and well as the Book of Acts.
Between 42-62 CE Paul the Apostle traveled throughout the [Mediterranean](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/mediterranean/) on his evangelical missions preaching the new [religion](https://www.worldhistory.org/religion/) of the risen Christ. The Bible itself in the Book of Acts and I Peter allude to the possibility, explored in depth in the late 19th and early 20th century CE, that Paul's version of Christianity was different from the message preached by Jesus of Nazareth. Paul (formerly Saul) of [Tarsus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Tarsus/) was a Jewish pharisee of Tarsus (in modern-day [Turkey](https://www.worldhistory.org/Asia_Minor/)) who claimed to have received a vision from God which convinced him of the reality of Jesus Christ as the risen son of the creator of the universe sent to earth to die for the sins of man.
While many people have since considered this a miraculous occurrence which displays God's love for humanity through the sacrifice of his son, the concept of the dying and reviving god figure was well known in Paul's time, and it is probable that beliefs such as the Cult of [Isis](https://www.worldhistory.org/isis/) informed the basis of Paul's religious views. The understanding of the Bible between the time of [Constantine I](https://www.worldhistory.org/Constantine_I/)'s elevation of Christianity (which would become the religion of [Rome](https://www.worldhistory.org/Rome/) in the 4th-5th centuries CE) and the next few [hundred years](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Hundred_Years/) was relatively unchanged until the [Protestant Reformation](https://www.worldhistory.org/Protestant_Reformation/) of the 16th century CE but, in the 19th century CE, biblical interpretation underwent a radical [reformation](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Reformation/).
### Biblical Understanding & 19th-century CE [Archaeology](https://www.worldhistory.org/Archaeology/)
The stories which the Bible relates were considered to be historically accurate and entirely unique until the mid-19th century CE when archaeologists discovered the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Bible, in fact, was considered the oldest book in the world until much older [literature](https://www.worldhistory.org/literature/) was discovered which told the same stories, in an earlier form, than those found in the Bible. Scholars had long known that the Bible was a compilation which had been gathered from earlier works and authorized under the Bishops of Rome but no one seemed to be aware that those works were drawn from even earlier pieces. No one could read [Egyptian](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Egyptian/) [hieroglyphics](https://www.worldhistory.org/Egyptian_Hieroglyphs/) until Jean Jacques Champollion (1790-1832 CE) deciphered them and the literature of [Sumer](https://www.worldhistory.org/sumer/) was completely unknown to the modern world.
[  Model of Herod's Renovation of the Temple of Jerusalem Berthold Werner (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/5666/model-of-herods-renovation-of-the-temple-of-jerusa/ "Model of Herod's Renovation of the Temple of Jerusalem")In the mid-19th century CE museums and publications sent archaeologists from the west to the region of Mesopotamia to find physical evidence that would substantiate biblical narratives. The 19th century CE was an interesting period for religion in the west, especially Christianity, in that people became more vocal in their criticism of the faith and new ideas and philosophies provided for acceptable alternatives to religious belief. Charles Darwin's *On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection* was published in 1859 CE and challenged the traditionally held belief in the creation of humanity by an all-powerful God.
The Bible claimed that God had made man "a little lower than the angels" (Psalm 8:5) while Darwin was claiming humans evolved from lower species. In 1882 CE the German philosopher Nietzsche published his work *The Gay [Science](https://www.worldhistory.org/science/),* which famously argued "God is Dead - and we have killed him." Nietzsche's line is almost always taken out of context as a defiant repudiation of religion but, actually, he was only saying that advances in technology and knowledge throughout the 19th century CE had rendered the concept of God obsolete. Partly in response to such claims, museums and predominantly Christian societies in the west sent these teams of archaeologists to Mesopotamia to find hard evidence of the truth of the Bible.
What they found instead was the ancient [civilization](https://www.worldhistory.org/civilization/) of Mesopotamia and the rich literary heritage which had been buried under the sands for centuries. Iconic stories such as the Fall of Man and the Great Flood, they found, were not unique to the Bible at all but had already been written down centuries before the Hebrew scribes revised them in their own work. The great [law](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/law/) code of Moses, thought to be the first in history, was discovered to have had a predecessor in the Law [Code of Ur-Nammu](https://www.worldhistory.org/Code_of_Ur-Nammu/) and the more famous [Code of Hammurabi](https://www.worldhistory.org/Code_of_Hammurabi/).
Excavations in Egypt, meanwhile, found no evidence for the story of the enslavement of the Hebrews under the [pharaoh of Egypt](https://www.worldhistory.org/collection/25/pharaoh-of-egypt/) nor any for the other details found in the Book of Exodus. Once ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics were able to be read, the myths of Egypt were found to have similarities to the Christian figure of the dying and reviving god and Mary, the mother of Jesus, to have taken on many of the attributes and epithets of the Egyptian goddess Isis. As stories of these discoveries became more widely known, belief in the Bible as the word of God began to change to an understanding of the work as inspired by God or as scripture written by inspired men.
### Conclusion
Although many people throughout the world today continue to believe in the Bible as the authoritative word of God, this belief is not as widespread as it was prior to the 19th century CE. The interpretation of the Bible in the present day is largely a matter of individual understanding without the societal expectation which informed western society prior to the work of scholars, archaeologists, and historians in the 19th century CE.
These individuals changed the world by radically revising people's understanding of history and the Bible and opening up avenues of inquiry which greatly broadened human knowledge. The revised understanding of the Bible and its place in history upset many people at the time and continues to in the modern day but, to many others, the beauty of the Bible's language and the grand vision of redemption it presents is undiminished by the revisionist revelations of the 19th century CE. The Bible continues to inspire and encourage people around the world, translated into every language, and remains the bestselling book of all time.
#### Editorial Review
This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).
## Bibliography
- [Bauer, S. W. *The History of the Ancient World.* Peace Hill Press, 2006.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/1933339004/)
- [Darwin, C. *The Origin of Species.* Signet, 2003.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0451529065/)
- [Helms, R. M. *Who Wrote the Gospels?.* Millenium Press, 1997.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0965504735/)
- [Jonker, G. *The Topography of Remembrance.* Brill, 1995.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/9004101624/)
- [Kriwaczek, P. *Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization.* St. Martin's Griffin, 2008.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/1250054168/)
- [Nietzsche, F. & Kaufmann, W. *The Gay Science.* Vintage, 1994.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0394719859/)
- [Shaw, I. *The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt.* Oxford University Press, 2004.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0192804588/)
- [Van De Mieroop, M. *A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000 - 323 BC, 2nd Edition.* Blackwell Publishing, 2006.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/1405149116/)
- [Various Ancient Authors. *The Bible, King James Version.* Thomas Nelson, 2000.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0785207414/)
- [Wilkinson, R. H. *The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt.* Thames & Hudson, 2007.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0500284245/)
## About the Author
Joshua J. Mark is World History Encyclopedia's co-founder and Content Director. He was previously a professor at Marist College (NY) where he taught history, philosophy, literature, and writing. He has traveled extensively and lived in Greece and Germany.
- [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/pub/joshua-j-mark/38/614/339)
## Timeline
- **c. 1080 BCE**: Rise of the [kingdom of Israel](https://www.worldhistory.org/Kingdom_of_Israel/).
- **1000 BCE**: David captures [Jerusalem](https://www.worldhistory.org/jerusalem/).
- **c. 965 BCE - 931 BCE**: [Solomon](https://www.worldhistory.org/solomon/) is king of [Israel](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Israel/).
- **950 BCE**: [Solomon](https://www.worldhistory.org/solomon/) builds the first [Temple](https://www.worldhistory.org/temple/) of [Jerusalem](https://www.worldhistory.org/jerusalem/).
- **c. 750 BCE**: Approximate date of the composition of the [Bible](https://www.worldhistory.org/bible/)'s [Book of Amos](https://www.worldhistory.org/Book_of_Amos/).
- **597 BCE**: Babylonian king Nebuchadnezar captures [Jerusalem](https://www.worldhistory.org/jerusalem/).
- **597 BCE - 587 BCE**: Jews are deported to [Babylonia](https://www.worldhistory.org/babylon/).
- **587 BCE - 539 BCE**: Jewish exile in [Babylonia](https://www.worldhistory.org/babylon/).
- **37 BCE**: [Herod the Great](https://www.worldhistory.org/Herod_the_Great/) is installed as King of [Judaea](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/judaea/). Rebuilding of the [Temple](https://www.worldhistory.org/temple/) of [Jerusalem](https://www.worldhistory.org/jerusalem/).
- **c. 6 BCE - c. 30 CE**: Life of [Jesus Christ](https://www.worldhistory.org/Jesus_Christ/).
- **c. 69 CE - c. 70 CE**: The Gospel of [Mark](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Mark/).
- **c. 85 CE**: The Gospel of Matthew.
- **c. 95 CE**: The Gospel of Luke and [Acts of the Apostles](https://www.worldhistory.org/Acts_of_the_Apostles/).
- **c. 100 CE**: The [Gospel of John](https://www.worldhistory.org/Gospel_of_John/).
- **132 CE**: Septuagint ([Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) translation of the [Bible](https://www.worldhistory.org/bible/)) composed at [Alexandria](https://www.worldhistory.org/alexandria/).
- **1611 CE**: The King James [Bible](https://www.worldhistory.org/bible/), a new version produced by a team of nearly 50 scholars, is published.
## External Links
- [Episode 63: Ezra and the Compilation of the Pentateuch](https://15minutehistory.org/2015/02/04/episode-63-ezra-and-the-compilation-of-the-pentateuch/)
- [Could Noah's ark really have happened?](https://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/could-noahs-ark-really-have-happened.htm)
- [Biblical Archaeology Society](https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/)
- [episode 15: Canaan](http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-015-canaan)
- [episode 16: Four Main Parts](http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-016-four-main-parts)
- [episode 17: Roots of the Pentateuch](http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-017-roots-of-the-pentateuch)
- [Who Wrote The Bible? This Is What The Actual Historical Evidence Says](https://allthatsinteresting.com/who-wrote-the-bible)
- [Bible Odyssey: People, Places, and Passages](https://www.bibleodyssey.org/)
- [King James Version Bible - Full Text](https://quod.lib.umich.edu/k/kjv/browse.html)
## Cite This Work
### APA
Mark, J. J. (2009, September 02). Bible. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Mark, Joshua J.. "Bible." *World History Encyclopedia*, September 02, 2009. .
### MLA
Mark, Joshua J.. "Bible." *World History Encyclopedia*, 02 Sep 2009, .
## License & Copyright
Submitted by [Joshua J. Mark](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/JPryst/ "User Page: Joshua J. Mark"), published on 02 September 2009. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.