CREDIBLE AND AUTHENTIC

THE TRUTH ABOUT TRANSLATIONS
To many, the origin of the Bible can be summed-up as follows: "A mere translation of a translation of an interpretation of an oral tradition" - and therefore, a book with no credibility or connection to the original texts. Actually, the foregoing statement is a common misunderstanding of both Christians and non-christians alike. Translations such as the King James Version are derived from existing copies of ancient manuscripts such as the Hebrew Masoretic Text (Old Testament) and the Greek Textus Receptus (New Testament), and are not translations of texts translated from other interpretations. The primary differences between today's Bible translations are merely related to how translators interpret a word or sentence from the original language of the text source (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek).

THE RELIABILITY OF ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS
Another challenge against the origin of the Bible is the reliability of the manuscripts from which today's Bibles are translated. Remarkably, there is widespread evidence for absolute reliability. There are more than 14,000 existing Old Testament manuscripts and fragments copied throughout the Middle East, Mediterranean and European regions that agree dramatically with each other. In addition, these texts agree with the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, which was translated from Hebrew to Greek some time during the 3rd century BC. The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in Israel in the 1940's and 50's, also provide phenomenal evidence for the reliability of the ancient transmission of the Jewish Scriptures (Old Testament) before the arrival of Jesus Christ. The Hebrew scribes who copied the Jewish Scriptures dedicated their lives to preserving the accuracy of the holy books. These scribes went to phenomenal lengths to insure manuscript reliability. They were highly trained and meticulously observed, counting every letter, word and paragraph against master scrolls. A single error would require the immediate destruction of the entire text.

The manuscript evidence for the New Testament is also dramatic, with over 5,300 known copies and fragments in the original Greek, nearly 800 of which were copied before 1000 AD. Some manuscript texts date to the early second and third centuries, with the time between the original autographs and our earliest existing copies being a remarkably short 60 years. Interestingly, this manuscript evidence far surpasses the manuscript reliability of other ancient writings that we trust as authentic every day. Look at these comparisons: Julius Caesar's "The Gallic Wars" (10 manuscripts remain, with the earliest one dating to 1,000 years after the original autograph); Pliny the Younger's "History" (7 manuscripts; 750 years elapsed); Thucydides' "History" (8 manuscripts; 1,300 years elapsed); Herodotus' "History" (8 manuscripts; 1,300 years elapsed); Sophocles (193 manuscripts; 1,400 years); Euripides (9 manuscripts; 1,500 years); and Aristotle (49 manuscripts; 1,400 years).

Homer's "Iliad", the most renowned book of ancient Greece, has 643 copies of manuscript support. In those copies, there are 764 disputed lines of text, as compared to 40 lines in all the New Testament manuscripts (Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, Moody, Chicago, Revised and Expanded 1986, p. 367). In fact, many people are unaware that each of William Shakespeare's 37 plays (written in the 1600's) have gaps in the surviving manuscripts, forcing scholars to "fill in the blanks." This pales in textual comparison with the over 5,300 copies and fragments of the New Testament that, together, assure us that nothing's been lost. In fact, all of the New Testament except eleven verses can be reconstructed from the writings of the early church fathers in the second and third centuries. (A General Introduction to the Bible, Ch. 24.)

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW COVENANTS.

OLD COVENANT (TESTAMENT)

B.C.....................B.C.

1491....Genesis.........787.....Amos
........Job.............750.....Micah
1491....Exodus..........740.....Hosea
1490....Leviticus.......713.....Nahum
1451....Numbers.........698.....Isaiah
1451....Deuteronomy.....630.....Zephaniah
1427....Joshua..........626.....Habakkuk
1406....Judges..........623.....2nd Chronicles, X. to the end.
1312....Ruth............590.....Second Kings
1055....First Samuel....588.....Jeremiah
1018....Second Samuel...588.....Lamentations
1015....1st Chronicles..587.....Obadiah
........Psalms..........574.....Ezekiel
1013....Song of Solomon.534.....Daniel
1004....1st Kings, I-XI.520.....Haggai
1004....2nd Chronicles,
........I-IX............520.....Zechariah
1000....Proverbs........509.....Esther
975.....Ecclesiastes....457.....Ezra
897.....1st Kings, XII+.434.....Nehemiah
862.....Jonah...........397.....Malachi.
800.....Joel

NEW COVENANT (TESTAMENT)

A.D.............................Written in......A.D.....................Written in

38 Matthew - - - - - - Judea...........64 Acts - - - - - Greece
52 Galatians - - - - - Corinth
................................or Macedonia....64 1st Timotheus - Macedonia
52 1st Thessalonians - Corinth.........64 1st Peter - - - Rome
52 2nd Thessalonians - Corinth.........64 Titus - - - - Macedonia or
........................................................................Greece
56 1st Corinthians - - Ephesus.........65 Mark - - - - - Rome
57 2nd Corinthians - - Macedonia.......65 2nd Timothy - Rome
58 Romans - - - - - - Corinth.........65 2nd Peter - - - Rome
61 Ephesians - - - - - Rome............69 1st John - - - Judea
61 James - - - - - - - Jerusalem.......69 2nd John - - - -Ephesus
62 Philippians - - - - Rome............69 3rd John - - - -Ephesus
62 Colossians - - - - Rome............70 Jude - - - - - Unknown
62 Philemon - - - - - Rome............96 Revelation - - Patmos
63 Luke - - - - - - - Greece..........97 John - - - - - Asia Minor.
63 Hebrews - - - - - - Rome

CHAPTER AND VERSE

The Bible was divided into chapters by Cardinal Hugo in 1250.

The New Testament was divided into verses by Sir Robert Stephens in 1551.

The whole Bible, divided into chapters and verses, first appeared in 1560 in what is known as the "Geneva Bible." It was so called because it was prepared by the Reformers in Geneva. It is also called the "Breeches Bible," because Genesis 3:7 is translated: "They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves breeches."

30 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

There are 30 books of the Bible in this paragraph. Can you find them?

This is a most remarkable puzzle. It was found by a gentleman in an airplane seat pocket on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping him occupied for hours. He enjoyed it so much, he passed it on to some friends. One friend from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his john boat. Another friend studied it while playing his banjo. Elanie Taylor, a columnist friend, was so intrigued by it she mentioned it in her weekly newspaper column. Another friend judges the job of solving this puzzle so involving, she brews a cup of tea to help her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot. That's a fact. Some people, however, will soon find themselves in a jam. Especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized. Truthfully, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a minister or a scholar to see some of them at the worst. Research has shown that something in our genes is responsible for the difficulty we have in seeing the books in this paragraph. During a recent fundraising event, which featured this puzzle, the Alpha Delta Phi lemonade booth set a new record. The local paper, The Chronicle, surveyed over 200 patrons who reported that this puzzle was of the most difficult they had ever seen. As Daniel Humana humbly puts it, "The books are all right here in plain view hidden from sight." Those able to find all of them will hear great lamentations those who have to be shown. One revelation at may help is that books like Timothy and Samuel may occur without their numbers. Also, keep in mind, that punctuation and spaces in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete really well against those who claim to know the answers. Remember, there is no need for a mad exodus; there really are 30 books of the Bible lurking somewhere in this paragraph waiting to be found.
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Acts, Amos, Chronicles, Daniel, Esther, Exodus, Genesis, Hebrews, Hosea, James, Job, Joel, John, Judges, Kings, Lamentations, Luke, Malachi, Mark, Matthew, Nahum, Numbers, Peter, Philemon, Revelation, Romans, Ruth, Samuel, Timothy, Titus.

BIBLE FACTS

No other book in the world has been attacked more frequently and more fiercely than the Bible, yet no other book has printed more copies, in more languages, and endured for so long, with great popularity, than the Bible.

If there was ever a classic story line of the good guy winning in the end, it is of Christ rising from the dead and coming back to set up His kingdom on earth. Some of the following is taken from a book called "Bible Panorama" by Terry Hall.

The Bible gives a central focus on Jesus Christ, with the Old Testament looking forward to His coming-and the New Testament looking for His coming again. This book had to be inspired by God to have at least 40 different authors, in about 20 occupations, living in 10 countries spanning about 6000 miles, and written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.

There are 73 books in the Catholic Bible, and 66 in the King James translation. (The extra 7 books are mostly histories).

The King James translation has 1,189 chapters. If you read three chapters a day, six days a week, and four chapters on Sunday, you will read the entire Bible in less than one year's time.

There is a cast of 2,930 different characters. There are 1,551 geographical sites mentioned as scenes of the action. The Bible has every conceivable subject included in every literary form (poetry, prose, romance, mystery, biography, science, history, etc).

The Bible has been recorded with at least 10 different media from papyrus to rocks, pen to chisel, leather to clay. There is about 1500 years between the first author, Moses, to the last author John. Not counting the Book of Job, which might have been written about 2000 BC.

The Bible tells of one true eternal God, the source of all life and good. It also tells of one diabolical head of the force of darkness. It tells of man's inability to remain faithful to God, even under ideal conditions. It tells us Salvation from damnation comes only as a gift from God, and is received by an individual's faith. Salvation is never earned.

Only God could have given such a book so marked by consistency and lacking any unsolvable contradiction. Read any part of it, and you encounter the plan of God, the person of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

By George Konig
Christian Internet Forum
www.konig.org
October 12, 2003

UK: IRANIAN CHURCH GROWS TENFOLD

Converts from Islam are swelling the growing number of Iranian Christians in the UK, Idea reports. While Iran's new president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sought to position Iran as the centre for Islamic resistance to westernisation in the Middle East, the number of Iranians joining UK Christian groups has increased tenfold in the last decade. The Iranian Christian Fellowship in Chiswick is the "hub" of this growth and baptised 34 people last summer. Other fellowships are operating in a string of other UK cities. One 43-year-old man said "In my Muslim religion, I was living by religion. But now I'm living with hope and love."

[IDEA, Jan-Feb'06]

THE KORAN TEACHES THAT JESUS KNOWS THE WAY TO HEAVEN

This Sure says three things about Isa (Jesus) which clearly lift him above the status of a prophet:

Isa is holy (3:42-48),

has power over death (49-54),

and knows the way to heaven (55-56).

This is a shock for many Muslims, because what does the Koran say about Mohammed?
The surest answer is to say that Mohammed is what he said of himself; in Sure 46:9-10, he says "I am nothing new among prophets; I do not know what will become of me or my followers. I am just a voice of warning."

If Mohammed is nothing different or more than all the prophets before him, and did not claim to be the greatest prophet of all, did not know where he or his followers would go after death, and professes to simply be a voice of warning, the contrast with Jesus' statements about himself (for example John 6:47 and 14:1-7) could hardly be greater.
If you then ask a Muslim "I want to go to heaven when I die.

Which prophet can help me get there?", the result is often a process leading them to read the Injil (New Testament) and find Jesus.

Information from the Koran (very important for Muslims) reveals Jesus to be clearly more than just a prophet, and endows him practically with saviour status.

"The Koran does not contain enough light to show someone the way to salvation, but enough small candles to guide seekers the right way," says Greeson

Source: GO GLOBAL MISSIONS REPORT, MAURICE ANTONELLI 2006: No 54

CHAPTER AND VERSE

The Bible was divided into chapters by Stephen Langton in 1228. The Old Testament was divided into verses by R. Nathan in 1488 and the New Testament by Robert Stephanus in 1551.

TIME TAKEN TO READ THE BIBLE

A fairly rapid reader can read the books in the New Testament in the following minutes...

Matthew----83 minutes
Mark----46 minutes
Luke----85 minutes
John----60 minutes
Acts----80 minutes
Romans----35 minutes
1 Corinthians----28 minutes
2 Corinthians----23 minutes
Galatians----13 minutes
Ephesians----13 minutes
Philippians----08 minutes
Colossians----07 minutes
1 Thessalonians----07 minutes
2 Thessalonians----04 minutes
1 Timothy----10 minutes
2 Timothy----07 minutes
Titus----03 minutes
Philemon----01 minute
Hebrews----26 minutes
James----08 minutes
1 Peter----10 minutes
2 Peter----07 minutes
1 John----08 minutes
2 John----01 minute
3 John----01 minute
Jude----02 minutes
Revelation----34 minutes

Do we REALLY not have time?

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN BIBLICAL LANDS

HOUSES
Upon entering the Promised Land, the skills of settled agriculture learned from the Egyptians during the Captivity were put into practice and the previously nomadic people entered into a settled lifestyle, living in permanent houses.

For most this was a one-roomed shelter with the people spending as much time outdoors as possible. 'Bayith', the Hebrew word for house, means shelter. A place to rest after a day spent outside. God too, is referred to as a shelter or refuge. (Psalm 61:3, Isaiah 4:6)

ONE ROOM
The one-room houses were normally constructed of clay bricks dried in the sun, similar to many third world countries today. Where available, a roughly hewn, local sandstone was used instead, set with a mortar of mud. Only palaces or the houses of the wealthy were made of hewn stone. eg. Solomon's palace and the Temple. (1 Kings 7:9)

TENTS
Tents are one of the earliest forms of family shelter the Bible mentions. First found in Genesis 4:20, Jabel is described as 'the father of such that dwell in tents.' Following the flood, Japeth was said to have lived in the tents of Shem (Genesis 9:27). The patriarchs lived most of their lives in tents in and around Canaan. The children of Israel also lived in a similar fashion during their time in the wilderness and for many years after entering the Promised Land. In 2 Samuel 11:11, during the time of King David, the Ark, Israel and Judah were also said to live in tents.

TENT CLOTH
Shorn goat hair was woven into coarse cloth to make the black tents in which the nomads lived. The size of the tent depended on the wealth of the owner. but even the simplest one was divided by curtains into a front room for entertaining and another for cooking and housing the children.

ROOMS IN THE TENT
A Bedouin's tent is oblong, usually consists of 2 or 3 rooms divided by goat-hair curtains.

From the entrance you come in to the men's quarters, where guests are received. Next, a room for women and children, and maybe another for servants or cattle. While the women are screened from the reception room, they can hear everything that is going on.

Remember how Sarah overheard the angel and laughed! (Genesis 18:10-15)

ON THE MOVE
As nomads in Bible times were constantly on the move, their furnishings consisted of bare necessities only. Rugs covered the ground while bedding was only brought out at night. The people lay on mats or carpets and kept themselves warm with a covering of the outer garments worn during the day. They carried bags of grain plus a handmill and mortar with which to pound it. Skin bags or bottles holding water and other liquids hung from the tent poles. You would also find a leather bucket to draw up water from wells, an earthen pitcher used by the women to carry water, plus a few pots, kettles and pans.

Food was served on mats, platters or larger dishes and there would be cups for drinking from. Only some tents would have a primitive lamp for night use. If the family owned a camel, the camelbags and saddle would be utilised as seats.

NO NEW TENTS
Goat clippings, then and now, are gathered throughout the year and woven into strips by the women. The most worn section of the tent is ripped out and the new strips sewn in. the old piece is not wasted, but used as a side curtain. The 'house of hair' is passed down from father to son, being neither completely old nor completely new.

CLOTHING MATERIAL
In Old Testament times almost all clothing was made from sheep's wool. In New Zealand now, nearly all our 40 million sheep (only 4 million people!) are bred to be white. But in biblical times, most sheep were either brown, or black and white.

WHAT DID JESUS WEAR?
Jesus must have worn a turban, as this was worn by rich and poor alike. Under his turban his hair would have been rather long, and his beard uncut. His tunic (undergarment), was seamless ie. one piece. This made it of some value and therefore, was probably given to him by one of his wealthy women followers. Over this, he wore the mantle, loose and flowing. The cloak most likely was not white, as we are told it turned white during the Transfiguration. Probably it was the common blue, or possibly white with brown stripes. Jesus did have the 'tsitsith' at the four corners of this mantle.

EACH SOCIETY HAS IT'S OWN STANDARDS OF PHYSICAL BEAUTY
It is difficult to know just what the ancient Hebrews found beautiful. Most of the attractive women in the Bible are not described in detail, usually simply being described as being 'beautiful'. Some 'beauties' in the Old Testament were Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Bathsheba, Tamar, Ashibag and Esther.

The Queen of Sheba is generally regarded as being beautiful. She came from modern day Ethiopia. I have visited Ethiopia and can testify that there are many, many beautiful women there. Of course, maybe I shouldn't have noticed! But.....

JEWISH JEWELLERY
Men did not generally wear jewellery but would have used a staff or cane with some ornamentation at the top. Certain men ware a ring on their right hand or a chain around their neck as the signet ring or seal that served as the signature of the owner.

Jewish women did not use ornaments, such as were used in elaborate braiding of the hair. But, earrings were worn by the women of Jacob's family (Genesis 35::4) and the gold earrings of the Israelite women contributed to the gold in Aaron's golden calf (Exodus 32:2). Abraham's servant carried 2 bracelets to give to Rebekah. Isaiah also lists many feminine ornaments. (Isaiah 3:18-20)

JEWISH CLOTHING

The Law of Moses forbade men to wear women's clothing and vice versa. (Deuteronomy 22:5)

Women's dress varied to men's in detail only, not in style. Women too wore a tunic and coat, but the dress was always a little more elaborate. The veil was distinctive, women's apparel, worn by all except maid-servants, women of low status and prostitutes.

A. Because sometimes he was seen with Aaron and sometimes without Aaron. ('air on! Bad, isn't it?)

HAIR

The Jews of the Bible paid considerable attention to their hair. Young people loved to wear it long and curled (Song of Solomon 5:11) and were proud to have thick hair. (2 Samuel 14:25-6) Middle-aged men would occasionally cut their hair a little, but not very often. Men's facial hair (beard) was rarely, if ever, cut.

OUTER GARMENT
As the outer garment was a man's covering by night to keep him warm, the law did not allow anyone to take it as a pledge or security upon a loan. When a garment was taken, it had to be returned by sunset. (Exodus 22:26-7)

JOSEPH'S COAT OF MANY COLOURS
Translated by the Septuagint and Vulgate Bible as the 'coat of many colours. It is same expression used for the garment worm by Tamar, the daughter of King David. It is translated in Greek and Latin as 'a sleeved tunic.' For this reason many Biblical scholars believe it was a long undergarment with sleeves. The working people usually wore a short tunic while the nobility wore a long tunic with sleeves.

THE INNER GARMENT
A tunic (shirt) worn next to the skin. Made of leather, haircloth, wool, linen, or today, of cotton. The simplest style was sleeveless, reaching down to the knees or ankles. The wealthy had sleeves and wore it to the ankles. Worn by both men and women, doubtless of different styles. The garment worn by Jesus, for which the Roman soldiers cast lots, was seemless.

DRESS NOW AND THEN
The manner of Arabic dress today is largely the same as it was centuries ago. There is a prevalent view in the area that it is morally wrong to change anything ancient.

BIBLE RIDDLES

Q. What did Jesus have in common with the fish that swallowed Jonah?
A. Jesus had dinner with a sinner, and the fish had a sinner for dinner.

Q. Who is the unhappiest in the Parable of the Prodigal Son?
A. The fatted calf.

Q: Where is constipation mentioned three times in the Bible?
A: (1) Satan is bound. (2) Elijah said, "Nothing will move me." (3) Moses took 2 tablets.

Q. What's God's favorite dessert?
A. Angel food cake!

Q. When was baseball first mentioned in the bible?
A. Genesis 1:1, 'In the big inning*'
*In the beginning

Q. Why didn't they play cards on the Ark?
A. Because Noah was standing on the deck.

Q. What evidence is there in the Bible that Adam and Eve were noisy?
A. They raised Cain!

Q. What are the 2 smallest insects in the bible?
A. The widows mite and the wicked flee!

Q. What was William Shakespeare's favourite book of the bible?
A. The book of Acts

Q. Who was the first person to ride a motorbike in the Bible?
A. Joshua: his Triumph was heard throughout the land.

Q. Who was the only orphan in the Bible?
A. Joshua, Son of Nun.

Q. Where was the first ice cream parlour in the Bible?
A. Walls of Jericho.
( Walls make ice cream in the UK. Non-UK residents are excused this one )

Q. Who is the fastest man in the Bible?
A. Adam, because he was first in the human race.

Q. Who is the smallest person in the Bible?
A. Nehemiah.
( Knee-high-Miah. What do you mean you heard it before? Tch! )
And a reader's response:
David
Many people think it would be Zacheaus (a wee little man); others Nee-high-miah; still others Bildad the shuhite (shoe-height). But any decent Bible scholar knows that the smallest man in the Bible is the guard who fell asleep on his watch!
David

Q. Who was the first tennis player in the bible?
A. Joseph, when he served in the pharoah's court.

Q. Who was the best baby sitter in the Bible?
A. David, because he rocked Goliath to sleep.

Q. Why do people think Moses wore a wig?
A. Because sometimes he was seen with Aaron and sometimes without Aaron. ('air on! Bad, isn't it?)

Q. Who is the shrewdest businessman in the Bible?
A. Noah, because he floated his stock while everyone else went into liquidation.

Q. Who is the largest person in the Bible?
A. The women of Samaria.
( Samaria. 'Sum area.' No? OK, we'll let you off that one!)

Q. What passage is the first act of cannibalism recorded in the Bible?
A. 2 Kings 8:1
(Two Kings ate one! Get it? Never mind!)

Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.

Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he got married?
A. Ruth-less.

Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury.
A. David's Triumph was heard throughout the land.
A. Honda--because the apostles were all in one Accord.
A. 2 Cor. 48 describes going out in service in a Volkswagen Beetle: "We are pressed in every way, but not cramped beyond movement."

Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson. He brought the house down.

Q. Where is the first baseball game in the Bible?
A. In the big inning, Eve stole first, Adam stole second. Cain struck out Abel, and the Prodigal Son came home. The Giants and the Angels were rained out.

Q. How did Adam and Eve feel when expelled from the Garden of Eden?
A. They were really put out.

Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.

Q. The ark was built in 3 stories, and the top story had a window to let light in, but how did they get light to the bottom 2 stories?
A. They used floodlights.

Q. Who is the greatest babysitter mentioned in the Bible?
A. David. He rocked Goliath to sleep.

Q. Why was Goliath so surprised when David hit him with a slingshot?
A. The thought had never entered his head before.

Q. What do they call pastors in Germany?
A. German Shepherds.

Q. What is the best way to get to Paradise?
A. Turn right and go straight.

Q. Which servant of Jehovah was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses. Because he broke all 10 commandments at once.

Q. Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A. The area around the Jordan. The banks were always overflowing.

Q. How do we know that Job went to a chiropractor?
A. Because in Job 16:12 we read, "I had come to be at ease, but he proceeded to shake me up and he grabbed me by the back of the neck and proceeded to smash me."

Q. Why didn't Noah go fishing?
A. He only had two worms!

Q. Where in the bible do we find the Lord doing house cleaning?
A. Jesu swept"

Q. How do you know that Jesus is Irish?
A. From his last name --- Jesus O' Nazareth.

Q. What kind of lights did Noah use on the ark?
A. Flood lights.

Q. What kind of car does Jesus drive?
A. A Christ-ler.

Q. Where did Bathsheba get her name?
A. King David saw her when she was taking a bath.

Q. What US state is mentioned in the bible?
A. Arkansaw. "Noah looked out of the ark and saw..."

Q. Why couldn't anyone on the ark play cards?
A. Because Noah was standing on the deck.

Q. Where was King Solomon's temple located?
A. On his head.

Q. What is the blood group of Jesus?
A. "O." Remember, we sing "Oh, the blood of..."

Q. Who in the bible had the worst childhood?
A. Abraham.He was the son of Terah(Terror).

Q. How many Apostles can you fit in a car?
A. All of them. It says in Acts "...they met in one accord."

Q. First Dog with a name?
A. Moreover. Moreover, the Dog came and licked his sores.

Q. Who in the Bible never commited a sin, spoke by god's inspiration, yet died without hope of Heaven?
A. Balam's Donkey

Q. Who was the greatest sinner in the Bible?
A. Moses:He broke all the Ten Commandments at once.

Q. Why did Peter deny Jesus?
A. Jesus healed his mother-in-law. (Sorry, not very PC! And of course, it doesn't refer to my Mother in Law!)

Q. Who holds the high jump record in the Bible?
A. Jesus - when he cleared the temple!

Q. Where can you find the first soft drink commercial in the Bible?
A. In the Book of Hab-a-kkuk..... "Have-a-Coke"

Q. Why did John outran Peter when they went to Jesus' empty grave?
A. Because Peter has 1st and 2nd and John has 1st 2nd and 3rd!

Q. What else did Jesus say at the Last Supper?
A. "Everyone who wants to be in the picture get on this side of the table."

Q. How do you get holy water?
A. You boil the hell out of it!

Q. What did Moses do when he became constipated?
A. Took two tablets and went up into the mountain.

Q. Why didn't Noah catch fish to feed his hungry family?
A. He only had two worms!

Q. What was the first thing Noah said when he got off the ark?
A. Should have killed them darn mosquitos when I had the chance.

Q. What do John the Baptist and Winnie the Pooh have in common?
A. Their middle names.

Q. Where is the first laxitive mentioned in the Bible?
A. Moses took the tablets and went into the wilderness, and it came to pass!

Q. Why was Moses the most wicked man?
A. He broke all 10 commandments at once.

Q. What animal could Noah not trust?
A. The cheetah.

Q. How does a lawyer resemble a rabbi?
A. Lawyers study the law and the profits.

Q. What are the 2 smallest insects in the Bible?
A. The widow's mite(Mark 12:42) and the wicked flea.(Proverbs 28:1)

Q. Who was the most ambitious man in the Bible?
A. Jonah-even a whale coudn't keep him down.

Q. Who was the first canning factory run by?
A. Noah - he had a boatful of preserved pairs.

Q. Why was Noah like a hungry cat?
A. He went 150 days without finding Ararat.

Q. What is it that Adam never saw or had, yet left 2 of them for his children?
A. Parents.

Q. What Bible character may have only been a foot tall?
A. Nicodemus-he was a ruler.

Q. How do we know Isaiah's parents were good business people?
A. They both raised a prophet.

Q. During what season did Eve eat the forbidden fruit?
A. Early in the fall.

Q. How are rollerskates like the fruit in the Garden of Eden?
A. They come before the fall!

Q. Who introduced salted meat to the Navy?
A. Noah - he took Ham on the ark.

Q. Who slept five in a bed?
A. David. He slept with his forefathers.

Q. Why did the people on the ark think the horses were pessimistic?
A. They kept saying neigh.

Q. How do we know Abraham was smart?
A. He knew a Lot.

Q. What was one of the first example of math in the Bible?
A. God told Adam to go forth and mulitply.

Q. Why couldn't Cain please God with his offering?
A. He just wasn't Abel.

Q. How did God keep the oceans clean?
A. With Tide.

Q. What did Noah say as he was loading the Ark?
A "Now I herd everything".

Q. What did God say when Noah told him he wanted to build the ark out of bricks?
A. "No, Noah - go for wood" [gopherwood]

Q. What was the name of Isaiah's horse?
A. Isme - He said "Whoa, is me!"

Q. Was Noah the first one out of the Ark?
A. No, he came forth out of the ark.

Q. Who in the Bible was a very lazy person?
A. The boy that loafs and fishes.

THE BIBLE

The word ‘Bible’ is derived from the Greek word ‘Biblia’, which means ‘books,’ and refers to the sacred writings of Judaism and Christianity. The Bible consists of 66 books and has two parts. The first part is called the ‘Old Testament’ by Christians. It consists of 39 books of the sacred writings of the Jewish people which was written originally in Hebrew, except for some portions in Aramaic.
The second part is called the ‘New Testament’. It consists 27 books which was composed in Greek and records the story of Jesus Christ and the beginnings of Christianity. It is translated in whole or in part into more than 2,000 languages, The Bible is the worlds best seller ever, and the most widely distributed book in the world. Its influence on history and culture, including literature and the other arts, is incalculable.
The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. The United Bible Societies (UBS) estimate they have distributed nearly 9 billion Bibles, whole or in part, since 1947.
In 1989, the American Bible Societies (ABS) distributed more than 106,387,551 Scripture portions in the United States alone. During the same year, a worldwide partnership of Bible Societies distributed well over 650 million Scripture portions and about 15.5 million Bibles.
In 1988, the 1,000th anniversary of the baptism of Prince Vladimir of Kiev, the Soviet Union, in an agreement with the UBS (United Bible Society), received hundreds of thousands of Bibles. According to a recent U.B.S. report, Bible portions are available in 2,123 languages, the complete Bible, in 349 languages, and the New Testament in 841 languages. In 1995, they distributed 565 million Bibles and Bible portions to 200 countries.
The Bible is, some calculate, a $200 million-a-year retail market in the United States. According to a recent national survey concluded in US, the average American home had four bibles and almost all U.S. homes had at least one or more. Most the Americans prefer the King James Version (KJV).

BIBLE BITS

***The first attempted translations of the Bible took place in the 7th Century. The translations weren't precise, more paraphrases of the original texts. The copies were known as 'Manuscript Bibles' and few have survived. It wasn't until the 13th Century, that John Wycliffe first translated the Bible more accurately into easy English.

***In 1603 James IV of Scotland became King James I of England and began a programme of peacemaking between hostile English religious factions. That very year, Dr John Reynolds, the Puritan spokesman at a meeting of leaders at Hampton Court (a-maze-ing!) proposed a new English translation of the Bible be issued in honour of the king. So his name has lived on through the 1768 revision, still known as the King James Bible.

***The conquest of the city of Jebus was one of King David's great victories. He renamed the city 'Jerusalem', meaning 'City of Peace'. It certainly hasn't yet lived up to its name, although one day it will. It is situated about 800metres (2500 feet) above sea level, on a limestone ridge, which was good for protection. we are all looking forward to a 'New Jerusalem' to replace this city where history continues to be made, right up to today.

***The Book of Hebrews is the only anonymous letter in the New Testament, hence why it was placed at the end of Paul's letters by the collectors of the Canon. The King James Version attributes this letter to Paul, but later versions don't, as Paul doesn't identify himself and there are other differences to his writings elsewhere. It is a hugely relevant book to us today!

***Egyptian texts confirm, about the time Moses killed the Egyptian overseer who had beaten the Jewish slave, the Hebrews were engaged in dragging stones for temples being built by Pharaoh Rameses II. Of course afterwards, he fled into the desert where he was prepared, this time, God's way, for releasing the people from captivity, 40 years later.

***The term 'Jews' originated in 587BC when Jerusalem lay in ruins after King Nebuchadnezzar had overrun Judah and was taking the people to captivity in Babylon. The name 'Jews' was given to them, from the Hebrew 'Yehudi', meaning 'belonging to the tribe of Judah'.

***The four gospels at the beginning of the New Testament closely follow in the tradition of the books of history from the Old Testament, describing words spoken and deeds done. Little of the inner thoughts of the people in the stories or the authors is included. This changes in later books where we get to know more of the individuals concerned, particularly Paul.

***The garment given by Jacob to Joseph in Genesis 37:3, generally known as the 'coat of many colours', is the same expression that is used for King David's daughter Tamar's garment. the Greek and Latin however translates it as 'a sleeved tunic'. (2 Samuel 13:18) So many scholars believe that it was a long undergarment with sleeves, rather than a coat. The working class usually wore a short tunic, while the aristocracy was set apart by a long tunic with sleeves.

***The Eastern Church accepted the New Testament as we know it in 367AD with the 39th Paschal Letter of Athanasius, the Western (Roman) Church following suit after Pope Damascus called a synod together in Rome in 382AD.

***The 'Wicked Bible' or 'Adulterous Bible' was printed in 1632, the word 'not' being accidentally left out of the 7th Commandment! It read, "You shall commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14)

***The shortest book in the New Testament is 3 John, with only 294 words in 14 verses. 2 John has 1 less verse but 4 more words!

***The first copy of the Guttenberg Bible(printed on a printing press) took 3 years of constant printing to produce, being finished in 1445. Printed in 2 volumes, totalling 1284 pages. Nearly 200 originals were printed and remarkably, 48 still exist today.

***It wasn't until the 16th Century, many years after it's first printing (even more since it was compiled) that the Bible was divided into the chapters and verses we use today. They were designed for ease of reference. And are a tool organised by man, not put there by God!

THE BIBLE IN 50 WORDS

God made
Adam bit
Noah arked
Abraham split
Joseph ruled
Jacob fooled
Bush talked
Moses balked
Pharaoh plagued
People walked
Sea divided
Tablets guided
Promise landed
Saul freaked
David peeked
Prophets warned
Jesus born
God walked
Love talked
Anger crucified
Hope died
Love rose
Spirit flamed
Word spread
God remained.

INTERESTING WORDS AND PHRASES FROM THE BIBLE

***A THORN IN THE SIDE

Paul used this in 2 Corinthians 12:7 to describe an ailment he had. God didn't take it away, in order to keep him humble.

We still use this phrase to describe an ongoing problem.

***THE POWERS THAT BE

First used by Bible translator, William Tyndale who quoted it from the KJV Translation of Romans 13:1. "the powers that be are ordained of God." Now means the government, or those in charge.

***THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

Originates from Daniel 5. The carnal King Belshazzar, having seen a hand appear and write a mysterious message, called upon Daniel to interpret it. His kingdom was to disappear that night - and it did! So we use the phrase for something inevitable that we can all see is going to happen.

***FEET OF CLAY

Talking about a personal flaw in an individual. Come from Daniel's description of the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his dream. The statue's feet were made of clay mixed with iron, a weak base for such a big and heavy statue.

***CAN A LEOPARD CHANGE ITS SPOTS?

A rhetorical question suggesting people cannot change what they inherently are. Taken from Jeremiah's statement in 13:23 of his book. But God can - and does!

***HOLIER THAN THOU

Currently used to describe a self-righteous person. User in the same way in Isaiah 65:5 by the Lord to criticise those who thought themselves better than others.

***A DROP IN THE BUCKET

Generally refers to a small or meaningless portion or amount. Comes from Isaiah 40:15 where it says, to the Lord, "the nations are a drop in the bucket."

***WOE IS ME!

Common in 19th Century literature, the phrase comes from Isaiah 6:5, when Isaiah came face to face with God. An understated reaction?! It also appears in Jeremiah as an expression of sorrow or self-pity, as it still is today.

***LIKE A LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER

First used Isaiah 53:7 to describe the promised Messiahs willingness to accept His fate. Now usually describes an innocent or naive victim losing something in their life.

***DO NOT THROW PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

A warning from Jesus in Matthew 7:6 not to waste the message of salvation on those openly hostile to the Gospel.

***FIRE AND BRIMSTONE

Was what God used to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, as recorded in Genesis 19:24. Also used to describe the ultimate end of satan in Revelation 21:8.

Used by preachers when talking about judgement or other fiery speakers when searching for a vivid phrase meaning punishment.

***THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT

Of course, this is the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that Adam and Eve were instructed not to eat in Genesis 2:17. They took no notice, a decision we still have to live with today.

Now means doing something we know to be wrong, often of a sensual nature.

***EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY

A cautionary story from Luke 12 about a rich fool who thought his life was set up for good. Of course, his life expectancy didn't meet his expectations, dying that very night! Many today make the same mistake!

***MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL

A mistranslation actually! For the Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10 "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" However, the phrase makes the point that lusting after money gets us into trouble!

***THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH

Means, 'just barely'.

The imagery comes from Job 19:20. Made popular by American playwright Thornton Wilder as the title of a smash hit play.

***A DROP IN THE BUCKET

Meaning a small or meaningless amount, the phrase comes straight from Isaiah 40:15, which says, "the nations are a drop in the bucket."

***TAKING A SABBATICAL

From the old Jewish notion of, 'taking time off'. The Old Testament Law commands the Jews to leave the land fallow every 7th year so it may refresh itself. Called the 'Sabbatical Year'. It is now generally a period of time off for refreshing or renewing of the mind.

***A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY

These are the words God used to describe Palestine, the promised land, to Moses in Exodus 3:8. We know that that when the spies went in, they found it to be so. But the people looked too powerful also, so for their lack of faith in God, the Israelites had to endure 40 years of wandering in the desert before they could inherit it.

Today it is used to describe a very nice or pleasant place.

Some 'Not So Trivial Trivia'

* The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat.
* The Red Sea isn’t red but blue. It’s original name was the ‘Reed Sea’, but in the 17th century a new English translation from the Latin dropped an ‘e’. However the mountains of Edom to the East turn so red towards sunset that the mistaken name is ironically appropriate.
* Someone has spent 17 years looking for the exact middle point of the Bible. Haven’t heard whether they found it!
* After the Bible, the most translated book in the world is Cervantes, ‘Don Quixote.’
* There are more than 1700 references to gems and precious stones in the KJV.
* Psalm 37 is one of the few that are acrostic – but not in English!
* The word ‘Reverend’ is only used once in the Bible.
* The Guinness Book of Records is the best selling copyrighted book of all time. Of course, the Bible is not copyrighted – being available to all.
* The record for the world’s slowest selling book belongs to David Wilkin’s translation of the New Testament into Coptic. Since it was first published in 1791 it has never sold more than 2 copies a year.
* The Bible is the number one shoplifted book in America.
* An easy way to tell the books of the Bible. Old (3 letters) Testament (9 letters). 3 & 9 =39 books. New (3 letters) Testament (9 letters). 3x9=27 books. 39+27=66 books.
* Jesus Christ, son of Mary, was most likely to have been born in a cave. Caves were used to keep animals in because of the intense heat. The carpenter’s of Jesus day were really stone cutters as wood wasn’t used nearly as much as it is today.
* The most mentioned crop in the Bible is ‘corn.’
* The shortest verse in the NIV Bible is not "Jesus wept" in John 11:35, but "He said" from Job 3:2.
* The shortest man in the Bible was Bilbad in Job 8:1. The second shortest man was Amia. Nehemiah 1:1.
* The Bible is not only the best selling book of all time but the best selling book each year!

Famous People's Views On The Bible

From presidents to sportsmen…….

George Washington.
"It's impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."

John Jefferson.
"A studious perusal of the Sacred Volume will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands."

John Quincy Adams.
"The Bible is the first and almost the only book deserving of universal attention."

Andrew Jackson.
"The Bible is the rock on which our Republic rests."

Woodrow Wilson.
"A man has deprived himself of the best there is in the world who has deprived of this." (a knowledge of the Bible).

Herbert Hoover.
"There is no other book so various as the Bible, nor one so full of concentrated wisdom."

Ulysses S. Grant.
"To the influence of this Book we are indebted for the progress made in civilisation, and to this we must look as our guide in the future."

John Bacon.
"What can I do with respect to the next world without my Bible?"

Napoleon Bonaparte.
"The Bible is more than a Book; it is a living being with an action; a power which invades everything that opposes its extension."

Alexander Cruden.
"All other books are of little importance in comparison with the Holy Scriptures."

Daniel Webster.
"The Bible is the Book of faith, and a Book of doctrine, and a Book of morals, and a Book of religion, of special revelation from God; but it is also a Book which teaches man his responsibility, his own dignity, and his equality with his fellow men."

George Muller.
"I believe that the one chief reason that I have been kept in happy useful service is that I have been a lover of Holy Scripture. It has been my habit to read the Bible through four times a year; in a prayerful spirit, to apply it to my heart, and practice what I find there. I have been for sixty-nine years a happy man; happy, happy, happy."

Julia Crawford.
"The English Bible - a book which if everything else in our language should perish, would alone suffice to show the whole extent of its beauty and power."

Anna Bartlett Warner
"Jesus loves me - this I know, For the Bible tells me so."

Students of the Natural Sciences, Great Britain.
"We, the undersigned, Students of the Natural Sciences, desire to express our sincere regret that researchers into scientific truth are perverted by some in our own times into occasion for casting doubt upon the truth and authenticity of the Holy Scripture. We conceive that it is impossible for the Word of God written in the book of nature, and God's word written in Holy Scripture, to contradict one another. Physical science is not complete, but is only in a condition of progress - Signed by 800 scientists of Great Britain, recorded in the Bodelian Library, Oxford."

George Barna (A Christian trend-watcher).
"Until people see the Bible as a practical guidebook for their everyday existence, it will probably continue to remain on the shelf."

Dave Johnson (US, Decathlon, Bronze Medal, 1992 Olympics).
"The Bible has shown me that with all my effort, all my discipline, I will never be able be make myself perfect. If I want to know God and be a part of his kingdom, then God himself is going to have to remake me... I'm always trying to give 100 percent to God - anything less would be unacceptable as far as CHRIST is concerned. He went in and gave 100 percent of himself for us - he died for us!"

Michael Chang ( US Tennis, Youngest man to win a Grand Slam singles title).
"My first priority is to be a Christian. I want to portray a Christ-like image. People may say, 'What's that?' when there are things going on that give Christianity a bad name. But I look at it this way: When people read the Bible ... they see that it expresses a lot of love, a lot of giving, a lot of peace. It's something I feel the people of this world - especially the young kids - need."

Mother Theresa.
"The Bible is the word of God. It is the most valuable gift God ever given to mankind. The Bible is my best friend and my best partner."

Florence Griffith Joyner (The world's fastest woman runner).
"I read my Bible every day. At the starting point in the track, I pray to God, 'please run with me, and help me to win', and after winning, I thank God and pray, 'thank God for giving me victory'."

Raisa Gorbachov (Wife of Ex-president of Russia).
"The Bible has major part in keeping the world peace. I consider the chance I got to read the Bible, as a great privilege in my life."

Jewish Calendar

Order of Civil Year	Order of Religious Year	Hebrew Month	Western Equivalent	Day of Celebration
1	7	Tishri	Sept/Oct	1st., Rosh Hashannah 10th., Yom Kippur 15th-21st. Sukkot
2	8	Marchesvan	Oct/Nov
3	9	Kislev	Nov/Dec	25th., Hanukah
4	10	Tebet	Dec/Jan
5	11	Shebat	Jan/Feb
6	12	Adar	Feb/Mar	14th. - 15th., Purim
7	1	Nisan	Mar/Apr	14th - 21st,Passover & Unleavened Bread
8	2	Iyyar	Apr/May
9	3	Sivan	May/June	6th., Pentecost
10	4	Tammuz	June/July
11	5	Ab	July/Aug	9th., Destruction of the Temple
12	6	Eul	Aug/Sept
		Adar Sheni	Intercalary Month

Money in the Bible

MEASURE SYSTEM EQUIVALENT APPROX. WEIGHT APPROX. U.S. VALUE
Gerah	1/0 beka,	1/20 shekel	$ 0.02
Beka	10 gerahs,	1/2 shekel	$ 0.25
Shekel	2 bekas,	20 gerahs      10gm.	1/2 oz.	$ 0.50
Mina	50 shekels,	100 bekas     500 g.,	1 lb.	$25.00
Talent	60 minas,	3000 shekels   30 kg.,	66 lbs.	$1500.00
Gold Shekel	$ 8.00
Gold Mina	$ 400 .00
Gold Talent	$24,000.00

Weights and Measures in The Bible

a.Length
MEASURE SYSTEM EQUIVALENT APPROX. METRIC EQUIVALENTS APPROX. U.S. EQUIVALENTS
Finger (digit)	1/12 span	2 cm.	3/4 in.
Palm (handbreadth)	4 fingers,	1/3 span	7.5 cm.	3 in.
Span	12 fingers,	3 palms	22.25 cm.	9 in.
Gomedh	3 3/4 palms,	1 1/4 spans	44.5 cm.	12 in.
Cubit	6-7 palms,	2 spans	44.5 cm.	17 1/2 in.
Fathom	4 cubits,	8 spans	2 m.	2 yds.

 

b.Weight
MEASURE SYSTEM EQUIVALENT APPROX. METRIC EQUIVALENTS APPROX. U.S. EQUIVALENTS
Gerah	1/20 shekel	0.5 g	1/15 oz.
Beka	10 gerahs,	1/2 shekel	5 g.	3/16 oz.
Pim	1 1/2 bekas,	3/4 shekel	7 g.	1/4 oz.
Shekel	2 bekas,	1 1/2 pims	10 g	1/2oz.
Mina	75 pims,	50 shekels	500 g	1 lb.
Talent	60 minas,	3000 shekels	30 kg	66 lbs.

 

c.Dry Capacity
MEASURE SYSTEM EQUIVALENT APPROX. METRIC EQUIVALENTS APPROX. U.S. EQUIVALENTS
Log	1/4 Kab	0.33	l 20	1/2 cu. in.
Kab	4 logs	1.2 l	73 cu. in.
Omer	7 logs,	1 4/5 kabs	2.4 l	146 1/2 cu. in.
Seah	3 1/3 omers,	6 kabs	7.3 l	1/4 cu. ft.
Ephah	10 omers,	3 seahs	22 l	3/4 cu. ft.
Lethech	15 seahs,	5 ephahs	110 l	3 3/4 cu. ft.
Homer	10 ephahs,	2 lethech	220 l	7 3/4 cu. ft.

 

d.Liquid Capacity
MEASURE SYSTEM EQUIVALENT APPROX. METRIC EQUIVALENTS APPROX. U.S. EQUIVALENTS
Log	1/2 hin	0.33 l	1/12 gal.
Kab	4 logs,	13 hin	1.3 l	1/3 gal.
Him	12 logs,	3 kabs	3.67 l	1 gal.
Seah	6 kabs,	2 hins	7.33 l	2 gal.
Bath	3 seahs,	6 hins	22 l	6 gal.
Homer	10 bath,	60 hins	220 l	60 gal.

General Statistics (King James Version)

Total Number of Books (KJV)
1. The Holy Bible -- 66
2. Old Testament -- 39
3. New Testament -- 27

Total Number of Verses (KJV)
1. The Holy Bible -- 31,173
2. Old Testament -- 23,214
3. New Testament -- 7,959

Total Number of Words (KJV)
1. The Holy Bible -- 773,692
2. Old Testament -- 592,439
3. New Testament - - 181,253

Total Number of Letters (KJV)
1. The Holy Bible -- 3,566,480
2. Old Testament -- 2,728,100
3. New Testament -- 838,380

The Middle Book
1. The Holy Bible - - Micah and Nahum
2. Old Testament -- Proverbs
3. New Testament -- 2 Thessalonians

The Middle Chapter
1. The Holy Bible -- Psalms. 117
2. Old Testament -- Job 20
3. New Testament -- Romans 8,9

The Middle Verse
1. The Holy Bible -- Psalms. 118:8
2. Old Testament -- 2 Chr. 20:17,18
3. New Testament -- Acts 27:17

The Largest Book
1. The Holy Bible -- Psalms
2. Old Testament -- Psalms
3. New Testament -- Luke

The Smallest Book
1. The Holy Bible -- 3 John (counting words)
2. Old Testament -- Obadiah
3. New Testament -- 3 John (counting words)

The Longest Chapter
1. The Holy Bible -- Psalms. 119
2. Old Testament -- Psalms. 119
3. New Testament -- Luke 1

The Shortest Chapter
1. The Holy Bible -- Psalms 117
2. Old Testament -- Psalms 117
3. New Testament --

The Shortest Verse
1. The Holy Bible -- John 11:35
2. Old Testament - - 1 Chr. 1:25
3. New Testament -- John 11:35

General Facts - Bible Chapters
1. Longest Chapter -- Psalms 119
2. Shortest Chapter -- Psalms 117
3. Most Comforting Chapters -- Psalms 23, John 14
4. Love Chapter -- 1 Corinthians 13
5. Faith Chapter - - Hebrews 11
6. New Testament Formation -- Acts 2
7. Alike Chapters -- 2 Kings 19 and Isaiah 37

General Facts - Bible Verses
1. Longest Verse -- Esther 8:9
2. Shortest Verse -- John 11:35
3. Most Precious Verse -- John 3:16
4. Saddest Verse -- Mark 15:34
5. Grandest Verse -- Romans 8:11

The Longest Name
1. The Holy Bible -- MAHER-SHAL-HASH-BAZ
(Isa. 8:1, 18 letters)

Some Other Interesting Facts
1. Number of Autho -- 40
2. The Garden verse of the scripture -- Num. 11:5
3. The Metal verse of the scripture -- Ezek. 22:19
4. Word "God" occurs -- 4,370 times
5. Word "Jehovah" occurs -- 6,855 times
6. Word "Lord" occurs -- 7,736 times
7. First complete English Bible -- 1380 A.D.
8. First chapter divisions made -- 1227 A.D.
9. The Greatest Word -- JESUS
10. These Words appears only once in Bible
-- Reverend (Psalms 111:9)
-- Eternity (Isaiah 57:15)
-- Grandmother (2 Tim 1:5)
11. Verse containing all letters except J -- Ezra 7:21
12. Verse containing all letters except Q -- Daniel 4:37
13. The word "God" appears in every book of the Bible except Esther and Song of Solomon
14. There is one book of prophecy and it is Revelation, written by the apostle, John. It has seven letters to the churches and a number of visions about God.
15. History states that all of the writers of The New Testament, but the apostle John, were martyred.
16. The Old Testament; God's laws (the laws of Moses some call them) about how to live are located in 5 books; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
17. The Blessing and the Curse, our choice whether to be obedient to God, is in Deuteronomy Chapter 28.
18. The 12 historical books covering the crossing over to the Promised Land, the time of the Judges, the kings of Israel, the fall of the two kingdoms and a return to Jerusalem are; Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1
Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.
19. The 5 poetic books of the Bible that speak of our questions of love, joy, wisdom, evil, and pain are; Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and The Song of Solomon.
20. The 17 prophetic books take up about one fourth of the whole Bible. They are divided into 2 parts. The first 5 are 'Major Prophets' and the last 12 are the 'Minor Prophets', but only because they are shorter.
21. The authors were from various walks of life, including; some prophets, some fishermen, a tax collector, a herdsman, a philosopher, a doctor, a king, a statesman, and a rabbi.

Some of the Modern Inventions in Bible Prophecy
1. Automobile -- Nahum 2:4
2. Atomic Energy -- Genesis 19:24-28
-- Isaiah 24:20
-- Micah 1;4
-- 2 Peter 3:10-12
3. Airplane -- Isaiah 31;5
-- Isaiah 60:8
-- Jeremiah 48:40
-- Ezekiel 1:9
4. Radio -- Job 38:34-35
-- Psalms 19:3-4
-- Romans 10:18

Did You Know These Before?
1. Father of 88 Children -- 2 Chronicles 11:21
2. Jesus used barber on enemies -- Isaiah 7:20
3. Seven women want same man -- Isaiah 4:1
4. God had a wash pot -- Psalms 60:6-8
5. Ancient Milk Bottle -- Judges 4:19
6. First left handed man -- Judges 3:15
7. Who can be Saved -- John 3:16, Acts 2:37-39

Thirty 'Fast Facts'

1. How many books are in the Bible?
The Bible contains 66 books, divided among the Old and New Testaments.
2. How many books are in the Old Testament?
There are 39 books in the Old Testament.
3. How many books are in the New Testament?
There are 27 books in the New Testament.
4. What does ‘testament’ mean?
Testament means ‘covenant’ or ‘contract.’
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Which single author contributed the most books to the New Testament?
The Apostle Paul, who wrote 14 books (over half) of the New Testament.
8. 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).
9. 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.
10. What is the youngest book in the Old Testament?
The book of Malachi, written about 400 B.C.
11. What is the oldest book of the New Testament?
Probably the book of James, written as early as A.D. 45.
12. What is the youngest book in the New Testament?
The Book of Revelation is the youngest book of the New Testament, written 95 A.D.
13. What languages was the Bible written in?
The Bible was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. When was the first translation of the Bible made into English?
1382 A.D., by John Wycliff.
17. When was the Bible printed?
The Bible was printed in 1454 A.D. by Johannes Gutenberg who invented the ‘type mould’ for the printing press. It was the first book ever printed.
18. 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 Rylands Library in Manchester, England).
19. What is the longest book in the Bible?
The book of Psalms.
20. What is the shortest book in the Bible?
3 John.
21. What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 119
22. What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 117
23. What is the longest verse in the Bible?
Esther 8:9
24. What is the shortest verse in the Bible?
John 11:35 (But see trivia below)
25. Which books in the Bible does not mention the word "God?"
The books of Esther & Song of Solomon.
26. Who was the oldest man that ever lived?
Methuselah who lived to be 969 years old (Genesis 5:27).
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).
28. Who does the Bible say was the meekest man in the Bible (not including Jesus)?
Moses (Numbers 12:3).
29. 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 nto 50 languages.)
30. Is the Bible still the best-selling book in the world?
Yes, indeed!

Source: CHRIST UNLIMITED MINISTRIES
Pastor R.S.(Bud) & Betty Miller
P.O. Box 850
Dewey, AZ 86327
U.S.A.
WEB SITE ADDRESS: http://bible.com