Not technically a book, but rather a collection of multiple story books, the Bible is a collection of some of the oldest texts ever written, over hundreds of years past, and has gone through numerous editions and edits. The Bible is considered to be a cornerstone text of multiple religions and is critical to Christians, Jews, Samaritans, and Rastafarians.
Throughout varying religions, there are different versions of the Bible which are considered to be canonical, with various books being either included or excluded, depending on the overall narrative that the particular religion is looking to create. The Hebrew Bible has several overlaps with the Greek Septuagint, as well as the Christian Old Testament. However, the Christian New Testament is a collection of writings by the earliest Christians, who are believed to be mostly made up of the Jewish disciples of Jesus, with most of the texts thought to have been written during the first century, with the documents themselves being written in Koine Greek.
Within the Christian religion, denominations tend to have different attitudes in their approach to the Bible, with some considering it to be the literal word of God handed down to mankind, and other denominations considering the Bible to be divinely influenced only. Whichever of these beliefs is followed, doesn’t change the histo
ry of the text and its importance to mankind’s development. The Bible remains one of the most read and owned books in existence, with its stories having helped shaped nations, and ultimately the world, in its current form.
The earlier texts of the Bible describe the creation of the world and the lives of some of the earliest humans. The story is, that God created the world and its inhabitants in six days, taking the seventh day to rest. The subsequent stories focus on the first two humans, Adam and Eve, as well as their descendants. The stories are full of moral dilemmas which early humans faced, and how they handled them, as well as the physical dangers of the planet at that time, such as extensive flooding.
There are undoubtedly many passages in the Bible which are considered to be controversial by today’s standards, mainly dealing with homosexuality. Despite this, the Bible remains one of the most studied texts in the world, with a far-reaching history behind it.
There are multiple translations of the Bible which have been made over the years, including translations between languages, and even numerous translations in the same language. While scholars debate which readings are the most accurate, most can at least agree, that the core story remains unchanged. Many church organisations around the world provide Bibles for free, for people to begin to read and study.