Book of books and great masterpiece

Thousands of books have been written about the Bible, is accepted as one of the greatest masterpieces of the world’s literature and the only one of the many books which can really  transform people. The Bible’s contents are of the greatest antiquity. Parts of it are over 3,000 years old and, as any historian worth his salt will tell you, it contains the oldest and the most reliable records of ancient history ever written. Time and again its narratives have been shown to contain a remarkably accurate account of people, of places, and of events of bygone ages. No other book in the world can begin to compare with the Bible for the way it helps us both to understand the past and thereby largely to explain the present.

Uniquely the Bible remains as an unchanging unified collection of books. Its original languages of Hebrew and Greek have been translated into all languages, and it has found also circulation in countries that do not profess “Christianity“.

The Bible is a Book of books which is accepted as one of the greatest masterpieces of the
world’s literature and has become a Best-seller of all times. The grandeur of the opening chapters of Genesis and of John’s Gospel, the moving poetry of the Psalms, the fiery denunciations of the Hebrew prophets, the compelling records of the life and work of Jesus (Jeshua), and the apocalyptic mysteries of the Book of Revelation – all these serve together to set the Bible in a class of its own. It is quite unrivalled by any other work, in any language or from any age. But it is more than this: the Bible claims to be the written word of God.

The Bible’s influence on the history of civilisation has been enormous. As the textbook of two of the great religions of the world (Judaism and Christianity) it has been a source of morality and enlightenment to countless millions down the centuries. Translated into almost 2.233 different languages, it has also been produced in Braille, shorthand and, in recent times, in machine-readable format for use on computers. In an age of rationalism and materialism, when disrespect for ancient traditions has almost become a fashion,
the Bible has still managed to preserve something of an aura of uniqueness. It stands head and shoulders above all the very greatest in the literature of the world and has strong claims on our attention and respect.

The first page of the Book of Genesis from the original 1611 printing of the King James Bible. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The English “Authorised Version” came into being when King James the first, travelling from Edinburgh to London in 1603, was met by a deputation of Puritans with a petition containing seven hundred and fifty signatures, requesting a new translation of the Bible. The result was the publication of the Authorised Version of the Bible in 1611, upon which foundation Revised Versions, in the English language, have been established ever since.

(KJV) 1631 Holy Bible, Robert Barker/John Bill, London. King James Version (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Bible is also very big business. Ask any of the dozen or so Bible publishers who compete so fiercely for this particular corner of the world’s book market! In the last forty years alone the eight new Bible versions published in English have sold well in excess of 100 million copies. Worldwide sales of the Good News Bible (1976) stand at over 7 million; the New English Bible (1970) has sold over 10 million; about 23 million copies of the Living Bible have been bought since 1971; and sales of the New International Version
topped a million copies within less than a year of its publication date in 1979. Even King James’s allegedly outdated Authorised Version of 1611 still brings in every year over a million pounds in revenue for its publishers and also of that version many other versions where created like the New King James Version, The Restored Names King James Version, The 21st Century King James version a.o..

Gideons Bible (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

The Bible is without doubt the world’s best-selling book. And if to these mind-boggling commercial publishing statistics are added all the Bibles distributed freely in the U.K. and throughout the world by the Gideons (over 70 million copies) and the Bible Society (a staggering estimated 1,000 million), the numbers of Bibles produced must far outstrip anything ever printed and published in the history of mankind.

It is to be noted that whereas the Bible continues in its unified, unchanging message, those who profess to revere it do not. The “Christian Church” has divided and splintered into uncountable Churches, Groups, and Fellowships, each arguing for their own  interpretation of God’s message. Yet surely the Bible has been sent not only to be read, but also to convey a simple, divine message for any to understand without ambiguity.

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Preceding articles:

The Word of God in print

Many Books, yet One

Inspired Word

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie: Het Boek der boeken een Groot Meesterwerk

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Please do find also:

1. How was the Bible put together and by whom?
2. Who Wrote the Bible?
3. How many people wrote the Bible?
4. Did the Inspirator exist
5. The Importance Of Scripture
6. The importance of Reading the Scriptures
7. Absolute Basics to Reading the Bible
8. Knowing old sayings to understand the Bible
9. When reading your Bible be aware of changing language
10. Another way looking at a language #1 New Year, Books and Words
11. Another way looking at a language #5 Aramic, Hebrew and Greek
12. Another way looking at a language #6 Set apart
13. Pluralis Majestatis in the Holy Scriptures
14. Why believing the Bible
15. The Bible: God’s Word or pious myth?
16. Appointed to be read
17. Unsure about relevance Bible
18. Pure Words and Testimonies full of Breath of the Most High
19. Possibility to live
20. Power in the life of certain
21. Rebirth and belonging to a church
22. Scripture alone Sola Scriptora
23. The Metaphorical language of the Bible
24. The manager and Word of God
25. Bric-a-brac of the Bible
26. Accuracy, Word-for-Word Translation Preferred by most Bible Readers
27. Celebrating the Bible in English
28. What English Bible do you use?
29. The Most Reliable English Bible
30. King James Bible Coming into being
31. NWT and what other scholars have to say to its critics
32. 21st Century Version of the Christian Scripture or Mark Heber Miller Bible
33. The NIV and the Name of God
34. Use of /Gebruik van Jehovah or/of Yahweh in Bible Translations/Bijbel vertalingen
35. Codex Sinaiticus available for perusal on the Web
36. Judaism & Catholicism Universal ‘churches’
37. Do Christians need to read the Old Testament
38. Hellenistic influences
39. Discipleship way of life on the narrow way to everlasting life
40. The Bible is a today book
41. Bible a guide – Bijbel als gids
42. Bible for you and for life
43. A Bible Falling Apart Belongs to Someone who isn’t
44. Bible like puddle of water
45. Cell phone vs. Bible
46. Working on the Bible being like re-wiring an old house
47. Of the many books Only the Bible can transform
48. Feed Your Faith Daily
49. Learn to read the Bible effectively

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Related articles

• Manifold Greatness: The King James Bible Exhibit & Personal Collection of Bibles (marygilmartin.wordpress.com)
  This past week I was fortunate to have seen the exhibit of the Manifold Greatness celebrating  “The King James Bible” at The Nancy Guinn Memorial Library in Conyers, Georgia. The panels will be on display there until July 12th.  They follow “The Long Road to the King James Bible.” This location is the final stop on this tour (2011-2013).  You can read more about it on: http://www.manifoldgreatness.org/
• Translating Manifold Greatness from Scholarship to Exhibition (manifoldgreatness.wordpress.com)
  The Manifold Greatness traveling panel show is now on the way to its final location, the Conyers-Rockdale Library System in Conyers, Georgia, where it will appear, with much related programming, from May 29 to July 12. And as this touring phase comes to a close, I’ve been looking back at our own process, and thinking about the way in which exhibitions themselves are a process of translation. Of course we collaborate—anyone who has worked on an exhibition can tell you that it is one of the most collaborative undertakings they have experienced. But because we tend to think of translation as a text moving from one language into another, it’s not immediately obvious that the work we do in exhibition is also a process of translation. And yet, on many levels, I think it is.
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  We were not reading Hebrew, Greek, and Latin—but remember, of course, that the King James Bible was not the first English Bible, and the translators drew liberally from the English translations that came before. Although they produced a masterpiece of English literature, their concern was not for lyricism or rhetorical power; they aimed for accuracy as they translated both from ancient languages and from previous English versions.
• Feeding God’s Sheep and Publishing among the nations (feedinggodssheep.wordpress.com)
  God’s commandment for us as His elect is to continue to feed His sheep
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  two, but three times denotes God’s purpose in feeding His sheep with His Word,
  during these days after the Great Tribulation.(Matthew 24:29 and Mark 13:24).Are we being faithful ‘doers’ of God’s Word, and not just hearers?
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  For those who are inclined and speak different languages, as the LORD so
  directs, please consider ‘volunteering; to faithfully translate some of the many
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• Translation of The King James Version Of The NIV Bible Download (whatpeoplearesayingabouthouseandhome.wordpress.com)
  The Bible, spread through the Old Testament and New Testament has been translated and rewritten numerous time. With the technological advancement of our time, it didn’t take long for audio format versions of the NIV Bible download to be available. With translations to 250 different languages, the Bible, be it the Catholic Bible or the King James Bible. This is a great improvement from 400 AD when the Bible was only available in Hebrew, Latin and Greek, says House and Home. The NIV bible download is available in different formats including the MP3 or WMA or CD format and can be played on different devices including the iPhone, a PC, and other mobile phones.
• Introduction to eChurch (churchontheweb.wordpress.com)
  Discovering if there is a God and who God is can be confusing.  The question is part of a lifetime journey that sometimes leaves many people coming up short with many unanswered questions.  In addition to establishing an acceptance to the existence of God is gaining an understanding of how, where, and what to learn about Him.
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  If the scripture says something you don’t like and sometimes, it will say something uncomfortable, don’t get angry with me.  I cant change it and I didn’t write it.I will provide you with what a scripture reads and as guidance, provide my understanding.  The rest is up to you.
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  You are highly encouraged to obtain a bible and to study and read the bible for yourself.  That is where all of the different churches come in. There is a lot to decipher.  So people try to find a place that most deciphers the bible in a manner that speaks to them.  I still advise getting a bible whether soft or hard copy (online or book form) and make sure what you are being taught is inline with what is actually the bible.
• A Comforting Sunday LORD’s Day Devotional (feedinggodssheep.wordpress.com)
  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
• King James, Dr. Sam Gipp and the KJB (biblebelievernet.com)
  If you will check in Dr. Sam Gipp’s Understandable History of the Bible you will find a long chapter on the life of King James and the claims against him. I see the King James Bible as Inspired, Plenary written by the Holy Spirit through 39 different men used by God.

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