Portal:Bible

Bible Portal

The Bible is the most common term by which the Jewish and Christian holy book is called. The term carries various meanings, depending on the religious context in which it is used. For Jews, the term "Bible" refers to the Tanakh (Heb., תָּנָ״ךְ), an acronym formed from the Hebrew names of the three divisions of the Jewish Scriptures: Law (Torah), Prophets (Nevi'im), and Writings (Ketuvim). To Christians, the term incorporates both the Tanakh, or "Old Testament," and the New Testament. Some Christians (among them, the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches) accept the writings of the Apocrypha (also known as the Deuterocanonicals) as part of their sacred literature.

Opinions vary as to the historical truth contained within the pages of the Bible. Conservative Christians tend to view the Bible as it is described by Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16, namely that "all Scripture is given by God's inspiration" (Gr., θεόπνευστος, literally "God-breathed"). Thus, in their evaluation, the original text of the Bible was literally given by the inspiration of God. Although they do not accept Paul's writing, Orthodox Jews assent to the view that the Tanakh (especially the Torah) was given by God's inspiration. Among religious liberals, this is subject to criticism. While most liberal theologians view the Bible as a book of inspired history, others view it as a record from ancient history that reflects the specific perspectives of those who recorded a religious story. The continuum of beliefs regarding the Bible's texts covers the entire range of human experience, from full faith and trust to disbelief and criticism.

The text has been translated into more than 2,100 languages, and with more than five billion copies sold since 1815, it is the best-selling book of all-time.

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Joshua (Hebrew: '‎יְהוֹשֻׁעַ), born in Egypt, was a biblical Israelite leader who succeeded Moses. His story is told in the Hebrew Bible, chiefly in the books Exodus, Numbers, and Joshua. He was one of the twelve spies sent on by Moses to explore the land of Canaan who would later lead the conquest of that land, the Bible's Promised Land.

Joshua supposedly lived sometime in the late Bronze Age, around 1200 BC. However, he is associated with problems concerning the evidence for the Exodus from Egypt. Various reconstructions of the Biblical data about the Exodus have not yet matched the archeological evidence. Accordingly, some archeologists dispute the historicity of the many details in the Biblical account of the Exodus and treat it as legendary embellishments of an earlier (still unidentified) event. However, others have taken the account to be legitimate and have based their scholarship on this, including Richard A. Gabriel who has viewed Biblical narratives from what he calls a "military" perspective, including the conquest of Canaan by Joshua. Still others refer to the ancient letters of appeal by Canaanite leaders to Egypt seeking assistance against the invasion of the Hapiru (see Amarna letters), who may or may not be the ancient Hebrews. (more...)

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Did you know...

...that the number of gold talents that King Solomon collected in a single year was 666. 1 Kings 10:14, 2 Chronicles 9:13

...that Isaac was the only biblical patriarch whose name was not changed.

...that the word Christian only appears three times in the Bible (NASB)

...that Methuselah died in the year of the Flood. Genesis 5

...that Ezekiel saw a creature like a wheel and full of eyes. Ezekiel 1

...that there were seven, not two, of every ritually clean animal, in Noah's ark. Genesis 7:2

...that the word hilasterion, which is translated as mercy seat in the Old Testament, is also used to describe Jesus. Romans 3:25

Quotations

"…thou shalt teach them (God’s words) diligently unto thy children…" — Deuteronomy 6:7 KJV WEB ASV

"Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read…" — Isaiah 34:16 KJV WEB ASV

"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." — John 5:39 KJV WEB ASV

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." — Romans 15:4 KJV WEB ASV

"Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." — Revelation 1:3 KJV WEB ASV

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1 KINGS 21

Ahab tries to buy the vineyard of Naboth who refuses. Jezebel arranges for Naboth to be falsely accused and stoned to death. Elijah prophecies that Ahab's dynasty will be eaten by dogs and by the birds. Ahab then tears his clothes, so Elijah is told by Yahweh that Ahab's penitance has bought him time.

PEOPLE: Naboth - Ahab - יהוה YHVH God - Jezebel - Elijah

PLACES: Jezreel - Samaria - Kingdom of Israel

RELATED ARTICLES: Fasting - Belial - Stoning - Tishbite - Jeroboam - Nebat - Baasha - Ahijah - Idolatry - Amorites - Children of Israel