THE MOST WONDERFUL BOOK IN THE WORLD – THE BIBLE

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THE MOST WONDERFUL BOOK IN THE WORLD – THE BIBLE

It’s a book filled with mystery, excitement, anticipation, adventure, comedy, love and hate. It’s a theology book, a scientific book, a history book, an archaeology book, a health book and a counselling book. It’s a book filled secret codes, prophecy, comfort and has answers for every problem.

It awakens the senses causing a myriad of emotions like awe, adoration, reverence, love, faith, devotion and unspeakable joy; while at the same time filling you with anger, sadness, concern, despair, shame, grief and remorse.

It’s like a roller coaster ride lifting your consciousness to an exalted throne room, giving you a brief glimpse of glory, and then plunging you to the depth of despair and then leaving you to sort it all out.

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Interesting and strange facts about the Bible

• It’s not one single book but really 66 books.

• It was penned by over 40 authors on three different continents and in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek.

• It was written over a period of some 1,500 years.

• It was written by shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers, kings and prophets. Despite these differences in occupation and the span of years it took to write it, the Bible is an extremely cohesive and unified book.

• It was written in times of peace and in times of war.

• It covers hundreds of topics and stories and yet it sublimely has one beautifully unfolding story throughout.

• It was meticulously copied and preserved generation after generation. The first printed book was the Bible and it was printed in 1454 A.D. by Johannes Gutenberg who invented the "type mold" for the printing press.

• According to Wycliffe Bible Translators, the Bible has been translated into about 4000-5000 languages so far and they are hoping to reach the estimated 6600 languages by the year 2025.

• A strange little fact is that there is actually a Bible translation in Klingon, the Star Trek language.

• In 2001, Mike coles, a teacher in Stepney, translated The Bible into Cockney Ryming sland and in 2008, graphic representations of The Bible in Manga (which consists of comics and print cartoons) and Lego brick form were given approval by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

• A Bible in the University of Gottingen is written on 2,470 palm leaves.

• The number of new Bibles that are sold, given away, or otherwise distributed in USA is about 168,000 per day.

• Voltaire, the French philosopher who was an Athiest, threatened that he would see to the destruction of the Bible and its removal from the face of the earth. What happened is that the Bible Society bought the house where he was born after his death and today that building is one of the biggest sales centers of the Bible.

• The Bible is the #1 bestselling book in the world but it is also the world's most shoplifted book.

• The smallest item in The Bible in AmericaMuseum’s collection is a portion of a microfilmed Bible taken to the Moon and back by Apollo 14 in February 1971. That was not the first time the Bible was taken into space. Astronauts from Apollo 8, read the biblical creation story from Genesis. (prompting O'Hair's suit against NASA.) A handwritten card containing a Bible verse that Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin used during a lunar Holy Communion service was also put up for auction.

• The Bible has been engraved on the surface of a tiny crystal. The CRYSTAL-BIBLE , NANOBIBLE, is manufactured in different shapes: rectangular, oval, round, and book shaped.

• The world's largest Bible, printed by Louis Waynai in 1930, resides in the ACU library. When laid open, the Waynai Bible measures 43.5 inches tall and 98 inches wide. Closed, the spine is 34 inches thick. The book has 8,048 pages and weighs in at 1,094 pounds. The book was constructed so that it can be disassembled into 31 sections for moving purposes.

Interesting information and strange facts contained in the Bible.

• Solomon had 700 wives, 300 concubines, and 12,000 horses.

• Noah was 600 years young when he built the ark, and 950 years old when he died. Genesis 7:6 and Genesis 9:29

• Manna tasted like honey wafers. Exodus 16:31

• In ancient Israel, men closed a deal by exchanging sandals. Ruth 4:7

• After Moses was given the Ten Commandments, he wore a veil over his face because he glowed. Exodus 34:33-35

• Psalm 117 is the shortest book in the Bible with only two verses.

• Adam was 930 when he died. Methuselah was the oldest man in the Bible. He lived to be 969 years old. He would have been 56 years old when Adam died so could have received information about God and the Garden of Eden first hand. Seth, Noah’s son was born before Methuselah died so he could have received information about Adam from Methuselah and shared it with others after the flood.

• Luke was a medical doctor. Colossians 4:14

• Lydia was a saleswoman. Acts 16:14. (Who ever thinks of Women have outside jobs back then?)

• Did you know when Jesus died, saints rose from the dead and walked around Jerusalem? Matthew 27:52-53

• Animals have to answer to God, too! Genesis 9:5

• Paul was beaten five times and shipwrecked three times. 2 Corinthians 11:24-25

• The three magi were never actually at the traditional manger scene. They saw Jesus a little later at Joseph and Mary's house. Matthew 2:11

• The iron point alone on Goliath's spear weighed about fifteen pounds! 1 Samuel 17:7 Goliath had 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot.

• Jesus had at least 4 brothers and at least 2 sisters. The brothers are named but the sisters aren’t. (James, Joses, Simon, and Judas) but the sisters aren’t. Matt. 13:55-56

• Moses was four months old when Pharaoh's daughter found him in a basket. Acts 7:20-21

• Locusts, Katydids, Crickets and Grasshoppers were considered clean food for the Israelites. Leviticus 11:22

• The ten plagues in Egypt showed the deficiency of 10 gods the Egyptians worshipped.

• Once, while Ezekiel was sitting in his house, a big hand picked him up by the hair of his head and took him somewhere between heaven and earth. Ezekiel 8:3

Definitely a book worth checking into and reading!