Over how many years was the bible written

Discover how God's Word has been painstakingly preserved, and for extended periods even suppressed, during its long and arduous journey from creation to present day English translations. Sources: Willmington's Bible Handbook ; www. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. The New Testament nor the Old came about this way. By the first century, the Church, the New Testament canon that measurement of what is divinely written and what is not that you now read in your quiet times, share with others in your witnessing, and teach your children, was settled.

So, contrary to what some might assume, there was no single meeting of the clerical minds to give a final stamp of ecclesiastical imprimatur.

Well, that is a hard one. Jesus knew the Bible as the lectionary Scripture portions arranged for public reading was read in his local synagogue. The letters of Paul and Peter, Luke and Acts by Luke, and the other letters were copied and disseminated amongst the local Christian communities in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth especially, that part of the known world held by the Roman Empire.

But we can say that there was the first work published that we know of that contained the Old and New Testaments with some additions, like the Shepherd of Hermas and Epistle of Barnabas, Apocryphal books that would later be of historical interest but without authentication of divine inspiration.

For example, I do not believe that I have the first Bible I used in the pastoral ministry. If you are ever in London, go to the British Museum and you will see the full New Testament at its earliest publication, with much of the Old Testament. But how about the Bible in English? One way to think about the history of the English Bible is to consider prominent movements and individuals who led to putting the Bible in the hands of the people.

The history of the English Bible begins in, where else — England. The very epitome of a pastor-scholar, Wycliffe not only wanted the Bible translated into the vernacular of the people he served but desired to see the Word of God preached in English throughout the Realm.

So, Wycliffe published dozens of copies of the Bible in English. These Bibles were taken by his band of preachers, called Lollards, and they exposited the truths of the Word of God.

Of course, the Guttenberg printing press s became the iPhone of its day and by means of the Protestant Reformation, made the Bible available to Europeans and the British Isles in their respective languages. While Wycliffe translated the Bible into English and made copies by hand, it was William Tyndale who actually printed the Bible in English. Tyndale, like Luther in Germany, is, in many ways, the Father of the modern English language.

As Thomas Cranmer composed the Book of Common Prayer in with help from John Calvin and John Knox , that was revised until its near-present form was published in , English speaking people had both the Bible and a prayer book in their own language. As the Pilgrims came to America, and as the British Empire would cover the earth in one of the most benevolent dynasties in human history, the English Bible was carried to all of the world.

The story of how the Bible was written cannot be recalled without the most important fact of all: why the Bible was written. As always, the Word of God attests to its own purpose:. We have traced how the Bible was written in this little article. Those are the heroes. And John Wycliffe and William Tyndale would be the first to say they are.

Related article: Who Wrote the Bible? Michael A. He is the President of Faith for Living and the D. Milton is the author of more than thirty books and a musician with five albums released. Mike and his wife, Mae, reside in North Carolina. Plus Toggle navigation. Password Assistance. Email address. When Was the Bible Written? And Other Questions about the Word of God. Share Tweet Save. Connor Salter. Remembering that poetry does not have to rhyme allows the reader to read these books as the writer may have spoken the words.

Researchers say the story of Job is presumed to date back to the time of Abraham, and most likely passed down in oral form until someone put the words into writing. In the book of Psalms, David is listed as the author. Yet, many people contributed to writing the Psalms. These contributions were given in different time periods.

The Bible tells that the book of Psalms was gathered together by temple workers after the exile, probably in the third century B. One Scripture that can bring comfort is Psalm : The Song of Solomon was probably written during the 10th century B. Often referred to as a love song, the author of this book in the Bible is uncertain, yet listed as possibly Solomon.

You may wonder why Lamentations is listed as a book of poetry. Possibly written by Jeremiah sometime between and B. Amidst the turmoil and sadness of the writing, the author reminds the reader that hope is found in God. Joshua declares the faithfulness of God in his writing. Scholars believe the original manuscript was probably written in the s B. In Joshua, we read the story of Rahab and her bravery and faithfulness. In the last chapters of Joshua, he asks the people to choose whom they will serve Joshua In the book of Judges, Samuel is thought to be the author.

Yet, there is some question about authorship. Judges was probably written around B. The New Testament shares the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Each book includes details of some aspect of the life of Jesus. From the genealogy of Jesus to Mary learning about the special child she was carrying, to the works and healing of Jesus, and finally to His life, crucifixion on the cross, death, and rising again, the New Testament is filled with vital details.

The New Testament begins with the book of Matthew. Matthew, a tax collector, shows that God can use anyone to share His love and glory. The book of Matthew was written sometime before the destruction of Jerusalem in A. Once again, scholars have debated the actual date the book was written around A.