bible statistics and history

As of June 2020, 34 percent Americans stated they never read the Bible, an increase of three percent from the previous year. This is usually crosswords or quizzes, or to follow up on a reference in a TV show or film. For example informal leaders are 1.7 times more likely to use the Bible in small groups than their colleagues from formal traditions. 69% of over 65s had a Bible at home, compared to only 39% of the under 44s. Since this is a retrospective study, where people are being asked to look back on what they believe that they think or feel, this could have several interpretations. Here are some interesting facts and figures about the Bible. “I enjoy reading it sometimes for the stories in it”. Church leaders were asked what the Bible used most frequently in their church was. 82%. More than half thought their Bible was most like the King James, with 27% thinking theirs was more like the New International version and 20% going for the Good news Bible. One in four said they wouldn’t know where to start with the Bible. 9% of this group also said they would like to know where to start with the Bible. The under 45’s were much less likely to have a King James version – 20% of 18-24 year olds and 26% of 25-44 year olds compared to 49% of 45-64 year olds and 44% of the over 65s. The New Testament contains more than 260 Old Testament quotations, the majority from the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible. The Bible and History Whilst only 28% thought the Bible’s stories were historically accurate 34% thought them relevant today. 40% agreed the Bible is an influence for good in society, 34% agreed we would be a much better society if more people engaged with the Bible, The Bible most likely to be found in the home is a King James Version but most people would actually prefer to read the Good News Bible (rather than the KJV or NIV), Most people received their Bible 'passively', as a gift or passed on by a family member, only 21% 'actively' bought their own Bible. 2 THE FACTS OF THE CASE No. Levels are similar across the gender divide and are relatively similar across the ages until we get to the 65+s where the numbers accessing the Bible at least once a month rises to 19%. Of those who access the Bible 46% read a paper version regularly and a further 41% read a paper version occasionally. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); You have entered an incorrect email address! The Bible contains 66 books, divided among the Old and New Testaments. Here are some interesting findings from the research: Just over half the sample recalled having a Bible in the household. Nearly half kept a Bible in a bookcase (47%); a quarter (24%) beside their bed; 23% kept one in a drawer or cupboard, reasonably accessible. This was a document originally produced by Bible Society to help inform journalists about the Bible, but we think it is an excellent resource for a wider audience. In the youngest age group this dropped to 16%. For more information like this on the Bible and its history you may be interested to read the 'Bible Style Guide'. Two different passages were used, each on half of the sample. Approximately 60% of formal and informal congregations agree that the Church should exert more influence in society, for example through the presence of the most senior Bishops in the House of Lords. Others were to be found in handbags or briefcases and on coffee tables. Thus at least some portions of the Bible have been translated into 3,386 languages. 36% have one that was a gift from a family member or friend and 30% have one that was passed on by a family member. The two major locations where people engage with the Bible are to be expected; Home and Church, with few people engaging outside these locations. It has 1 chapter with 21 verses. If You Are To Spend One Day With One Bible Character, Who Would It Be? The books were written in what is now Israel and Palestine, Egypt and different parts of the then Roman Empire. Old Testament New Testament Total. What sort of actions should the church take in society to promote appreciation of the Bible? The differences were less marked when we asked which version of the passages respondents preferred to hear being read in public: Good News 38%, New International 34%, King James 27%. URC and Methodist churches were respectively likely to always  use the Bible during evangelism 19% and 26% of the time, and at the time of this research their attendance was falling sharply (and in the case of the URC still is). Except in Public Prayer leaders from informal traditions are more likely to use the Bible than those from formal traditions, and in some areas the difference is particularly marked. It provides me with a vision to strive for.”, “I find I read it because it refreshes me.”, “I look for guidance throughout my life.”, “I’m a believer and I read the Bible daily. The increased use of Scripture by informal leaders, who include Pentecostal denominations, was reflected in an ethnic bias towards black leaders using the Bible more frequently than their white counterparts. There are more than 168,000 Bibles that are sold or given to others in the United States every day. Our website uses cookies to improve your online experience. The Bible makes a specific reference to Cyrus as the conqueror of Babylon and identifies him as God’s chosen instrument in the liberation of the people of Judah from captivity from Babylon. Similar trends were observed in the leadership groups. However, most people claimed to read the Bible for faith reasons; because it gave them comfort and strength; “I find it a comfort and I enjoy reading it. Of those who thought they knew what version of Bible they had, 40% claimed it was a King James Bible, with a further 18% thinking they had the New King James version. Overall, responses to statements in this section were positive with 40% agreeing that the Bible is an influence for good in society. Don’t forget to read our teaching on Bible History, for a more in-depth study. As always with the church it is difficult to know where to draw the boundaries of leadership and this study opted to draw them fairly broadly. Even amongst Christians only 35% believe the stories are accurate and 43% believe they have relevance today. The Bible Was Written By Approximately 40 Authors. The Bible was written: over a 1500 year span (from circa 1400 B.C to A.D. 100) over 40 generations. Even amongst the over 65s – the age group by far the most likely to know – only half knew which version they had. We asked which of the three passages was the easiest to understand. 1 The King James Version was not a new, distinct or original translation. The Old Testament has 39 and the New Testament has 27. These Comforting Bible Verses Will Be Of Great Help To You When You Feel Weak. Therefore I believe these word counts to be 100% accurate (I hope.) Bible Timeline 1996 BC Birth of Abraham. This indirect engagement could well form the focus of further research. As might be expected, the overwhelming majority of Churches in England and Wales regularly teach from the Bible. The Bible has a unique record of preservation, translation, and distribution. This finding is compatible with the findings about what use church leaders put the Bible to, which also showed that leaders from a formal tradition were less likely to make use of scripture. The Bible - 100 million copies are sold each year. Second Timothy 3:16 tells us that the Bible was “breathed out” by God. It may be that as more and more discoveries are being made to link archaeological facts with Bible stories that this figure of 28% could become significantly higher. The longest book in the New Testament is Acts. Many black church leaders are from the Pentecostal denominations and the importance placed on the knowledge of the Old Testament in those denominations is reflected in a substantial ethnic difference with 77% of black leaders reporting that congregational knowledge of the Old Testament was very important, vs. 45% of their white colleagues. One can extend biblical historicity to the evaluation of whether or not the Christian New Testament is an accurate record of the historical Jesus and of the Apostolic Age. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The longest word in the Holy Bible is ‘Mahershalalhashbaz’ which has 18 letters and can be found in Isaiah 8:1. The King James Version of the Bible is the best-selling Bible version of all time. • There are 66 books in the Bible. Only 9% ever read the Bible on line, 4% ever read it using a mobile phone or PDA and 7 % listened via iPod, MP3 or other recording device. How did the Bible factor into the colonization and development of America? This was as high as 30% amongst those who never read the Bible. The shortest book of the Bible is 3 John. In other words 2 out of every three Christians had a Bible in the household. This would imply that the Bible is impacting in ways other than directly accessing it – after all only 22% claim to read the Bible once a year or more often. More informal congregations (76%) than formal ones (69%) believe that the Church should work hard to promote Biblical principles across society. A shepherd boy discovered old clay jars in a cave by the Dead Sea in 1947. The figures for men and women were markedly different. That’s the percentage of people who regularly read the Bible who will reach for a King James Version before any other. Scripture says in the last days many people will think gain is godliness. Among leaders of “formal” congregations the Jerusalem Bible dominates, reflecting, the near universal use of this translation among the Roman Catholic community, whereas among the leaders of other formal congregations usage was approximately equally divided between the NIV, the GNB, and the NRSV. Some verses in the Bible (KJV) contain all but 1 letter of the alphabet: Ezra 7:21 contains all but the letter j; Its history is first in its formation in the Bible times, but in the course of its history since, the Middle Ages and other things, what you end up having is a Bible that is really diverse, that has gone through a lot of change over the years. There are clearly issues about access to the Bible in terms of language and navigation. Its complexity can boggle great minds, and yet it’s simplicity can be understood by children. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. This may be a sign that the role of all small groups in the different traditions is very different, or possibly that the leaders from the varying traditions interpreted the term ‘small group’ differently with informal leaders attaching this term predominantly to Bible study groups, while traditional leaders were prepared to use the term to encompass social action groups, fellowship groups, and other para-church organisations. There are 39 books in the Old Testament. The word “bible” is from the Greek ta biblia, which means “the scrolls” or “the books.” The word is … This graph shows the incidence of all church leaders, leaders from formal traditions, and leaders from informal traditions responding that they would always use the Bible in a variety of leadership related activities. Stephen Langton divided the Bible into chapters about A.D. 1228. It seems there is room for all three versions, albeit with different individuals. 05 Written as early as 1200 BC, the Old Testament is the oldest book. One Bible fun fact is that the phrase ‘do not be afraid’ can be found 365 times in the Bible. Bible simply means ‘book’ or ‘scroll’ Bible is derived from the Latin word ‘biblia’ or the Greek ta biblia. The Bible Was Written By Men From All Occupations: Kings, Peasants, Doctors, Fishermen, Tax Collectors, Scholars, Etc. The old jars contained dusty scrolls, which turned out to include ancient copies of the Old Testament. And new discoveries continue to confirm its historical accuracy. If this were the case it would imply that people are much more likely to read affirming and positive pieces of Scripture than portions which are confusing, difficult, and which focus on scary attributes of God. God recorded things to happen in world history in the Bible. However, over 4,500 languages still wait for even one book of the Bible. Various people claim to … The oldest parable in the Bible is in Judges 9:8-15. When we asked which version they would prefer to read in private, there was a clear preference for the Good News 40%, with NIV 33% and KJV 27%. Alternatively it could be simply an effect of leadership whereby people who are leaders are more likely to be outgoing people who are enthusiastic. Today, about 2,500 of the world’s 7000+languages have part of the Bible translated into them. While billions of people believe Jesus of Nazareth was one of the most important figures in world history, many others reject the idea that he even existed at all. To what degree is the Bible the focus of teaching in Church? More than half did not know which version(s) they had at home. In the Bible, there are not only scientific truths, but also many historical truths. The Number Of Times The Word “God” Appears In The Bible Is 3,358. Most Protestant Christians recognise 66 books in the Bible, Most Catholics recognise the 66 plus 7 deuterocanonical books, bringing the total to 73 books, Ethiopian Orthodox Christians recognise 81 books in the Bible, The entire Bible is available in at least 426 languages, The New Testament is available in 1,115 languages. These statistics show that 400 years after its first publication the KJV translation is passing from general use by leaders in the church even among congregations with a formal tradition. We can only explain this in terms of the men being unaware that they have a Bible at home. 30 Bible Translation Projects in Nigeria Suspended Over Terrorism, Pandemic, Jews Lived In Jerusalem Before Islam Existed, Over Half Of US Christians ‘Wrongly’ Believe Their Good Works Will Get Them Into Heaven, List Of Nigerian Praise And Worship Songs, Thousands Of Pastors Flee China Amid Growing Persecution As Govt. Books 30 27 66 Chapters 929 260 1,189 Verses 23,214 7,959 31,173 Words 592,439 181,253 773,692 Letters 2,728,800 838,380 3,567,180 Apocrypha. I have checked and doubled-checked his counts with a manual count in 10 of the 66 Books and they all match perfectly. Men are more likely to never read the Bible (73%) than women (62%). Whilst only 45% of men interviewed recalled there was a Bible in the household, 59% of women reported a Bible in their household. Has the Bible been changed? What is the meaning of the number forty or 40 in the Bible? The Bible was initially spoken and then written over about 1300 years, roughly between 1200 and 100 AD. Out of 1189 total chapters 929 (78%) chapters are in Old Testament Books and 260 (22%) chapters in New Testament Books. The shortest verse in the Old Testament is 1 Chronicles 1:25. Bible Society’s attempt to calculate the number printed between 1816 and 1975 produced the figure of 2,458,000,000 – almost 2 and a half billion. A.D. 1782 - Robert Aitken's Bible is the first English language (KJV) Bible printed in America. Books of the Bible: Old Testament: 39 books the full Bible has been translated into 700 languages, the New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,548 languages and Bible portions or stories into 1,138 other languages. There are 8,674 different Hebrew words in the Bible, 5,624 different Greek words, and 12,143 different English words in the King James Version. Recently, computer-aided programmes have now reduced the time involved. Research study samples of population are always at least slightly imperfect, and it is usual practice to weight the raw data so that it conforms to a known population profile – in this case the 2005 Church Census. Whilst only 28% thought the Bible’s stories were historically accurate 34% thought them relevant today. In total 1,013 people were interviewed, with the sample representative of the population as a whole. Universal Truths & Facts About the Bible The Bible Is Our Standard. CHURCH HISTORY King James Bible Quick Facts From the American Bible Society . Two different passages were used, each on half of the sample. Whilst there were expected age differences in preference (only 21% of under 44s prefer to read the King James version privately compared to 33% of 65+s) there were no significant differences between men and women. … Not only are men less likely to report the existence of a Bible in their home, they also report fewer copies. There was also a steep age gradient to the data. The Latin Vulgate was dominant in Western Christianity through the Middle Ages. With many thanks to Bible Society for these facts and figures. Whilst the vast majority read the Bible for spiritual reasons, there are significant minorities that do so other reasons, such as the 5% who use it as a non-faith reference. CBN.com – As the King James Bible celebrates its 400th year here are a few interesting facts about it that might surprise you: . The shortest book in the New Testament is 2 John with 13 verses. Complete List of Apostle Paul’s Prayers In The Bible, The Bible Was Written In Different Times: War, Peace, Poverty, Prosperity, Freedom And Slavery, The Bible Was Written In Different Moods: Heights Of Joy To The Depths Of Despair. Although Christians largely agree on the number of books in the Bible, the exact number varies from one Church tradition to another. 36% thought the Bible helped shape communities and 34% thought we would be a better society if more people engaged with the Bible. These data on emotional experience when reading the Bible may also serve as a proxy for which portions of the Bible are read regularly by leaders and congregations. The Bible is one of the most read books in the world. The first complete Bible with chapter and verse divisions was the Geneva Bible of A.D. 1560. 46% said the Bible needed to be in words they could understand. In July 2010 Christian Research sent professional interviewers to 44 locations throughout England and Wales to ask the population their views on the Bible. Amongst regular churchgoers the figure was 95%, and amongst those who hardly ever or never go it was 36%. There is a clear effect for informal leaders and congregations to report a higher incidence of teaching from the Bible than congregations and leaders with a formal tradition. The Bible contains many different types of documents: poetry, legal documents, songs, letters, eyewitness accounts, people stories, historical documents and advice material. You can read this book in about one minute. It may be that as more and more discoveries are being made to link archaeological facts with Bible stories that this figure of 28% could become significantly higher. This survey asked about people’s direct engagement with the Bible, but there are clearly indirect engagements that are affecting people’s lives and which many are happy to experience. It has 28 chapters. We pray that the eyes of your understanding (mind) may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of Christ's calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints. The Bible Was Written In Harmonious Agreement On A Widely Diverse Range Of Subjects And Doctrines. More Interesting Bible Facts and Statistics. These levels rose the more actively respondents engaged with the Bible, but even amongst the diehard non-believers nearly one in five thought the Bible an influence for good in society. For some, there is also a perception that the Bible is in a language that may be hard to address. The results in this study are likely to be less reliable than other results reported in Religious Trends. What are some facts and stats about the Bible? Total number of Chapters in Bible is 1189. 24%, nearly one in four said they turned to the Bible when they needed it and 21% claimed the Bible was helping to shape their lives. The Good news Bible came out clearly on this score with 46% claiming this was the easiest to understand, only one in five thought the King James was easiest. The Number of Authors is 50. The oldest man ever in the history of mankind was ‘Methuselah’ who lived for 969 years. Bible History Timeline 430 Years in Egypt. “I sometimes pick it up from the shelf when I’ve heard (sic) a quote or text in a newspaper and want to know more.”, “I refer to it for the answers to crosswords and quizzes”. It gives me guidance and inspiration.”, “As part of my faith I read it to understand how to be a good person.”, “I find it comforting, it is God talking to us.”, “”I like reading it sometimes to see what it is all about and to answer some of life’s problems.”. It shows the divine inspiration and a record of the relationship between God and humans. The bible is the inspired word of God. 2003; and last but not least, The Bible In English, Its History And Influence, by David Daniell, Yale University Press, 2003. About 30 books are mentioned in the Bible, but not included in the canon. Regardless of your religious background, you will find that the Bible is unlike any other book. That’s the number of Bibles that are sold each year in … Many copies have been printed, sold or distributed today … Church History James. Who had a Bible in their home, they also report fewer copies for Good in society promote! 100 ) over 40 generations dominant in Western Christianity through the Middle Ages in Church this dropped to %! Reference in a cave by the Dead Sea in 1947 every day 65s... Aramaic and some in Aramaic and some in Aramaic and some in Greek is.! 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