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Bible-A Historical Analysis

Bible comes from Biblia , a Greek word.

Bible is not written by one person like Quran and BagavathGita.

Bible is not a magic book.

Bible as a book does not have power.

Myths about Bible

B - Book of Books –AnthologyI - Inspired by God - 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.B –Bread of Life – Mathew 4:4 Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.L –Light of the World: Psalm 119-105: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.E-Everlasting: Mark 13:31: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Torah – Pentateuch -Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy- Books of LawTorah was derived from a Hebrew verb meaning "to teach" or "to instruct."The Septuagint ( "LXX") is the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, translated in stages between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC in Alexandria. The word Septuagint  means "seventy" (LXX) in Latin and derives from a tradition that seventy (or seventy-two) Jewish scholars translated the Pentateuch (Torah) from Hebrew into Greek.

The Old Testament has 17 Historical, 5 Poetical, and 17 Prophetic books in it.The 17 Historical Books are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.The 5 Poetical Books are: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon,The 17 Prophetic Books are: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi

The New Testament has 4 Gospels, Acts, 21 Epistles, and Revelation in it.The 4 Gospels are: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,The 21 Epistles are: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.

Oral Tradition

Archeological EvidencesMegiddo

One of the most important archaeological mounds in Israel.Tel Megiddo contains the remains of historic Megiddo, a fortified city that sat strategically on the ancient trunk road from Egypt to Syria and Mesopotamia.Megiddo has served as an important junction and battlefield throughout history. It is mentioned in an Egyptian document over 3,500 years old, was one of the chariot cities of Kings Solomon and Ahab, and was the site where Josiah, King of Judah, fell in battle. In 1918 the British defeated the Turks here and in 1948, during the War of Independence, the Israelis overcame invading Arabs forces at nearby Mishmar Haemek.

In the New Testament book of Revelation, Megiddo is identified as the site of the last great battle of the world, Armeggadon.Excavations have uncovered the ruins of 25 cities dating from 4,000 to 400 B.C.E. Ruined structures, now visible, belong to the fortified "chariot city," built by King Solomon in the 10th century B.C.E.An ancient water system, dating from the 9th century B.C.E., is well preserved and a remarkable piece of engineering.It consists of a large shaft, sunk 120 feet through rock, meeting a tunnel cut more than 200 feet to a spring outside the city. The spring was hidden by a wall and camouflaged by a covering of earth.

Dead Sea Scrolls –QumranThird century B.C.E. to 68 C.E

Dead Sea

An advancing army of Ammonites and Moabites apparently crossed a shallow part of the Dead Sea on their way to attack King Jehoshaphat (2 Chron 20).  Ezekiel has prophesied that one day the Dead Sea will be fresh water and fishermen will spread their nets along the shore.It was a place of refuge for King David. It was one of the world’s first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from balms for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizer.People also use the salt and the minerals from the Dead Sea to create cosmetics and herbal sachets.

City of Caesarea

Caesarea became an important center of early Christianity.Located on the shore between Hadera and Atlit, this ancient port city was established in the third century B.C.E. King Herod constructed a magnificent, well-planned city on the site. He named it Caesarea in honor of his Roman patron, Augustus Caesar. In the year 66 C.E., it was in Caesarea, the capital of the country during the Roman period, that the Jews of city raised the standard of revolt against Rome.

Jerusalem –City of David

ERUSALEM -- Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a 2,000-year-old clay wine jug inscribed with the name of King Herod, along with some of the first evidence of daily life at the Masada fortress during Herod's time.The Latin inscription says either "Herod, King of Judea" or "Herod, King of the Jews," said archaeologist Ehud Netzer of Hebrew University.Netzer said it was the first time the full title of Herod, king of Judea from 37 B.C. until his death in 4 B.C., had been found in an inscription.

Jordan River

The Jordan River was the setting for many of the great events in the Bible. This river falls nearly 2,500 feet from its start near Mount Hermon. The name Jordan means "descender". The geography between Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea constitutes the Ghawr Valley. Dead Sea is the outlet of Jordan River.Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist here.

Masada

Masada, a citadel built by King Herod atop an isolated cliff on the edge of the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea Valley.This was the last outpost of the zealots during the Jewish revolt against Rome that began in A.D. 66. After Roman battering rams breached the fortress' gates, hundreds of Jews committed suicide rather than fall prisoner.

Bible Facts

over a 1500 year span (from 1400 B.C to A.D. 100)over 40 generationsover 40 authors from many walks of life (i.e. - kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars)in different places (i.e. - wilderness, dungeon, palaces)at different times (i.e. - war, peace)in different moods (i.e. - heights of joy, depths of despair)on three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe)in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek)

The Bible has been translated, in whole or in part, into more than 1,100 languages and dialects.About 30,000,000 copies of the complete text of the Bible, or of its principle parts, are distributed annually.The first book printed with movable metal type was the Gutenberg Bible, printed by Johannes Gutenberg, before August 15, 1456, in Mainz, Germany.The first printed Bible divided into verses was a Latin edition by Pagninus, printed in 1528.The first complete English version of the Bible divided into verses was the Geneva Bible, printed in 1560.

Our Next Bible studyDate: November 14th, 2009 at 5.00 PM

Topic: God’s Creation- A mystery of Intelligent design.

Thanks for coming God bless you all.