Interesting Facts About The Bible

Here are a few interesting facts about the Bible: 

• The Bible was written by approximately 50 men, only one of whom (Luke) was a Gentile. They came from three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe.

• These authors came from all walks of life: shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers and kings.

• The Bible was written in many different places: wilderness, dungeon, palaces,  from war zones, etc. There are 1,551 geographical sites mentioned as scenes of the action.

• The Bible was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek.

• Despite these differences in occupation, language and the span of years it took to write it, the Bible is an extremely cohesive and unified book.

• The Bible has been recorded with at least 10 different media from papyrus, rocks, pen to chisel, leather to clay.

• There is a cast of 2,930 different characters.

• The Bible has every conceivable subject included in every literary form (poetry, prose, romance, mystery, biography, science, history, etc).

• There is about 1500 years between the first author, Moses, to the last author John

• The Bible includes hundreds of controversial topics, which would create opposing viewpoints when mentioned or discussed, and yet it has perfect continuity.

Unusual Facts

In the Bible, there are 1260 promises; 6468 commands; over 8000 predictions; 3294 questions

Two Bible chapters are identical -- 2 Kings 19 and Isaiah 37

The Thumb Bible, 1670, was one-inch square and half an inch thick.  It could be read only with a magnifying glass. 

The Bible, the world's best-selling book, is also the world's most shoplifted book.

Ezra 7:21 uses every letter of the alphabet except one (j):

 And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the region beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, let it be done diligently.

Originally, “i” and “j” were treated as the same letter in the English language, so in early editions of the King James Bible this verse did contain every letter of the English alphabet.

Ezra the scribe was the first to preach from a pulpit.

The word "grandmother" appears in the Bible only once: 2 Timothy 1:5.

Longest name in the Bible: Mahershalalhashbaz (Isaiah 8:1)

Seven suicides are recorded in the Bible.

In Old Testament times the Mediterranean Sea was called the Great Sea.

There are 7 different Jeremiahs in the Bible: 1 Chronicles 5:24; 12:4, 10, 13; 2 Kings 23:30; Jeremiah 1:1; 35:3.

The raven is the first bird mention in the Bible. It appears in Genesis 8:7, when it is sent out from the ark by Noah to see if the flood waters have abated. The second bird was a dove, in verse 8.

Almonds and pistachios are the only nuts mentioned in the Bible.

A chariot imported from Egypt cost around 600 shekels of silver (1 Kings 10:29). That would be about $77,000 today. One shekel was 4 days wages.

The word "trinity" is not mentioned in the Bible.

The word "Christian" appears only three times in the Bible: Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16.

Methuselah is the oldest man on record: 969 years old (Genesis 5:27).

The last word in the Bible is AMEN.

The finest piece of reading is said to be Acts 26.

The name of God is not once mentioned in Esther, although it contains much holiness, knowledge, love, and wisdom.