During the Easter weekend, billions of people around the world who subscribe to Christianity commemorated the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, their Saviour. The Christian faith is based on the Bible, which, according to the Guinness World Book of Records, is the highest selling book of all time. Its copies have been translated to thousands of languages. The Bible is divided into two main sections. The Old Testament talks about the beginning of the world and the events before the birth of Christ. According to Christianity Today, a religious website, the Old Testament was written between 1400 and 400 B.C. The New Testament starts with the events surrounding the birth of Christ and concludes with the end of the world. The Bible is a compilation of 66 books which were authored by about 40 people and its authorship spans approximately 1600 years. This is according to All About the Journey, a religious platform. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, the first five booksof the Bible which are referred to as the ‘Torah’ were written by Moses. According to Britannica an encyclopedia, Moses was alive between the 14th and 13th Century Before Common Era (BCE). He is believed to have led the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to Canaan although, according to the Bible, he personally didn’t get there. The book of Joshua was named after its author who was Moses’ successor. It tells of the arrival of Israelites in Canaan and triumph over the natives to take over the land. Judges, Ruth and the two books of Samuel were written by Samuel, a high priest who is believed to have been born in 1064BC. During his time, Israel transitioned into a kingdom with Saul as its first King. Ezra, a scribe wrote the book of Ezra and as well the first and second Chronicles. Jeremiah, an Old Testament Prophet wrote 1st and 2nd Kings, Lamentations, and the book of Jeremiah. Books such as Amos, Daniel and Haggai were named after their respective authors. Some of them were personal encounters while others are said to be prophetic books because they foretold the future. For example, in Isaiah, the birth of Jesus Christ is predicted. Although the book of Psalms is largely attributed to David, the second king of Israel, according to web-based Overview Bible other authors contributed. David’s son and successor Solomon, who the Bible considers as the wisest man to have ever lived wrote wisdom literature inEcclesiastes and Proverbs. He also wrote Song of Solomon. According to the web-based Ancient History Encyclopedia, the first four books of the New Testament Matthew, Mark, Luke and John which are widely believed to have been eye accounts of the disciples were actually written later after Jesus’ death. It was common practice to write using a respected person’s name in order to gain acceptance. Christianity Today estimates that the books were written from around 45AD to 85AD. A prolific writer in The New Testament is Paul. He writes letters to people in different places like Corinth, Rome, Galatia, and Thessalonica. He also writes to early Christians instructing them on living upright lives. The Bible ends with Revelation, a book that is believed to have been written by John who was Jesus’ disciple. It foretells the end of the world.
