What Is the Bible?
A library of 66 books, written over 1,500 years, telling one big story.
A library, not just one book
The Bible isn't a single book written by one person, it's more like a small library bound together as one. It has 66 books in all, written by roughly 40 different authors, over about 1,500 years. Kings, shepherds, prophets, fishermen, and doctors all had a hand in it.
Old Testament and New Testament
The Bible has two main parts. The Old Testament (39 books) tells the story of God and His people before Jesus was born. The New Testament (27 books) tells the story of Jesus and the beginning of the church. Want the full tour? See our Old Testament and New Testament overview pages.
Books, chapters, and verses
Every book in the Bible is broken into chapters, and every chapter is broken into verses, like paragraphs and sentences. That system lets anyone find and talk about the exact same tiny piece of the Bible, no matter what language or edition they're reading.
Quick quiz: What Is the Bible?
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