The Handy Bible Answer Book: Understanding the World's All-Time Bestseller (The Handy Answer Book Series) - Softcover

Jennifer R. Prince is a youth services librarian at a public library in North Carolina. She holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from UNC at Asheville and a master’s in library and information science from UNC at Greensboro. A long-time book reviewer for local newspapers and professional journals, including a weekly column about books for children and teens in the Asheville Citizen-Times and reviews in the School Library Journal, Ms. Prince has made a lifelong habit of reading and studying the Bible and participating in many in-depth Bible studies. She is excited that her first book is The Handy Bible Answer Book. Ms. Prince lives in Fairview, North Carolina.

What is the Bible?

The Bible is an anthology made up of 66 separate books. The books are grouped into the Old and New Testaments. Within those books there is history, law, prophecy, song, and poetry.

Why are Jews referred to by so many different names in the Bible?

Sometimes the Jews are referred to as Hebrews. Abraham was the first one to be referred to as a Hebrew. Most scholars think the word derives from the name Eber, who was one of Abraham’s ancestors (Genesis 14: 13).The use of the name Hebrews set Abraham and his family apart. Sometimes Jews are referred to as Israelites. This term came in to use when God changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Genesis 32: 28). The use of the name Israelite is the beginning of nationhood for Jacob and his family. When the Jews are referred to as Jews, they are designated as people from Judah.

What makes the Bible holy?

Christians believe that the content in the Bible was written and assembled by men, but that the whole process was led by God.

Who wrote the Bible?

The authorship of the Bible has a long, complex history going back thousands of years. For centuries, stories and songs were spread and passed down to succeeding generations by word of mouth. Authors include kings, prophets, fishermen, farmers, and others.

How old is the Bible?

Scholars continue to debate this. Some suggest that the oldest parts of the Old Testament were written in the 6th century BCE, though some say the oldest parts were written as early as the 14th century BCE.

Like the Old Testament, the New Testament was not written all at once. For generations, Christians used only the Hebrew Bible. It was not until the 2nd century CE that Christians began to set apart writings that were specifically Christian and treat them as equal to the Hebrew Scriptures. Generally speaking