51 Biblical Facts That Will Surprise You.
By Mike DuBose
The Christian Bible is the world’s best-selling and most-widely distributed book (7 billion copies). Since 2020, one million Bibles are being circulated annually, many through the Internet.
The full Bible has been translated into 700 languages—more than any other book. The largest producer of the Bible is China and the Bible is “the most shoplifted and stolen book in the world.” Here are other Biblical facts our research revealed. While our information comes from reliable sources, like history, all aren’t certain.
The centermost verse in the Bible is “It is better to trust in the Lord than put confidence in men.” The word “testament” means contract or covenant. The Old Testament book of Job may have been written before the other books by an unknown Israelite in 1500 BC. While 93 women speak in the Bible, only two books are written by women: Ruth and Esther (who never mentions God). The oldest person mentioned is 969-year-old Methuselah. Two people, who never died, were taken by God directly into Heaven: Enoch and Elijah. The Bible references are used by three main religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The Bible has inspired more songs and lyrics than any other book. The song by the band Byrds singing Turn. Turn. Turn. is one of the most famous music referencing the Bible is worth listening to.
There are 31,173 verses in the Bible and 185 songs. The longest book is Psalms with 150 chapters. The shortest is 3 John with one chapter and the briefest verse is “Jesus wept.” The longest word is Mahershalalhashbaz (who was Isaiah’s son). The world’s largest Bible weighs 1,094 pounds. There are 21 dreams described in the Bible and nearly all by different men named Joseph. While God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are clearly defined, the subject, “Holy Trinity” is never mentioned. Moses authored most of the Old Testament (5 books) and Paul wrote more than 30% of the New Testament. Noah’s Ark only contained one window and, unlike most think, more than two of some animal species were brought into the Ark. Famous phrases that began in the Bible included: “Escape by the skin of one’s teeth,” “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” “A drop in the bucket,” “A scapegoat,” “To everything a season,” and “Jumping Jehoshaphat.”
The Bible was written by authors from three continents in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages. While the Old Testament was written over 1,500 years, the New Testament took less than 75 years. Babylon is modern day Baghdad, Iraq. The Bible mentions “going up to Jerusalem” because it was located on top of a hill. The word “love” is quoted more than 4 times than “hate.” Paul, while a profound disciple of Jesus and major contributor to the New Testament and early church, never met Jesus except through visions.
Christ or Messiah is not a name but a title meaning “The Anointed One.” Jesus had four maternal brothers (James, Joses, Simon, and surprisingly, Judas—not the disciple who betrayed Him); His two sisters aren’t mentioned. While we celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25th the exact date is not known. The shepherds being in the field suggests Spring. Three gifts were given by the wise men to Joseph and Mary in celebration of Jesus’ birth. The actual number of wise men is unknown. There is no description of Jesus in the Bible but we know he was Middle Eastern with darker skin, a beard, and short hair conforming with Jewish law. The Gospels, written by the four disciples who were witnesses, record 31 separate miracles by Jesus, including bringing dead people to life and healing the sick, disabled, and blind. On the third day after His death, He was resurrected and appeared to His disciples and hundreds of other people before ascending to Heaven.
Bottom Line: The Bible contains 365 verses that tell us “To fear not.” (One for every single day of the year). The final word in the Bible is “Amen.”
Mike DuBose has been an instructor for USC’s graduate school since 1985, when he began his family of companies, and is the author of The Art of Building a Great Business. Visit his nonprofit website www.mikedubose.com for a free copy of his book and additional published business, travel, and personal articles, as well as health articles written with Surb Guram, MD.
