Ptolemy II (285-246 BCE) commissioned a copy of the Hebrew Jewish Torah (1st five books) into Greek, known as the Septuagint, abbreviated LXX after the 72 scholars and the 72 days it took them to do the translation. Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible and John 11:35 is the shortest verse. Obadiah and Philemom both have one chapter. Over time the ‘sheets’ were also stacked and bound into what is called a ‘Codex’. They were collected into ‘Scrolls’, or rolled up sheets of writing. The original manuscripts were written on plant-based papyrus or on animal hide or etched in stone. Stephen Langton (1150-1228) is credited with dividing the Bible into ‘Chapters’, and Robert Estienne (1500s) with the ‘Verses’. These had to be added later to make sense of the reading. There was no punctuation or capitalization in the Hebrew language. The Old Testament was written before Christ and the New Testament was written after Christ, covering the life of Christ and the Apostles. The Jewish people divide it into three sections: Torah (the Law), Writings (Nevi’im) and Prophets (Kethuvim). The Old Testament is divided into Five sections: Law or Torah, History, Poetry, Major and Minor Prophets. Despite these differences in occupations and the span of years it took to write it, the Bible is an extremely cohesive and unified book. Shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers and kings all wrote parts of the Bible.

It is divided into Two main sections: the Old and the New Testaments (Covenants). It was written over 1600 years (1450 BC to 100 AD) by forty different writers on three different continents. The word Bible means ‘books’, or ‘Little Library’.

Science speaks peter w. stoner newman