Approximately 3,300 years ago God gave Moses the Tablets with the Ten Commandments. Or so the bible says. The Book of Daniel and other apocalyptic scriptures were written from 3200 to 2100 years ago. According to the Talmud, much of the Tanakh was compiled by 450 BCE, and it has remained unchanged ever since.
Historical books such as the Books of Maccabees that are not in the Tanakh (the Hebrew bible), and yet is the basis of Jewish holiday Hanukkah, concerned significant events that are less than 200 years before the destruction of the 2nd Temple.
The Christian Gospels were written by Jews starting not long after Yeshua's (Jesus's) crucifixion. Obviously these were written in the Common Era. The book of Acts covers the early Church in the 1st Century after Yeshua.
The most amazing quality of the biblical scripture is that for past 3300+ years every generation and every nationality have believed that the bible was addressing them. Jews and Christians alike believe the Bible is speaking to them personally. Regardless of generation, time period, whether one is black or white, male or female, rich or poor, joyful or fearful, any believer can find a deeply personally meaning.
The bible has a stories and characters that speak in profoundly personal ways to everyone who dives deeply into it. Many of the characters in the bible correspond to people who actually lived and effected the very history that relate to the books in the Bible.
As of 2023 the Hebrew Bible has been translated into 736 languages and the Christian Bible, which includes the Hebrew Bible, has been translated into 1,658 languages.
According to Guinness World Records as of 1995, the Bible is the best selling book of all time with an estimated 5 billion copies distributed. For comparison sake, that is 625 times the Quran.
The Bible is perceived to be both fact and fiction, historical and non-historical. It is about the past, present and future. It tells the future from the past and the past in ways that speak to present. It contains prophecies fulfilled and prophecies yet to be fulfilled.
Some percieve the Bible's message to be a blessing while others feel it to be a curse. Some believe the Words in the Bible offer Salvation and lead the way to Heaven, while others believe the bible is powerless.
The bible offers a moral code, a foundation for living, a basis for healing, a path to peace and a promise of resurrection, all on a completely voluntary basis. And yet, many of society's actual laws and customs are rooted in the bible. Incalculable numbers of other stories, books and movies have been created which borrow from the bible.
The bible contains great mysteries. There are astounding patterns and codes. There are names that have relevant deep meaning and collectively compose stories. There is math and science before that particular math and science was even "discovered." There are events on earth that align with things that happened with the sun, moon and stars. Archeological and geological findings substantiate or at least match up with the bible.
There are ancient rituals, ceremonies and prayers drawn from the Bible that are still practiced to this day. There are 10's of millions of people who read the Bible every day. There are weekly portions assigned to set weeks for the entire year that manage to apply to the events in our lives in ways that reliably astonish us.
In literary ways the Bible is the greatest story ever told. It offers great wisdom. It can make us feel safe and secure. It can comfort us and give us reasons to be fearful. It is the story of creation and the purpose of mankind.
Last but not least there is the tiny Land of Israel and the miniscule world population of Jews. Just 0.001875 who have managed to defy all the odds. And one particular Jew who had a lot to say.
It can legitimately be said that the Bible is for times such as these. Whether you are a believer in the Bible or not, I think it is undoubtedly the most amazing book ever produced by God or Man. The bible is too coincidental to be a coincidence.
So many are looking for proof. What more proof do you need? Are you looking for a sign? God hears that a lot. Besides, it has been said, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
