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document.write('<h2>A Little About the Bible</h2><strong><em>Written by Berniece Shuster<br />Edited by Brandon Jubar</em></strong><h3>What Is It?</h');
document.write('3><p>The Bible is a collection of "little books" of every sort and description written over a long period of time (1200');
document.write(' BC or earlier, and late as 150 AD). The Catholic Church recognizes 46 books written before Christ as the Old Testament ');
document.write('and 27 books written about Christ as the New Testament. These books are bound together as one book and were originally w');
document.write('ritten in Hebrew or Aramaic, and some in Greek. The Bible contains all types of literature, some of which are ancient so');
document.write('ngs and poetry; (Psalms); love stories (David and Bathsheba); fiction (Jonah); biography (Jesus); great drama (Revelatio');
document.write('n); numerous proverbs; tragedies; short stories; and the most extraordinary letters ever written (St. Paul).</p><h3>Man');
document.write('y Books, Many Parts</h3><p>The Bible is not meant to be read from cover-to-cover. The books are not necessarily in chro');
document.write('nological order, nor are they necessarily grouped by subject matter. There are, however, several recognized "parts" of t');
document.write('he Old Testament, and they are as follows:</p><p><strong>The Pentateuch</strong> is comprised of the first five books o');
document.write('f the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), and answers the basic questions of life and lays out ');
document.write('the origins of the Jewish people.</p><p><strong>The Historical Books</strong> cover the period of time from when the Is');
document.write('raelites entered the Promised Land until the end of the Maccabean Wars (approximately 1210 BC until around 142 BC).</p>');
document.write('<p><strong>The Wisdom Books</strong> are an inspired look into the very fabric of human nature and a search for the mean');
document.write('ing of life. These books utilize poetry, proverbs, sayings and songs. The Book of Psalms and the Book of Proverbs are in');
document.write('cluded in the Wisdom Books.</p><p><strong>The Prophets</strong> include the likes of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, David a');
document.write('nd many more. Most people, when they hear the word "prophet", think of someone who foretells the future. However, the wo');
document.write('rd "prophet" actually means one who "speaks for God".</p><p>The Bible contains religious truth -- God\'s truth -- but it');
document.write(' is important to understand what the Bible does <strong>not</strong> necessarily contain.  The Bible does not necessaril');
document.write('y contain scientific truth, nor does it necessarily contain historical truth.  The Bible was not written to be a science');
document.write(' textbook or a historical account.  Instead, it teaches truths of religion and faith.  It gives example after example of');
document.write(' right and wrong choices and helps us to choose the correct path when new problems confront us. There are stories about ');
document.write('the wise and the foolish; faithful and treacherous; greedy and generous; pitiful and prosperous; innocent and guilty; sp');
document.write('endthrift and miser; the elderly and the young; bad mannered children and those who were brought up well. All are here.<');
document.write('/p><h3>Divine Inspiration</h3><p>God has played a part in the composition of the Bible. These "books" contain God\'s tr');
document.write('uths in human words. The Bible is much different then a regular book. It requires guidance and interpretation. It should');
document.write(' be read prayerfully. Reading, meditating and studying the Bible expands the mind. We change and the world changes. The ');
document.write('Bible is a World Classic.</p><p>The Bible is the inspired word of God but we must not think of God as the "author" in t');
document.write('he sense that he dictated it word for word. God chose human writers and made use of their powers and abilities. The Bibl');
document.write('e writers played a very important role in how religious truths were conveyed, and they told their stories to make certai');
document.write('n important points that historians would not have mentioned. The Bible is not just history as it happened; it is the sto');
document.write('ry of God in action.</p><p>The Catholic Church teaches that the Bible is without error but with this difference: Inerra');
document.write('ncy extends only to the religious truths of the Bible which are necessary or important for the spiritual journey. The Bi');
document.write('ble expresses ideas rather than clear-cut history. It may not be factual in every detail. The religious truths lay in th');
document.write('e meaning and intent behind the words, rather than in the words themselves.</p><p>The Bible contains two main divisions');
document.write(' for many years called the Old Testament and the New Testament. These designations are now often changed to <strong>Hebr');
document.write('ew Scripture</strong> and <strong>Christian Scripture</strong>. These designations are much more descriptive of this dee');
document.write('ply spiritual book.</p><p>"Scripture" is a faith document of a believing community, first Hebrews (Jews) and later, Chr');
document.write('istians. The word "Scripture" means the Sacred Writings of a People. Thus it is fitting that we consider the Bible and o');
document.write('urselves as Judeo-Christians.</p><hr><p>Copyright 2001-2008 <strong><em>by Berniece Shuster</em></strong></p>');