The Bible
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The Bible
The Bible is a collection of 66 books that together tell the story of God’s relationship with humankind. The books of the Bible were written over a period of about 1600 years, beginning around 1400 BC. Many of the stories were passed from one generation to the next by word of mouth before being written down. The Christian Bible is divided into two parts: the Old and New Testament. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, the language of the Jews, and the New Testament in Greek. The Old Testament, also called the Hebrew or Jewish Bible, contains the sacred writings of the Jewish religion. The first five books—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy—make up the Torah, a word meaning “teachings” in Hebrew.
Holy Land
The Bible’s 39 books tell the story of the people of ancient Israel. Most of the events in the Bible take place in or around the Holy Land, known at various times as as Canaan, Israel or Palestine, but the lands of the Bible include the Fertile Crescent, an arc of land stretching eastwards from Israel to Mesopotamia and Sumer, the rich farming land that lies between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates in modern Iraq, and, in the other direction, Egypt, the great civilization on the banks of the Nile to the southwest of the Holy Land.
Bible glossary
Abraham Abraham was the founder of the Jewish nation. He was originally called Abram, but his name was changed by God to Abraham. He travelled to Canaan on God’s command. God promised Abraham that his descendants would form a great nation.
Adam The first human created by God, who lived with Eve in the Garden of Eden. They were both expelled for disobeying God.
Ahab The King of Israel, who worshipped the pagan god, Baal.
Ai Ai means "City of Ruin". It was burnt to the ground by Joshua and the Israelites.
Anointing The applying or marking with oil or ointment a person who has been chosen for holy service. In the Bible, priests, prophets and kings were anointed.
Apostles The original group of twelve men chosen by Jesus to learn from him and carry on his teaching after his death. Paul, who converted to Christianity after Jesus was crucified, is also considered to be an apostle. Disciple is another word for apostle.
Archangel An important angel
Ark of the Covenant The box built to contain the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. It was believed to represent the presence of God.
Ascension Jesus’s return to heaven at the end of his life on Earth.
Assyria A powerful empire in northern Mesopotamia. The Assyrians conquered Israel.
Baal The most important of the Canaanite gods.
Babylon A city on the River Euphrates and the centre of an empire that destroyed Jerusalem, and to where the Jews were taken into captivity.
Baptism The ceremony using water to wash away, or cleanse someone, of their sins, and which marks a person’s decision to become a Christian. Water may be sprinkled on someone’s head, or they may be immersed in it.
Barabbas The robber whose release the people of Jerusalem demanded when Pontius Pilate offered them the choice of him or Jesus to be put to death.
Barnabas Barnabas was a missionary from Cyprus. He travelled with Paul, preaching God’s message.
Bethlehem Bethlehem was the birthplace of King David. It was here that Mary gave birth to Jesus, centuries later.
Birthright A father’s blessing to his firstborn son. It gave the son leadership over his brothers, but also the responsibility to care for his family after his father died.
Blessing The gift of holy protection.
Caiaphas High Priest of the Jews at the time when Jesus was captured, tried and handed over to the Romans for execution.
Canaan Canaan is the name of the land promised to the Israelites by God.
Capernaum A town on the west shore of the Sea of Galiee, home to Peter and some of the other disciples, and where Jesus began his teaching after being baptized by John the Baptist.
Christ see Messiah
Crucifixion A means of execution by tying or nailing someone to a wooden cross, used by the Romans for punishment.
Daniel Daniel was exiled to Babylon as a teenager. He was a trusted wise man, with the ability to interpret dreams. He was thrown to the lions, but survived unharmed.
David David was one of the kings of Israel. He defeated the giant, Goliath, when he was just a boy and became a great leader.
Disciple see apostle
Eden, Garden of God created Eden for all people to live in. It was a paradise land from which four rivers flowed out into the world. It is usually identified with Mesopotamia. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden when they disobeyed God.
Elijah Elijah was a prophet who was transported up to heaven in a chariot of fire when he died.
Esther Esther was a beautiful Jewess who saved the Jews in Persia by exposing one of the King’s officials as a traitor.
Exile The period that the inhabitants of Israel spent in Babylon after the kingdoms of Judah and Israel were conquered.
Exodus The journey the Israelites made from Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan.
Ezekiel Ezekiel lived in Babylon during the exile of the Jews. He prophesied their return to Judah.
Gabriel An archangel sent by God to announce the birth of baby Jesus to Mary
Galilee The region where Jesus grew up. The Sea of Galilee is central to many of the Gospel stories.
Gentile A person who was not a Jew.
Gethsemane The Garden on the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem where Jesus was arrested by soldiers of the Jewish authorities.
Golgotha The place outside Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified.
Goliath The mighty Philistine warrior defeated by David.
Gospel The teaching that God has redeemed humankind (forgiven peoples’ sins) through Jesus Christ. "Gospel" is also the name given to each of the first four books of the New Testament—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—which tell the story of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection.
Hebrew Another word for a Jew. Hebrew is also the name of the language of the Israelites. Modern Hebrew is one of the two official languages of the modern state of Israel (the other is Arabic).
Herod The ruler of Judea during the early years of Jesus’s life. He was told about the birth of a new king by the magi (wise men). Fearing that this king would take his throne, he ordered that all male children under two years be killed.
Holy spirit An invisible “life force” and one of the ways God chose to make his presence known to people on Earth.
Isaac Isaac was the son God gave to Abraham and Sarah when they were both very old. His name means “laughter”, because his parents laughed in disbelief when God told them they would have a son.
Isaiah A prophet who foresaw the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon and the coming of the Messiah.
Israel Another name for the Promised Land. It was divided into the twelve Hebrew tribes. When the kingdom of Israel was divided after the death of Solomon, Israel was the name given to the northern kingdom.
Jacob Jacob was the son of Isaac. After tricking his dying father, he fled to Haran. Here he married his cousin, Rachel. His name means “usurper”, because he stole the birthright of his brother Esau. His name later changed to Israel, meaning “he who has fought with the Lord”.
Jeremiah The prophet who foresaw the capture of the Israelites by Babylon.
Jericho The first city to be defeated by Joshua when he led the Israelites into Canaan. Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world.
Jeroboam The man who became king of the northern kingdom of Israel when Israel was divided after the death of Solomon.
Jerusalem The Israelite capital city. Jerusalem means “City of Peace”, but the city has been fought over by Jews, Christians and Muslims for many years. The temple was built to house the Ark of the Covenant during the reign of Solomon.
Jesus The name Jesus, a variation of Joshua, means “saviour”. Christians believe that Jesus was the Son of God, sent by God to save them.
Jews The name given to the Israelites when they were in Exile in Babylon. Originally applied only to those from Judah (Judea), after the Exile it came to mean everyone of the Jewish faith.
John the Baptist John the Baptist was sent by God to announce the coming of Jesus. He was the son of Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, and also a cousin to Jesus.
Jonah Jonah was swallowed by a whale when he disobeyed God’s command. He was only set free when he repented.
Jordan, River The River Jordan flows from Mount Hernon to the Dead Sea. John the Baptist baptized Jesus in this river.
Joseph Joseph was the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus. He worked as a carpenter in Nazareth.
Joseph, son of Jacob Sold by his brothers as a slave, he was taken to Egypt where he eventually became the pharaoh’s vizier (the equivalent of prime minister).
Joseph of Arimathea A follower of Jesus who took Jesus’s body from the cross and buried it.
Joshua After Moses died, Joshua was chosen to lead the Israelites. He led them from the desert into Canaan, which he divided between the twelve tribes.
Judah Named after the tribe that lived in this area, Judah is made up of the Judean Hills south of Jerusalem and the desert bordering the Dead Sea. When kingdom of Israel was divided after the death of Solomon, Judah was the name given to the southern kingdom. Known also by the Roman name, Judea (or Judaea), its capital city is Jerusalem.
Judas Iscariot Judas betrayed Jesus to the Jewish authorities for thirty pieces of silver.
Judges Leaders of the Israelite tribes between the death of Joshua and Samuel.
Lazarus Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha. When he died, Jesus brought him back to life.
Mary A young Jewish woman chosen by God to bear his son, Jesus Christ.
Mary Magdalene A friend and follower of Jesus. She was the first person to see Jesus when he rose from the dead.
Messiah A name meaning “one chosen by God”, also known as “the anointed one” or “saviour”. Christos (Christ) was the Greek translation.
Ministry The work of teaching people about God and how Christians should lead their lives.
Moses The man who led the Jewish people during their Exodus from Egypt. He received the Ten Commandments from God and was the first and greatest prophet.
Nazareth The town in Galilee where Jesus grew up. He is often known as Jesus of Nazareth.
Noah The man favoured by God to build an ark so that his family and the world’s creatures would survive the Great Flood.
St Paul Native of Tarsus in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) Paul was an apostle and a great missionary.
Parable A short, simple story that uses people’s ordinary lives to illustrate a point about Christian teaching.
Passover The annual commemoration of the night when God killed all the firstborn children of Egypt in order to force the Egyptians to allow the Israelites to return to the Promised Land. God “passed over” the houses of the Israelites, identified by their doors having lambs’ blood smeared on them.
Patriarch The male head of a tribe. The four Patriarchs in the Old Testament were Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
Persecution The harassment or ill-treatment of people, especially because of their race or religious beliefs.
Peter Originally known as Simon, Jesus called him Peter, a word meaning the “the rock” in Greek. He was a fisherman who became one of Jesus’s twelve disciples, together with his brother, Andrew. After Christ’s death, he became the founder of the Church of Rome.
Pharisees Learned teachers of the Torah, the Jewish law.
Philistines A group of pagan peoples, sometimes called the "Sea Peoples", who settled on the southwestern shores of Canaan, and gave that region its name: Palestine. They were often at war with the Israelites.
Pontius Pilate The Roman governor in charge of Judea during Jesus’s life. He condemned Jesus to death at the request of the Jews.
Promised Land A region on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean and at the western end of the Fertile Crescent that was promised by Abraham, the ancestor of all Israelites, to be the home of his descendants, a land where they could live in freedom. It was first known as Canaan, later as Israel or Palestine.
Prophet A man or woman called by God to speak to the people on his behalf. They guided the Israelites, warning of any troubles that lay ahead.
Psalms Sacred songs, poems and prayers collected together as one of the books in the Bible’s Old Testament. By tradition, many were written by King David.
Rebekah Wife of Isaac, mother of Jacob and Esau.
Rehoboam Son of Solomon, whose misrule caused ten of the twelve Hebrew tribes to break away and form the northern kingdom of Israel.
Resurrection Being restored to life after death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a central part of Christian faith.
Ritual Words or actions that form part of a religious ceremony.
Sacrifice The offering of living animals or people to God made as an act of worship. A sacrifice involved ritual killing.
Sadducees An elite group of Jews who insisted that the strict laws laid down in the time of Moses be kept. They were rivals of the Pharisees, but both groups came together to convict Jesus.
Samaria A city and region in central Israel. The Samaritans were despised by Jews because they intermarried with non-Jews.
Samson Samson ruled Israel as one of the Judges for twenty years. He was known for his great physical strength.
Samuel Samuel was the last great Judge of Israel, and one of the first prophets.
Saul Chosen by Samuel to be the first King of Israel.
Scriptures Writings that are regarded as the word of God. For Jews, the Scriptures are the books of the Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible. For Christians, the Scriptures also include the New Testament.
Sin A term meaning a rebellion against God, or one of God’s laws.
Sinai A desert peninsula to the southwest of Israel. Moses received the Ten Commandments on a mountain in Sinai.
Solomon Solomon, son of King David, was King of Israel. He built the great Temple in Jerusalem which he dedicated to God and His Ark of the Covenant.
Temple The centre of Jewish worship, built by Solomon to house the Ark of the Covenant. It was the only place where sacrifices could be made.
Ten Commandments Laws given by God. God gave them to Moses on Mount Sinai. Inscribed on two stone tablets, they were the terms of a covenant, or agreement, made between God and the Israelites.
Ur A city in Sumeria, Mesopotamia, where Abraham was born.
Yahweh The Hebrew name for God. Actually YHWH, the written version “Yahweh” is the most common, although no one knows what the original vowels and pronunciation were.
Zacchaeus A rich but dishonest tax collector. He changed his ways when he met Jesus in Jericho.
Zion A hill near Jerusalem that has become another name for the city itself, or even the whole of Israel.
Consultant: Robert Willoughby