Many religious books and sacred texts exist in the world today. In fact, there are over 1,000 books covering a wide range of religions that are available to those seeking religious guidance (HACC, 2024). With all these religious books, how do we know which ones we can trust, if we can trust any at all? There is one book I know for certain that can be trusted and contains the absolute truth of Almighty God. This particular book has so much indisputable evidence proving its authenticity that it’s almost impossible to deny the claims made about it. Today we will discuss the facts that prove the Bible’s authenticity.
How Old is the Bible?
Questions regarding the age of the Bible cannot be answered by using a single number because the books within the Bible were written at different times. Bible scholars believe that the first book to be written was either Genesis or Job and was completed around 1400 BC. The last written book of the Bible is most likely Revelation and was completed around 90 AD.
What this means is at its oldest point, the Bible is over 3,400 years old and at its newest point, the Bible is over 1,900 years old. However, there are varying opinions from Bible historians on the actual age of the Bible. What they do know is that when compared to other religious writings, the Bible is one of the oldest writings in human history.
By comparison, the ages of other religious works are:
- Koran or al-Qur’an (holy book of Islam) was written by Muhammad in 650 AD
- Veda (sacred scriptures of Hinduism) was compiled by Vyasa somewhere between 500 – 1000 BC.
- Tao-te-ching (Taoism book of philosophy) was mainly written by Lao-Tse around 250 BC
- Bhagavad Gita (Indian Hindu epic poem) also written by Vyasa between 200 BC – 200 AD.
So, all that being said, religious scholars agree that the Old Testament of the Bible is the oldest of all religious books (AAT, 2024).
Facts About the Bible
Bible facts are very important to review and understand. The reason is because the facts in and of themselves prove that the Bible is the true Word of God. In other words, some of these facts are so mind-blowing that the Bible HAD to be inspired by a Higher Power – humans could never have orchestrated all the pieces to make them fit the way they do.
As we go through these facts, I pray that your eyes will be open to just how awesome the Bible really is and how Almighty God inspired every single word within it.
Basic Bible Facts
First, let’s look at some basic facts about the Bible:
- There are 66 books in the Bible, broken into two sections: The Old Testament and the New Testament
- The Old Testament is comprised of 39 books and the New Testament is made up of 27 books
- Depending on the translation, there are as many as 783,187 (KJV) words in the Bible
- There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible: 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament
- The Bible contains 31,102 verses: 23,145 in the Old Testament and 7,957 in the New Testament
- The Bible has been translated into 3,526 languages in 173 countries.
Old Testament Divisions
The Old Testament is divided into the following sections:
- The Law (also called the Torah or Pentateuch) – the first five books of the Bible
- The History beginning with the creation through the slavery of the Israelites and their liberation
- The Prophets(Major and Minor)
- The Old Testament also includes words of praise, poetry, and wisdom
New Testament Divisions
The New Testament is divided into four sections:
- Four books called the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) – recount the life and ministry of Jesus Christ
- The Acts of the Apostles
- The Epistles
- The Apocalypse
Knowing all of these basic Bible facts will add to your knowledge of the Bible and these are great facts to know. But even more amazing are the following facts that prove the Bible’s authenticity. These facts themselves prove that God Himself was the One who “put it all together.” Once you read these facts, I believe you will conclude that no human being could have planned the writing of the Bible. It is not fiction or a book of fables – it is the powerful Word of God. 
Facts that Prove the Bible’s Authenticity
Now, like I said, this is where it gets interesting. Some people may accredit the following facts about the Bible to be “coincidence,” but anyone who knows the Lord and follows Him knows that there are no “coincidences” where God is concerned. In fact, the Bible states that God “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11) and He “does everything for a purpose” (Proverbs 16:4).
As you read the following facts, consider every “coincidence” that would have to fall into place so perfectly for the compilation of the Bible to be as complete as it is. (All of these facts can be found through an internet search.)
- The Bible was written by over 40 different men of various backgrounds. The backgrounds of these men include kings, prophets, fishermen, doctors, shepherds, farmers, and priests. All of these men wrote independently of one another. There was no collaboration.
- These men wrote on three different continents – Europe, Asia and Africa.
- The Bible was written in three different languages – Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic.
- The Bible was written over a 1,500-year period.
- The message through every book of the Bible is consistent, and this message reveals God to humanity and informs them that they can be saved through faith in Jesus Christ. (click here to learn about salvation)
- There are approximately 1,817 prophecies in the Bible and at least half of them have already been fulfilled as written.
These Are Just Facts, They Don’t Prove Anything
You may be asking the question: how do these facts prove the Bible’s authenticity, they’re just facts? Well, I suggest you ponder these questions:
- How can it be those 40 different men, on three different continents, writing in three different languages, over a 1,500 year period all write the same message without any collaboration?
- How could every book in the Bible point to the same message surrounding God’s plan of redemption for humanity and all point to one person, Jesus Christ?
- How can one book contain 1,817 prophecies and have half of them come to pass exactly as written?
You see, if a Higher Power – in this case the Lord God Almighty – orchestrated and inspired all the writers of the Bible, then there can be no doubt that He exists. The facts alone prove that. The Bible cannot be pushed aside as a fictional book that was written by “coincidence.” Just the fulfilled prophecies alone prove the Bible’s Authenticity.
Also, there are great benefits to reading the Bible everyday. God gave us His Word so that we would not have to guess about right or wrong or live our lives without instruction. God loves us so much that He made sure we had His words written down. AND… the Bible is God’s way of speaking directly to us. (click here to read about the Benefits of Reading the Bible Everyday)
But Wait…there’s Also Tangible Evidence
Yes, the facts mentioned above prove the Bible’s authenticity, but there is also tangible evidence. Over the years, archeology has confirmed that the people, sites, and battles written about in the Bible are real. As it states in Psalm 85:11 “Truth shall spring out of the earth” and that is exactly what has happened over the years. There are numerous relics that have been excavated that point right back to Biblical scripture. (click here to read more about archology proving the Bible’s authenticity)
In addition, several Biblical manuscripts have been found over the years. For example, the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947, validating Biblical writings. The discovery includes fragments of at least 190 Biblical scrolls. Although most of the manuscripts have been fragments, there has been the discovery of a complete scroll of the Book of Isaiah. Archeologists have recovered almost every book of the Old Testament.
If You’ve Never Read the Bible, Start Today
There are so many facts and evidence that proves the Bible’s authenticity. It is hard to believe that there are many people who deny that the Bible contains the very words of God. If you are one of those who have doubts, I pray that you would do some research and start reading the Bible. Believe me, you are missing out on so much by not reading it.
If you do decide to read the Bible, you will find that God is loving and kind and wants everyone to see Him for who He truly is – He is our Creator, He is our Father. In fact, in the Bible, God makes many promises to us. If you’d like to know about these promises, click here.
My prayer is that you will begin your journey of Bible discovery today. I promise, you will not be disappointed.
Blessings,
Amy
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Please feel free to share your insights, experiences or questions in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
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