Also in the Hebrew Bible are collections of romantic poetry calls psalms. The psalms and also the proverbs round out the collection of Biblical literature that is included within the Jewish canon. All the books of the Hebrew Bible are thousands of years old, and were not authored or compiled all at once. The Bible has many different authors writing at many different periods of time in many different places throughout the Levant.
The Christian Bible comprises a series of books that were also authored by different people at different times. Although the Christian Bible follows the Hebrew Bible and builds upon some of its core tenets, believers in Christ refer to the Hebrew Bible as the Old Testament. This is because a Jew named Jesus Christ developed a body of teachings that diverged significantly from Judaism. Jesus believed that he was the Son of God, and was forging a new Covenant with God that would replace the old Covenant of Moses. However, the Christian Bible still comprises both Old and New Testaments because Christians believe that both are sacred texts.
The New Testament establishes Jesus Christ as a messiah: a word that means "anointed one." Jesus broke from Jewish traditions by denying the political, social, and religious authority of the high priests. Jesus's insubordination also extended to his protests against Roman rule, for which he was executed.
The Books of the Christian Bible include what are known as the Gospels. Gospel means "good news," which is why Christians refer to the Bible as the "good news" of God. The Gospels describe the birth, life, and teachings of Jesus and place Jesus's life within a historical context. Important points in the New Testament include the miraculous birth...
God impregnated Mary, and she gave birth to Jesus. Angels and cosmological events preceded the birth of Christ. As Jesus matured, he preached about corruption in the Jewish state and within the synagogues. The New Testament includes stories of Jesus performing miracles: miracles that include transforming water into wine and feeding an entire wedding with just a few loaves and fishes. Jesus also healed the sick and made a dead man come back to life. The Bible also includes stories that are told by Jesus. These stories are called parables. Jesus teaches his followers in the form of the parable or religious allegory.
Jesus spent forty days and forty nights in the desert being tempted by Satan, which is God's nemesis. The Old and New Testament share some features in common including the acknowledgement of a dualistic universe in which God and Satan equal the forces of Good and Evil. Moreover, both the Old and New Testaments support belief in angels as messengers of God. The Hebrew Bible allows for the manifestation of the messiah, but Jewish people do not believe that Jesus was the messiah whereas Christians do.
The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, has become one of the most divisive books in human history. On the one hand, the Bible has created moral and ethical guidelines for societies throughout the world. Readers of the Bible find spiritual solace and sustenance within its pages. The Bible creates a sense of cultural unity. On the other hand, the Bible has become a tool for political, social, and economic oppression as religious and political authorities have misused and abused power.
