Bible, History, Archaeology

Bible,
History,
Archaeology

Home > The Bible: Canon, Translations and Archaeology

The Bible

The Bible, from the Greek ta biblia meaning «the books», refers to a corpus of sacred texts known by various names: Holy Scripture, Tanakh in the Jewish tradition, or Old and New Testaments for Christians. Its constitution is the result of a canonization process that has established different canons according to religious tradition.

Over the centuries, the biblical text has undergone numerous translations, from the Greek Septuagint to the Latin Vulgate, then into modern languages including French. At the same time, biblical archaeology, including land and sea discoveries in Israel, sheds light on the historical context of biblical stories and reveals the material remains of ancient civilizations.

This page explores these different dimensions: names, canon formation, translations and archaeological discoveries.

Marine archaeology in Israel >

Underwater excavations along the Israeli coast reveal ancient wrecks and port remains from Caesarea, Atlit and Dor, bearing witness to maritime trade in biblical times.

Nalot scale >

The Nalot scale assesses the degree of literality of French Bible translations to help readers choose the appropriate version for their exegetical or spiritual reading needs.

Archeology and the Bible >

Biblical archaeology studies the material remains of the ancient Near East to shed light on the historical context of the texts, with major discoveries such as the Qumran manuscripts, the Mari archives and the Jericho excavations.

The canon of the Bible >

The biblical canon refers to the list of books recognized as inspired, numbering 66 for Protestants, 73 for Catholics (including the Deuterocanonicals), and more for Orthodox.

The different names of the Bible >

The term "Bible" comes from the Greek ta biblia meaning "the books", and Jewish and Christian traditions use different names such as Tanakh, Old and New Testaments, or Holy Scriptures.

The different versions of the Bible >

The Greek Septuagint of the 3rd century BC and the Latin Vulgate of St. Jerome in the 5th century are the two major translations that have marked the history of biblical transmission.

Versions and editions >

The Greek Septuagint of the 3rd century BC and the Latin Vulgate of St. Jerome in the 5th century are the two major translations that have marked the history of biblical transmission.