History of the Bible

The word "Bible" is from Latin biblia and Greek biblion. While we today refer to it as "the Bible," since the word may have been a reference to Egyptian paper used for scrolls that was sold in the Phoenician city of Byblios (in modern Lebanon), the early Church referred to it in Latin and Greek as the "Holy Bible" -- Latin biblia sacra and Greek ta biblio to hagia (plural for "the holy books").

The Old Testament is a collection of Hebrew sacred writings. The New Testament is the Christian "canon" (Church law). See entry here on the Catholic Bible for a list of books of the Bible and its parts (as well as the difference between Catholic and Protestant Bibles).

This page will focus on the New Testament and the various editions of the Bible over time. A larger discussion of the "history" of the Bible, i.e. its origins, historicity, and development is beyond the scope of this article.

Bible texts and publication

The most significant development in the history of the Bible is the spread of Egyptian papyrus scrolls, which, as discussed above, gives us the name "Bible," as papyrus paper was sold in the trade port Byblos. Like modern paper, papyrus paper is constructed from flattened, glued (or sorts) cellulose, in this case from the papyrus plant, a tall reed.