The mysteries of Scripture

This phrase appears more than 70 times in Scripture

The Bible, the Tanakh, the Holy Scriptures, the Word of God: there are many names for this millennial text, but do they all refer to the same thing? Under the name ‘Bible’ —from the Greek biblia, ‘books’— we find different texts, some longer than others, connected to different faiths and traditions. What makes up the Bible? How does it vary from tradition to tradition? What was its original language? Keep on reading to find out the answer to these questions and other interesting facts about this sacred text.

While many people mistakenly refer to the Torah as the "Jewish Bible", it actually includes only the first five books of Moses—what, in Christian tradition, is sometimes called the Pentateuch. The complete collection of sacred Jewish texts is actually called Tanakh, an acronym of the sections included: Torah —the narrations and law written in the books of Moses—, Nevi’im —the Prophets—, and Ketuvim —writings of wisdom and poetic literature.

Are the Jewish Tanakh and the Christian Old Testament the same text? Not quite. Most of the text coincides, but is organized in a different way and translated from different sources. Additionally, books that are not part of the Jewish tradition—for example, Tobit or Judith—are not included in all Christian Bibles.

You might be surprised to learn that not all Christians read the same Bible. While the New Testament is the same, there are differences in what books are included in the Old Testament. Seven books—Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1 & 2 Maccabees, plus some sections in Daniel and Esther— are considered part of the canon by Catholics and Orthodox traditions, but are not accepted by denominations of Protestant tradition.

Why are these books questioned? They were written at a later time than the rest of the Old Testament, around the 3rd century BCE, and were often only accessible through Greek translations. While Catholics and Orthodox have traditionally accepted them, the Protestant denominations do not, on account of their not being accepted as canonical by the Jewish tradition. However, these texts are often read as historical documents, even if they are not considered to be inspired by God.

The Bible was written across many centuries in different places, so the original text is not in a single language. The majority of the Tanakh and the Old Testament was originally written in Biblical Hebrew (which is different, although related, from Modern Hebrew), while some sections were written in Aramaic.

What about the New Testament? While most writers spoke Aramaic, the text is written in Koine Greek, a colloquial version of Greek used as a common tongue at the time. However, the text still includes words and phrases in Hebrew and Aramaic, such as amen, Abba, or hosanna.

As a text composed by many people across many centuries, the Bible was not penned in a single location, but across three different continents and several countries. The majority of the Tanakh/Old Testament was written in the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah, with some parts written during the Israelite exile in Babylon (modern-day Iraq). Additionally, some traditions believe that the books of Moses were written in modern-day Egypt.

What about the New Testament? Though closer in time, its sections were written in places all around the Mediterranean, mainly in ancient Judea, Greece, Macedonia, modern-day Turkey, and Rome.

The Bible is an anthology, written and compiled over several centuries and under different circumstances. As such, it includes a variety of known literary genres, such as historical narratives —for example, Genesis or Acts—, compendiums of law —Leviticus or Deuteronomy—, wisdom literature —Proverbs—, poetry —Psalms or Song of Solomon—, prophetic and apocalyptic texts —Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Revelations—, and letters —Romans or Corinthians.

In addition to all these genres, already established when the sections of the Bible were written, some books include the first recorded examples of a literary genre, such as the Gospels —a unique mix of narrative, biography, and theology—, or the Parables, which, unlike fables, convey complex moral and religious teachings alongside their interpretation.

All Bibles start in the same moment, the beginning of time, but not all Bibles follow the same chronology. The Tanakh narrates the story of the Israelites up until the construction of the Second Temple (6th century BCE), and the New Testament picks the story up around the years 5 to 1 BCE. What happened in the meantime? It depends on who you ask.

In the Protestant traditions, that gap is known as the "Silent Years", on account of the lack of inspired texts and prophets. In the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, the gap is shortened by Maccabees 1 and 2, which narrate the uprising against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd Century BCE. There is, however, another biblical gap in the New Testament, known as the "Lost Years", that goes from the last mention of Jesus as a child —his visit to the Temple at 12 years old— to his baptism in the River Jordan at 30 years old.

If someone were to ask how many commandments are in the Bible, many would quickly respond that there are 10. However, not all traditions would accept this as a correct answer. The Jewish tradition recognizes 613 divine commandments or mitzvot. The first 10, listed twice in the Torah, are a list of fundamental moral and theological principles, while the remaining 603 regulate different aspects of life, such as society, rituals, ethics, or justice.

Do all Christian traditions follow the same commandments? Yes and no. The text of the Old Testament describes the ten commandments, but does not enumerate them, so each tradition has its own way of assigning numbers to each commandment, which can lead to confusion.

The biblical text is traditionally divided into books, which are divided into verses, but these divisions vary between the Tanakh and the Christian Bibles. The Tanakh contains 24 books divided into 3 sections—Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim. The longest book is Tehillim or Psalms, while the shortest is the book of Obadiah.

In the Christian tradition, the longest book is Jeremiah, while the shortest book is John 3, with only 13 verses. The longest verse (in English) is Esther 8:9 with more than 70 words, while the shortest is John 11:35, with just two.

Have you ever wondered why there are many different depictions of Jesus around the world, even when they are most likely historically incorrect? The truth is, we can only guess what he looked like, based on the historical time and the geographical location, but we don’t have any physical description of him.

The four Gospels give us all sorts of information about Jesus, from his genealogy to his life, his family, his teachings, and his mission, but he is never described in terms of appearance. Even when different people talk about him, he is described based on his place of origin, his lineage, or his actions.

If you have ever read any part of the Bible, you might have noticed that many phrases are repeated. This is not a coincidence, but a deliberate literary device, intended to emphasize certain ideas and help to retain their message.

What is the most repeated phrase in the Bible? Both the Tanakh and the Christian Bibles coincide here, with the phrase "Do not fear" —and similar variants such as "Fear not" or "Be not afraid"— repeated more than 70 times in the Tanakh, and more than a hundred times in the Christian Bible.

Names carry a deep meaning in the Bible, often related to historical circumstances, spiritual characteristics, or prophetic messages. In fact, many passages involve the renaming of individuals to reflect a newfound mission or experience, such as God renaming Abram (‘exalted father’) as Abraham (‘father of a multitude’), or Jesus renaming Simon as Peter (in Aramaic, Kepha, "stone") to mean he would be the rock of early Christianity.

Among these names, one stands out due to its length and its ominous message. In the book of Isaiah, God instructs the prophet Isaiah to name his second child Mahershalalhashbaz, a name that means ‘swift are the spoils, speedy is the plunder’, and is interpreted as prophecising the upcoming invasion of Israel by the Assyrian empire. Fun fact: if this name rings a bell for you, it might be due to the actor Mahershala Ali, whose real name is Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore.

Charming artifacts

Do you believe in fortune? The origins of 10 good-luck charms

Image: Dayne Topkin

Ever felt the urge to hold onto a lucky charm? You’re not alone! Across the world, cultures have long relied on objects—from ancient talismans to modern tokens—to attract good fortune and ward off misfortune. Many of these items carry curious histories or age-old beliefs. Let’s explore some of the fascinating stories behind these enduring symbols of luck.

Image: Matt Benson

Horseshoes have symbolized luck for centuries, especially when hung above doorways with the open end facing upward to "catch" good fortune.

Historically, iron was considered a protective metal against evil spirits, and the shape resembled the crescent moon, associated with prosperity. Also, in medieval Europe, blacksmiths were often seen as having magical powers, making horseshoes doubly potent as charms.

Image: Sujay Paul

The very rare four-leaf clover is a well-known Celtic symbol of luck, with each leaf representing faith, hope, love, and luck.

Finding one was considered miraculous, giving rise to legends that only those pure of heart could stumble upon one. Druids were also believed to regard the four-leaf clover as a charm that warded off evil spirits and offered protection.

Image: Timofei Adrian

Carrying a rabbit’s foot is a superstition that originated in both African and European traditions, but this charm became especially popular in North America during the 19th century.

The myth’s origin likely stems from rabbits being associated with fertility and abundance, while the foot—especially from the left hind leg—was believed to carry protective and lucky qualities.

Image: Adam Nir

Finding a penny, especially with the head side facing up, has long been considered a sign of good luck.

This superstition traces back to ancient times when coins were sometimes associated with divination and fortune. The phrase "See a penny, pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck" dates back to 18th-century England, though the original version actually referred to a pin.

Image: Samuel Branch

The Japanese "beckoning cat" is believed to bring prosperity and good fortune to both homes and businesses.

Originating in the Edo period, legends tell of a cat saving a temple or attracting wealth to a shop. Typically, the raised paw signifies welcoming good luck, with golden versions being more linked to financial success.

Image: Caleb Lucas

Acorns have symbolized potential, growth, and prosperity since ancient Norse and Celtic times. The Vikings carried acorns for protection against both lightning and misfortune in general.

Their slow growth into mighty oaks made them enduring symbols of patience and eventual reward, giving acorns a lasting association with good fortune.

Image: engin akyurt

The Nazar is a blue eye-shaped charm from Turkey and the Mediterranean, meant to protect against envy and negative energy.

The belief dates back thousands of years, with fear of evil eye curses appearing across numerous cultures. The charm is said to absorb harmful intent, offering protection to households, travelers, and children.

Image: Nazym Jumadilova

Originating with the Ojibwe people of North America, dreamcatchers are believed to filter bad dreams, letting only good dreams pass.

Hanging a dreamcatcher over a bed or crib was thought to protect sleepers from nightmares. The woven web symbolizes the spider, a guardian figure associated with wisdom and protection in Ojibwe teachings.

Image: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Breaking a wishbone, usually from a turkey, is said to grant a wish to the person who ends up with the larger piece.

The tradition dates back to ancient Rome, where birds were symbols of divine prophecy. The custom spread across Europe and eventually to North America, becoming a holiday superstition associated with luck.

Image: Maria Ionova

In Kabbalah and other traditions, a red string tied around the wrist is believed to ward off evil spirits and misfortune. Its red color symbolizes life force, protection, and spiritual energy.

The practice of wearing a red string or bracelet is not limited to Jewish culture, however. Hindu, Buddhist, and Chinese traditions also use red threads or cords in similar ways, symbolizing luck, love, and protection.