INTRODUCTION
A Library in a Single Book
The bible is a collection of books-its name comes from the Greek
ta biblia, meaning "books"-considered by experts to have been written
over the space of several centuries by many different authors.
It was long believed that the Bible offered an objective account of
the history of the Hebrew people. Many Jews and Christians still believe
this to be true. Analyzing the viewpoints of archaeologists and biblical
scholars offers new insight into the historical validity of this account.
The Bible contains writings not only on history, but also theology,
philosophy and even poetry. King David himself is said to have written
some of the most beautiful pages of the Bible: the Psalms, giving men
and women the words to speak to their God.
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![Hebrew Bible. Psalms](/web/20071125182945im_/http://www.civilization.ca/civil/israel/images/dss121as.jpg)
Hebrew Bible. Psalms.
Photo © Canadian Museum of Civilization
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