Why Is the Bible Called the Bible?

“Why is the Bible called the Bible?” —Renae

Ta Biblia means “the scrolls” or “the books.”

Thanks for your question, Renae! Maybe you asked because you know the word Bible never actually appears in Scripture. So why do we call it that? When Greek-speaking Jews talked about the Scriptures, they used a Greek expression—Ta Biblia. Sounds a lot like “Bible,” huh? Ta Biblia means “the scrolls” or “the books.”

The word Bible was first used by Christians around AD 223 to refer to the Old Testament. Soon, both the Old and New Testaments were brought together into a single volume—the Bible.

Fun Bible Facts:

• The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. More than 5 billion copies have been sold!
• The biggest Bible in the world weighs 1,094 pounds.
• God’s Word was penned down by about 40 different authors.
• The Scriptures were written over a period of nearly 2,000 years.

If you want to learn more about the history of the Bible, ask your parents to help you check out an article called “Hunting Down the History of God’s Word” in the July–September issue of Kids Answers. You can read it online here.

Do you have a question about God’s Word or his world that you want us to answer? Is there a topic you want to learn more about? Ask your parents to help you ask your question today. We’d love to hear from you!

For More Fun

• Books of the Bible Coloring Sheets
• Books of the Bible Flash Cards
• Now We Know the Old Testament