The Holy Week is an important celebration followed by millions if not billions worldwide. From countries like El Salvador in Central America to the Philippines in South East Asia as the date approaches persons of all ages talk about it. The Holy Weeks is actually composed of eight days of Lent or “Cuaresma” as it is called in Spanish speaking countries where the Holy Week falls in the months of March and April. Holy Week is by far the most sacred days of the year for most people in these regions. These times instill a feeling of piety and religious fervor that is truly amazing.

I have seen images of passion in Spanish demonstration of the Passion of the Holy Week or “La Pasion de la Semana Santa” which would seem alien in an otherwise rather secular country. On the other hand Holy Week also becomes a time of recreation and which very often leads to violence and loose conduct.

It is ironic that during this most “Holy” of weeks morals run loose and lawlessness and disorder are rampant. Levels of violence increase regularly in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala during this week.
During the Holy Week the religious custom is to abstain from meat and many observe this tradition. During this time the ritual is to turn to sun-dried fish as opposed to meat.

Another custom is to save all year in order to be able to buy expensive garbs and robes made of purple and black priest-like clothes.
The “Good Friday” ceremony begins in one town of El Salvador with the removing of the image of Jesus from a cross in the church. The body of the image is anointed with expensive perfume and placed in a glass casket and paraded throughout the town with thousands following it closely.

The procession spends the whole day touring the city carried from block to block by volunteers that pay large sums of money for the privilege.
In other countries like the Philippines the images is substituted by a live human being, a young man literally nailed to a cross.

These are only a couple examples of the numerous traditions associated to this period of time. In other lands rabbits, eggs add to the colorful seasonal celebrations.
An interesting question from a biblical standpoint is: Is the Holy Week a proper religious observance for Christians? Is it based on the Bible?

What does the Bible say about the Holy Week festival?
Firstly, apart from the historical or biblical reasoning the immoral and violent connotations linked to this Holy Week does bring a question mark to how Holy the Week really is and if it is following Bible principle. If one measures it by the fruits of the people that celebrate it is found rather lacking.

Interestingly the customs associated with this week are mostly not based on Bible record. The abstaining of meat and other foods is particularly condemned in the Bible: “There will be some who abandon the faith, . . . They will be deceived by the pretensions of impostors . . . Such teachers bid them abstain from . . . certain kinds of food, although God has made these for the grateful enjoyment of those whom faith has enabled to recognize the truth.”—1 Tim. 4:1-3, translated by “Monsignor” R. A. Knox.

What about the procession of idols and the worshipping of them? Does this not go directly against the Bible’s command of abstaining from worshipping idols as stated in Exodus 20:4,5 and 1 John 5:21.

In John 4:24 we are admonished to worship in Spirit and Truth, could we say we are doing so by following unscriptural traditions.
Although it is obvious that many of those that celebrate the Holy Week do so for the right reasons and good motivation we must ask ourselves if we want to practice a tradition that is so far from the Truth the Bible explains to us.

The city of Jerusalem carries so much history it would need a full library to disclose all the history associated with this ancient city. The name itself carries strong connotations for even the most ignorant of oriental and Bible history.

The name of Jerusalem is a good place to start on our brief journey. The Hebrew form Jerusalem or Yerushalayim as it is found in current Israeli maps, means Possession or foundation of Twofold Peace. There are other translations based on the Akkadian rendition of the city’s name that provides the meaning City of Peace. Logically though the Hebrew rendition must take precedence and we will keep the Hebrew meaning.

Early History of Jerusalem.
The first historical mention of the city of Jerusalem is found between the years 1943 and 1933 B.C.E when Abraham’s meets Melchizedek, who is called “king of Salem”. Who composed the city of Salem and the origins of Salem are as obscure as the origin of the king-priest that ruled it, Melchizedek.

Interestingly the location where Abraham offered his son Isaac on “one of the mountains” in the land of Moriah seems to have been located within the mountainous region around Jerusalem. We don’t know if Melchizedek was still alive, but it is very likely that Salem remained friendly territory for Abraham.

Another historical mention of Jerusalem is found in the Amarna Tablets, a series of letters from Canaanite rulers to their Egyptian overlord. These tablets include 7 letters from the king of Urusalim (Jerusalem). By this time the city was the possession of pagan Hamitic Canaanites, under the power of the Hamitic Egyptian Empire.

Interestingly the king of Jerusalem was among the confederate kings that attacked Gibeon, his name was Adoni-zedez meaning My Lord is righteousness with is similar to the meaning of Melichizedec, which means King of Righteousness.
After the conquest of the Promised Land the city of Jerusalem was on the boundary between Judah and Benjamin. Judah is credited with conquering it in Judges 1:8 but then seems to have lost it as the invading force continued as it is said that the Jebusites continued dwelling with them in Jerusalem.

This situation continued until David conquered Jerusalem when an attack spearheaded by Joab which gained entry through a water tunnel or gutter. After this David moves his capital here and the city began to be known as the city of David and also as Zion.
After this David began an ambitious building program of the city. There is no record of the city falling in battle during the entire rule of David. He did choose to retreat from it when his son Absalom rebelled against him and began a civil war.
Towards the end of David’s rule he prepared the city for the construction of the Temple. A task that would be left to his son Salomon.

Once the kingdom of Israel was divided the city of Jerusalem became the capital of the Two tribe nation of Judah under King Rehoboam. Throughout the remainder of Jerusalem’s history a pattern of blessings for the city when true worship was practiced and of apostasy and grave problems when the city turned away from true worship.

King Uzziah made significant additions to the city, especially in the form of defenses and fortifications. This did not stop Babylonian forces from conquering the city from King Zedekiah in 607 B.C.E

This sets a natural pause n the history of this magnificent city. We encourage you to continue an analysis of this city as part of your personal study of the Bible.

But why do we call these two sections “Old and New Testaments”?

The origin of this practice comes from the rendering of 2 Corinthians 3:14 in the Latin Vulgate and the King James Version.
2Co 3:14  But  their  minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

However the rendering of “Old Testament” is unfortunately incorrect. The Greek work diathekes actually means “covenant as it does in the 32 other places it appears in the Greek text. Many modern Bibles render this word correctly as “covenant” (NE, RS, JB)
The apostle Paul here is not referring to the whole body of Hebrew and Aramaic Scriptures. Just as he doesn’t refer to the Inspired Christian writings as a “New Testament” (or covenant). The apostle Paul is rather talking about the old Law covenant,  which was recorded by Moses in the first five books of the Bible, a small section of the Hebrew Scriptures. For this reason Paul says in the next verse: “whenever Moses is read”. This shows that it is not really a valid statement to call the entire Hebrew and Aramaic scriptures “The Old Testament” based exclusively on an erroneous rendition of the Greek word for covenant.
This apparently minor mistake, what could appear a mere case of semantics does have real importance when it causes people to believe that the Hebrew Scriptures are not as important or relevant and are therefore called “Old”. Jesus Christ made rather the opposite point when he referred to the collection of sacred writings as the “The Scriptures in Matthew 21:42 and Mark 14:49. The apostle Paul then went on to refer to them as the “Holy Scriptures”, the “Scriptures” and the “holy writings”. Hardly the description of a portion of the Bible that is out of date or no longer as relevant for us today.

The truth is that the entire Bible is important for those who want to learn and understand the Bible. Just as 2 Tim 3:16 “All Scripture (referring to the entire Bible) is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, reproving (…)”.

Hence there is no valid reason or basis to refer to the Bible in terms of “Old” or “New” as both the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures are of immense value and importance to us. Let us instead appreciate the Bible in its entirety and do our utmost to read it daily.

What do we mean by the authenticity of the Bible? Put succinctly it means that the claim the Bible itself makes that it was inspired by God, is true. It means you believe that although men wrote the Bible they were simply conveying the ideas of our Creator.
In a world so cynical and so tired of lies and false claims, believing that the Bible is inspired by a superior being that cares about us and wants us to have a close relationship with him is often seen as sweet but naïve, if not reserved for fanatics, the clinically insane or otherwise brain dead.

The authenticity or veracity of the Bible has been tested and questioned from all quarters, from the inside or outside. I argue that none has weakened its position in the least as an inspired work from Jehovah.
This article will visit a few of the attacks that have been made on the Bible and present reasons why these attacks lack substance.

Bible History.

Isaac Newton is quoted as saying: “I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever.” The Bibles integrity to truth in all counts is unique when studying the histories of nations, full of inaccuracies, exaggerations and pure lies. The Bible describes accurately people and actions occurred at many different times in history. It is accurate when it describes Nebuchadnezzar and the conquest of Babylon, the Egyptian King Shishak, the Roman emperors Augustus, Tiberius and Claudius.

Races and languages.

The Bible’s description of the common origin of mankind and languages cannot be disputed. As the famous linguist Sir Henry Rawlinson wrote: “If we were to be guided by the mere intersection of linguistic paths, and independently of all reference to the Scriptural record, we should still be led to fix on the plains of Shinar, as the focus from which the various lines had radiated.”

Practicality.

Many state the Bible is a dead book with little if any use. However the doctrines and teachings found in the Bible are most practical for modern man. The Bible lays down principles of what is right and wrong that serve as a model  for healthy, productive, moral and business dealings worldwide, regardless of the society or culture.

Scientific accuracy.

The Bible has often been attacked from this flank.  However whether describing the progressive order of the creation of the Earth, or how the Earth is hanging upon nothing or it’s spherical nature the Bible still holds true, even after many ancient theories of the world have been debunked(Job 26:7; Isa. 40:22)

Candor.

One of the strongest proofs of the Bible’s authenticity is how it displays candor that is not seen elsewhere. Bible writers talk about their mistakes and sins as easily as they speak about their victories and defeats. This is markedly against most ancient historians and autobiographers of all times that highlight their good points and gloss over their mistakes and failures.

Studying, like the Bible is a two edged sword. Studying can be boring and monotonous or it can be exciting and productive. It can just be a waste of time or it can help you get a job or improve your quality of life. Just reading the Bible can be just hard work. You might have tried to start reading the Bible just for the sake of completing the whole Bible. I have seen programs that help you read the entire Bible in just 90 days. Although these programs are great and if you can concentrate and meditate on so much material in such a short period of time they can be very beneficial, it is much better to take small bites and digest them.

So how can you take bite size pieces of the Bible and still make it meaningful? One way is to study the Bible by subjects. Let’s take one example so you can see the benefits of studying the Bible by topic.

One of the big questions of the history of humanity is: If there is a God that loves us, why does he allow suffering? This timeless question has baffled theologians and thinkers since the beginning. To get a nice overview of the subject you could read the book of Job which deals with the issue in detail. Job suffers terribly without known reason and asks God why he can’t just put him to death. A feeling many today can understand. After this three false friends of Job go on to say all the explanations people and religions have expressed throughout history: it is God’s will, you suffer as a punishment of your sins and many other false teachings.

The answer of why God allows us to suffer is an interesting study that will take us all over the Bible.

1) A nice place to start is by reading James chapter 1, especially verse 13 that teaches us that Jehovah God does not tempt us or place problems and tribulations in our way.

2) Then we can read 2 Corinthians chapter 4, specifically verse 4 and also 1 John 5:19 that tells us who the ruler of the world really is. And therefore, who is truly responsible for the troubles of mankind.

3) Now we know the main culprit of humankind’s pitiful state we can find out other culprits. Ecclesiastes 8:9 helps us to see that mankind’s attempts to govern others are also at the heart of the problem.

4) Ecclesiastes 9:11 rounds up the issue by explaining that time and unforeseen occurrence befall us all and that sometimes it really isn’t anybody’s fault, just the consequence of living in a world that is not controlled by God.\

5) Finally we could look up Revelation 21:1-4 to see what promises God has made for the future when the terrible suffering of this world, the things of the past, will be forgotten and the earth will become a wonderful paradise full of happy and perfect humankind.

Did you notice how this brief study of the topic of suffering has taken us all over the Bible, from Job to 1 John, from the letters of Paul to the writings of Solomon. The Bible combines harmoniously to provide answers to our deepest questions.

Reading and studying the Bible should be fun. If it is not, you are doing something wrong. But don’t worry we have all fallen into the trap of not enjoying our Bible reading. It happens to all kinds of athletes that love their sport but because of pressure and other issues forget why they enjoyed playing in the first place. But the love of reading the Bible can be developed and can be recovered.

The Bible makes fascinating reading. As a literary work alone it plays a major role in the literature and language of many languages.

By reading the Bible you and I can get to know about our creator Jehovah. We can also learn a great deal of practical wisdom. The quality of putting into practice useful knowledge. As a Bible proverb says: “Wisdom is the prime thing. Acquire wisdom; and with all that you acquire, acquire understanding.” This proverb gives us a hint of how to enjoy our Bible reading and study. We must see practical results from doing so. We must understand the benefits of what we are reading for us to really enjoy it. How can we benefit from our Bible reading?

1) Get yourself a good schedule. This does not mean you need to read much. Great Bible students just read a chapter or two a day. The key is to understand what you read. Find a time of the day you are alert and in the right frame of mind to read. Don’t just read for reading sake. Take time to understand every word and make sure you savor every thought. You are sharing in your Creator’s thoughts, it is not something to be rushed.

2) Choose where to start and make a goal for yourself. Starting from the beginning, Genesis, is always a good idea. Some find it easier to start with well known passages like the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Poetic books like Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are also favorites and might just be what kick starts your enjoyment of Bible reading.

Whatever route you choose, make sure you read the whole Bible. Some have the mistaken view that they only need to read the New Testament. The Bible clearly says of itself in 2 Timothy 3:16: “all Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial”. Both the Hebrew and Greek scriptures are important and you will enjoy them both greatly.

3) Study it by topic. Reading the Bible from cover to cover is a great goal, we should all fulfill. However the best way to study the Bible is by topic. This way we can get real understanding of important subjects. For example in just a few days, by reading a few chapters a day we could learn the key points of such subjects as:
The origin of life and man’s fall into sin.  Genesis
The founding of ancient Israel.  Exodus to Deuteronomy
Action-packed accounts of the days of the judges in Israel. Joshua to Esther
Moving poetry and song.  Job, Psalms, Song of Solomon
Wisdom for living.  Proverbs, Ecclesiastes.

Why not start with one topic today!

If you have the slightest interest in the Bible you will have noticed the vast number of Bible translations one can choose from. What are the differences from one Bible translation to another and why are there so many of them? This brief article will attempt to whet your appetite to further study in the fascinating world of Bible reading and translation.

The Bible was written in three languages, Hebrew, Greek (Koine) and some portions in Aramaic. None of these languages are widely spoken today and are pretty much reduced to a few academics that actually voice out the words, often not being quite sure how it is pronounced. So it is thank to translations that we can enjoy today this wonderful masterpiece, the Bible. In fact today nobody has any excuse not to have read at least a portion of the Bible as it has been painstakingly translated into over 2,400 languages and there are many languages that have dozens of different translations in one language.

What differences are there from one translation to another?

Bible translations are often divided in three main groups with a wide variety of hybrid versions in between. At one end of the spectrum of translations we have interlinear translations that contain the original language and render the target language on a word to word basis. These translations are very accurate in their rendition of words but sacrifice in readability and flow of thought when the grammar structure varies significantly to English or the language the Bible is being translated in.

On the other side of the spectrum are Paraphrase translations of the Bible. These translations, also called free translations, provide a looser translation where less importance is placed on word choice and translation and more in expressing the message the translator feels God wants to convey.

The middle ground of Bible translations is a hybrid of interlinear and paraphrase Bibles that strives to keep grammatical and semantic integrity while making the text interesting and easy to read.

Which is the best Bible for you much depends on the kind of student you are and what you want to get out of the Bible reading. We can however warn on the use of Free or paraphrased Bibles, sometimes the liberties taken by translators to express what they feel the message is are excessive and depend too much on the beliefs of the translator.

I personally recommend a wide variety of Bibles depending on the purpose of the reading which will provide depth and interest to your personal Bible study.

Reading the Bible is opening the door to the history of God’s people from the beginning of mankind to the first century and through prophecy down to our very day and in to the future. Whether you believe the Bible is God’s way of communicating with us or simply a literary work one cannot ignore it as a foundation of culture and moral principles for a large percentage of the world and worthy of study. I feel that if you really read and study the Bible with an open mind you cannot fail to see the signs that set it as a unique letter that could only have originated from a superior being that has our best interest at heart.

The bible was handwritten by forty men over sixteen centuries however the actual content was directed by God himself. It is for this reason that reading the Bible is not simply an intellectual exercise but a way to connect with the Almighty and learn about the purpose of life. You are probably skeptic about these claims and I can’t blame you. In a world with so much hypocrisy and false claims, to say that one can have direct communication with our Creator’s mind can seem naive at the very least.

However it is easy to find out if this claim is true or not. Set aside a ten minutes a day and start reading a chapter or two a day. Don’t only read the Bible, study it. Find people who share your love or interest for the Bible and ask them for help in studying the Bible.

A good way of reading the Bible is to read it in the order it was written. This provides a more organized understanding of the events the Bible describes in their proper context. There are small differences of opinion of the exact chronological order of the Bible books but these are minimal and will not detract at all from your enjoyment. If you are interested in doing so click here for a free chart of the Bible books in chronological order.

When you read the Bible in chronological order you will see the significance of certain Bible accounts more clearly. You notice the significance that Melchizedec were king and priest much before the nation Israel existed or the tribe of Levi was set as Priest class for the nation of Israel and how this reflects on Paul comparison of the king / priest and Jesus Christ. You might notice that Shem and Abraham probably knew each other providing a direct link between Noah and God’s friend Abraham. You will be amazed at the constant examples of forgiveness Jehovah displayed every time the rebellious nation of Israel ignored Jehovah’s commandments and turned to other Gods.

The truth is that reading the Bible with meaning and understanding will change your life and provide you the meaning and spiritual fortitude to be happy despite any hardship you might currently be enduring.

Reading the Bible is for many of a chore we do because we know it is good for us, what we should do. Much like when people eat their spinach, iron tablets or go for a morning jog, not for the sheer job of it, but because they understand the benefits that come with doing it. This in itself is not a bad thing. There are many good things we don’t necessarily enjoy but from with we obtain benefits that certainly outweigh the pains and inconvenience of doing something you don’t find especially fun.

With many activities there is not much you can do but bite the bullet and get done what has to done. For instance no matter how hard we try most of us won’t ever find hidden sources of joy in cleaning toilets, but alas, we can’t stop cleaning them just because of that. The Bible is different though. You can enjoy reading the Bible and reap the benefits of doing so. It can’t be like eating vitamins flavored like candy, fun and healthy.

This is not likely to happen if you simply start ranting out words from a random portion of the Bible. If you are an avid student of the Bible you can get joy out of all sections of the Bible, whether it is a list of kings, laws or the life of Jesus. However most of us aren’t natural students and need a more subtle approach in order to enjoy reading the Bible.

1) To start with, make it easy on yourself. Find a passage you enjoy or think you will enjoy. I personally started my Bible reading routine with Acts. It is an action packed book that gives great insight in the early century Christians before the apostasy that followed the death of the apostles.

2) Take it easy, enjoy your reading. You cannot enjoy your Bible reading if it is simply a process of turning pages to earn bragging rights or simply for the sense of purpose of reading the entire Bible. Savour it like you would savor a 184 year old bottle of Champagne. This occurred last month when an elite group of wine tasters uncorked a 184 year old bottle of Perrier-Jouet that was bottled just 10 years after the battle at Waterloo. Those in attendance talk about a reverential silence, and you can bet your last dollar nobody just wolfed the whole glass down, they tasted, savored it, enjoyed it. The Bible is better than a 184 year old type of Wine, it is better than a 3,500 year old wine, it deserves our time and appreciation.

3) Don’t only read it, study it. When you read, ask yourself what it means to you individually, what you can learn from it. Check any words you don’t understand, read it with an understanding of the historical and social context of the time in mind. Check references, Bible Studies and commentaries. Become a Bible student that enjoys not endures what he / she studies.

There are few books that can claim to be as old as the Bible. Among those that  can are:

- The I Ching from the 13th century BCE

- The Papyrus Ebers is the oldest medical text in history, dated around the middle of the 16th century BC

- The Epic of Gilgamesh has been dated between 2100 and 2000 BCE

- Dated even further back are the precepts of Ptah-hotep, which some claim to have been written  between 2300 and 2150 BCE.

The starting date of the Bible is an issue of hot debate. Probably the oldest (and correct one in my opinion) starting date for Genesis is the 16th century BCE.  However the interesting thing about the Bible is not only its ancient origins but the fact that billions of people read it and respect today.

Nevertheless  the real question might be if the Bible is still a useful book today, 3,500 years after it began to be written. Many would say no. You wouldn’t trust a chemistry textbook from 1920 as your basis to conduct an experiment today, would you? Or more to the point you wouldn’t roll out the Ebers Papyrus to read how to treat an open wound. Interestingly if you were to, you would be advised to make an interesting ointment with a base of human excrement. Apparently Egyptians thought it did wonders in the treatment of open wounds. Following this line of reasoning you might conclude that it would be just as illogical to use the writings of the Bible to plan out your life, decide on moral principles and base your hope for the future.

Although the Bible is old, it is by no means old fashioned. Although the world has changed since the first words in it were penned, people haven’t really changed. They have pretty much the same worries, problems and moral dilemmas.

In fact the Bible provides timeless principles that can help us in all walks of life. This article will mention only a few to give a taste of the wide spectrum of themes the Bible covers.

Marriage: “Husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself, for no man ever hated his own flesh; but he feeds and cherishes it”. Ephesians 5:28, 29. Simple advice like this would solve abuse within marriages the world around, if only it was followed.

Racism: Although the Bible has been misused as a basis for racism, the truth is that it condemns it. The Bible talks about only one race, the human race and encourages us to imitate God who: “is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.” Acts 10:34,35.

Mental Health: Current scientific studies have established a link between a person’s physical health and traits like anger. Dr Redford Williams in his book Anger Kills explains: “Most of the available evidence suggests that hostile people are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease (as well as other illnesses) for a variety of reasons, including reduced social support, increased biologic reactivity [...]”

Thousands of years before such studies the Bible set in simple terms:  “A calm heart is the life of the fleshly organism, but jealousy is rottenness to the bones.” (Proverbs 14:30; 17:22)

These are just a few of many examples that prove the Bible, maybe not as the oldest book, but definitely the oldest modern book in the World.