Biblical studies is the academic study of the Judeo-Christian Bible and related texts. For Christianity, the Bible traditionally comprises the New Testament and Old Testament, which together are sometimes called the "Scriptures." Judaism recognizes as scripture only the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Tanakh. Other texts often examined by biblical scholars include the Jewish apocrypha, the Jewish pseudepigrapha, the Christian apocrypha, the many varieties of ante-Nicene early Christian literature, and early Jewish literature.

There are two major approaches towards Biblical studies. The first approach studies the Bible as a human creation and is also known as Biblical criticism. This approach is most prevalent in the secular academic world. In this approach, Biblical studies can be considered as a sub-field of religious studies.

The other approach is the study of the Bible as a religious text, where it is assumed that the Bible has a divine origin or inspiration. This approach is a branch of theology, and is also known as Biblical interpretation.

Methodologically and theoretically, the field draws on many disciplines, including history, archaeology, literary criticism, philology, and increasingly the social sciences. Practitioners of Biblical Studies do not necessarily have a faith commitment to the texts they study. In fact, Biblical criticism seems at times to contradict commitment to the inspiration of the text and is sometimes even considered heresy, although many "orthodox" scholars from both Christianity and Judaism utilize these methods while recognizing a more nuanced understanding of divine inspiration.

Noun

mystery (plural mysteries)

1. Something secret or unexplainable; unknown.

   The truth behind the events remains a mystery.

2. Someone or thing with an obscure or puzzling nature.

   That man is a mystery.

3. (Catholicism) A particular event or series of events in the life of Christ.

   The second decade of the Rosary concerns the Sorrowful mysteries, such as the crucifixion and the crowning with thorns.

• roun (obsolete)

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• Bible Revelations
  revelations.org.za
  Includes studies on topics like Sacred Name, Biblical Feasts, baptism, and Jerusalem Countdown to Armageddon.
• Divine Viewpoint
  divineviewpoint.com
  Studies, outlines of doctrines covering many categories of Scripture including marriage, salvation, and spirituality.
• Bible Research
  bible-research.org
  Explores the Kingdom (Government) of God and other prophecy in the scriptures.

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