The Bible (Hebrew: תנ״ך tanakh, Greek: η Βίβλος hē biblos, "the book") (sometimes The Holy Bible, Scripture, is the name used by Jews and Christians for their differing (and overlapping) canons of sacred texts. Roman Catholics include books which Protestants do not, Judaism accepts the old testament, not the new, Muslims may accept certain prophets. Roman Catholics have a different grouping for the ten commandments than Prostestants. Many people who identify themselves as Christians, Muslims, or Jews regard the Bible as inspired by God yet written by a variety of imperfect men over thousands of years. The concept that inspired men differed illustrates the difficulty in compelling a particular interpretation. Inspired men are not perfect men, implying that inspired texts are not perfect books. Wide variation of interpretation and acceptance of the accuracy and legitimacy of various books and passages remain. Strict literalist denominations of the Calvinist variety attempt to define God and compel a particular set of beliefs, elevating the text to practically an idol. Other more liberal denmoninations emphasize freedom of will and view the text as a people in history struggling to understand a living God. The more conservative literalist denominations interpret the term "Word" as a mandate to compel a fundamentalist interpretation of the text, while liberal denmoninations may interpret the term "Word" as a metaphor for Jesus; hence the name of God is the Word, not the book itself. Liberal free will denominations tend to give the teachings of Jesus greater weight, while more conservative literalists may not. Both views have clashed over the concept of sin, with strict Calvinist and Reformed denominations imposing the term "sin nature" for "flesh" on the English text impuning blame upon women and upon mankind, even though the phrase "sin nature" appears nowhere in the original language. Southern Baptists tend to accept the Calvinist assertion for "sin nature." On the other hand, liberal 'free will' denominations such as Methodists and Episcopalians, follow the Council of Trent's determination of sin as a "wounded nature" from Isaiah 1:6 "wounds," placing blame squarely upon evil and its attack on mankind (Matt 6:13), regarding the writer's intention as it was initially expressed, "infirmity of the flesh" (Gal 4:13-14 KJV), not the flesh itself. These divergent views of the Bible have fomented division throughout Christian history and continue to do so.

Composition and Distribution

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Composition

The Jewish, Catholic and Protestant Bibles are actually collections of what were originally a number of independent books.

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