Is the Bible a literal historical account?

Question

Or is it a mixture of figurative and literal history?
Does it make a difference to your belief or non belief either way?

For the record - of course Goldilocks and the Three Bears is an historical account.
Maybe I need to ask a couple questions about what is history.

Answer 1

Some is literal some is figurative. All of it is inspired by God.

Answer 2

interesting question. The book of Genesis was an account of the history of the Jewish people up to about 300 years before Moses' time. Tradition says that Moses compiled it based on ancient documents and with guidance from God. The books Exodus through Esther are historical accounts.

Job is a work of fiction and the books from Psalms to Song of Songs are works of poetry. After that, the rest of the books of the Old Testament are prophecy.

The New Testament is starts with four parallel books about the life of Jesus. Acts is an account of the early church after Jesus' crucifixion. The books Romans through Jude are letters to the early churches, and the Revelation is a prophetic vision.

Answer 3

There is some literal history, but not too much. A lot of the literal history has been mythologized, just like many other ancient accounts of history. This makes no difference to my non-belief.

Answer 4

Its both, its literal and figurative. and on the belief non-belief part, no one can deny the historical points that that bible states

and to the guy at the end, the new testament of course contridects the old testament, with Jesus, the law was "no longer valid" in a way, but that is if you believe what the bible says

Answer 5

Is the Goldilocks and the three bears story a historical account?

Answer 6

it's not even an accurate historical document. tho many of the names and places referenced in the bible are real, a lot of times, they're out of sequence with the archaeological record. it was written in about the 8th century b.c.e., and reflects the realities of that time more than the earlier periods it portrays.

one example: the exodus seems to have been the expulsion of canaanite rulers from egypt, not hebrew slaves.

Answer 7

I just read a book that used the Bible as a historical account. It is amazing how much of the Bible can be collaborated with evidence physical, written and otherwise. However, the importance of the Bible is not that it is a literal account of history but contains the words of the Holy Spirit.

Answer 8

It is not a literal, historical account but that makes no difference to my (non Biblical) beliefs.

Answer 9

no it's not a literal historical account, because not a lot can be definitvely proven, not the places and times. Not to mention the many re-writes you don't know what was lost in translation.

I wish it was better taken care of so that it could be taken as such but there's too much missing and not enough concrete evidence.

Answer 10

I'm certainly no Biblical scholar (trust me on that), but from the little I know, there are simply too many contradictions to take it literally.

Exodus 20:8 - "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."-
Romans 14:5 - "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind."

Genesis 32:30 - " And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
John 1:18 - " No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."

Exodus 21:23-25 -- "And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe."
Matthew 5:39 - "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Genesis 17:10 - "This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised."
Galatians 5:2 - "...Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing."

There are dozens, if not hundreds more.

Does it make a difference to me? I exercise my right under the Constitution and take the 5th.

Answer 11

The only way you can believe that the bible is 100% factual is if you have never studied that actual history of it or the authorship of the various books within it.