With thousands of translations, over forty original authors, and a two millennium history, lets take a look at the trails, tribulations, changes, and status of the world s most popular book. As the holy book of the most popular religion in the world, it is most likely the most well known and most purchased book in the world as exact figures are not known. Hinduism, buddhism, confucianism, taoism, zoroastrianism. The alltime most popular books in the world revealed. For example, the most popular or top selling bible translations in 2016, according to the rose publishing, were the new international version and the king james version. The holy quran came out on top with over 3 billion prints, followed by the king james bible with over 2. The bible is the world s best selling book, having sold more than five billion copies. The alltime most popular books in the world revealed stylist. Top 20 most famous books of the bible jetpunk worlds. It is the worlds most loved book, but it is also the worlds most hated book by those who oppose its teachings. Weve all wondered at some pointout of 66 different books, there have to be a few that resonate with more people than others, right yep. Some titles may have had more copies printed than some of these books, but a vast number of those books were not sold, so well assume that they did not get read. It was sent out by noah to see if the waters had abated after the great flood. The third group considered it as the most printed and most distributed book.
Read our daily devotional, find answers to frequently asked questions, or sign up for our enewsletter. Stockbyte getty images scholars can debate endlessly over which book is the best of all time, but finding out which ones have enjoyed the most commercial success should be a more concrete endeavor. Regardless of what you think of all the entries, if our want to understand the world around you and the people in it, reading these books cover to cover would be a good start. Search our popular translations niv, esv, nkjv, kjv and more. I recently wrote about why obadiah is the least popular book of the bible, but you guys deserve more than that. In addition, in depth study tools are provided on the site with access to commentaries, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other theological resources. The bible is the most popular book in the world because it is the best book in the world. For the purposes of this post, least popular leastread book of the bible.
The worlds most widely distributed book watchtower. Shareranks is about ranking things that are top, most, greatest, or even worst in all categories. The bible has been a massive influence on literature and history, especially in the western world, where the gutenberg bible was the first book printed using movable type. The niv is the second most read version of the bible. They appear on the scene, may grow in popularity, andexcept for a. It is clearly one of the most controversial books in modern times though perhaps not so much for its content as the actions of some who interpret it. Why the king james bible of 1611 remains the most popular. Here is the list of top 10 must read holyreligious books in the world.
Christians worship in churches and their spiritual leaders are called priests. Hi all, here is my opinion based on facts and partly on assumptions. With thousands of translations, over forty original authors, and a two millennium history, lets take a look at the trails, tribulations, changes, and status of the worlds most popular book. Unsurprisingly, the most popular book of all time has an interesting history. On the opposite page are articles on the bible s origin and selecting a translation that. Discover more popular bible verses from the book of john in this collection of scripture. The book is promoted as being easy to read, even by those not familiar with the bible. It is the best book in the world because it is the only book that convincingly claims to be inspired by god. Writer james chapman created a list of the most read books in the world based on the number of copies. The translation is most noted for its poetic feel prose that seems to flow with a certain rhythmic quality. Another group upheld it as the worlds mostread books.
It consists of lessons and teaching that shows moral life, ethics governing the social and religious life of muslims. The bible is nearly always misunderstood, often maligned, misused, ridiculed, twisted and even, to some, a source of embarrassment. The first nine epistles were addressed to various churches in greece and in asia minor. Zondervan is touting the new work as unique, in part because it is based on a more popular translation of the bible. It was written by several authors inspired by the holy spirit over a period of time. Aug 28, 2015 the most popular bible of the year is probably not what you think it is. Should it count if the same person has read the book more than once. Writer james chapman created a list of the most read books in the world based on the number of. Apparently many folks find scripture more dangerous than explicit sex. It is an outstanding resource for anybody studying comparative religion, as a primer for studying one of the religions included or as a general reference book for your library. Youve seen the 10 most popular books of the bible, now lets look at the 10 least popular books of the bible. Top 10 bible translations in the united states the. Study bibles give you a deeper understanding of gods word with tools for life application like commentary, maps, charts, concordance, and study notes. Sep 01, 2009 the world s most popular bible will undergo its first revision in 25 years, modernizing the language in some sections and promising to reopen a contentious debate about changing gender terms in.
Yet the western world owes more to this misunderstood book than most realize or would care to admit. Top 10 most popular books of the bible are especially marked best louis lamour books previous toplist. It addresses inward, private thoughts and feelings, as well as outward, publicly expressed words and actions. The christian booksellers association has published its list of bestselling bible translations in 2012 for the united states. Researchers have collated the figures for the number of editions, translations and copies sold of the world s most popular books these are the most loved tomes.
The second most read book in the world is quotations from chairman mao tsetung which has sold. Fifty shades of grey is britains best selling book ever. The third group considered it as the mostprinted and mostdistributed book. This list does not preach at all, but is simply a brief examination of the stories from the bible that make it a well known and talkedabout book in world literature. What is the first and second most read books in the world. Bible is the holy book which consists of old and new testaments. For god so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Bibles for the world gods word to people of all nations. The ala says that the bible makes the list because of its religious viewpoint. The kind folks at shared their stats with me on the top 10 most accessed books of the bible. I know that the bible the best book in the world is flawless, but some of my friends often try to tell me that there are some contradictions in the bible. Although it is impossible to obtain exact figures, there is little doubt that the bible is the world s best selling and most widely distributed book.
The bible is easily one of the best selling books of all time, but exact sales numbers are hard to nail down. One group claimed the bible as the world s best selling book. Books the alltime most popular books in the world revealed. These he wrote within an eighteenyear period while he was on his missionary journeys. Paul, the letters of amazing bible timeline with world history. One of the worlds most popular books united church of god. According to christians, the bible is the word of god. Researcher james chapman has compiled this look at the top 10 mostread books in the world. Apr 16, 2020 35 as jesus approached jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. It consists of 114 suras or chapters which shows the impassioned appeals for belief in god. While the bible remains the most popular, most read book across the globe, more than 2 billion people have never had a chance to read gods word.
Blue letter bible is a free, searchable online bible program providing access to many different bible translations including. Sep 05, 2018 i recently wrote about why obadiah is the least popular book of the bible, but you guys deserve more than that. Christianity is the worlds biggest religion, with about 2. Many devout christians are quick to assert that the holy bible is the worlds bestselling book, for all time. At the bottom of the list is the diary of anne frank, with 27 million copies sold.
In the year 2017, the top selling bible translation was the christian standard bible updated in the same year, according to the bible sources. J k rowlings creation only ranks fifth in a list compiled by of the most popular books of all time. Apr 26, 2016 to them, the bible is the worlds most dangerous book. The essence of the world s most popular book stibbe, mark on. What might surprise you is the book that comes in at number six on the most challenged list. The 21 bestselling books of all time howstuffworks. Dec 26, 2018 it is said to be the most printed book in the history of the world, with more than one billion copies in print. The bible has also been translated more times, and into more languages, than any other book. According to the march 2007 edition of time, the bible has done more to shape literature, history, entertainment, and culture than any book ever written. Below are a few specific keys to help you improve your bible perspective. It is based on the teachings of jesus christ who lived on the holy land 2000 years ago. Discover the best christian bibles in best sellers. Writer james chapman created a list of the most read books in the world based on the number of copies each book sold over the last 50 years he found. He found that the bible far outsold any other book, with a whopping 3.
The top 10 most read books in the world list challenges. Top 10 most read books in the world based on number of books printed and sold over the last 50 years. Banning the most dangerous book in the world cnsnews. It addresses inward, private thoughts and feelings, as well as. For example, the bible the best book in the world says that jacob begat joseph matthew 1. History of the bible timeline from creation to today. The most commonly read book in the world is the bible. List of literary works by number of translations wikipedia. Former evangelical pastor bruce gerencser answers the question, is the bible the most powerful book on earth. No matter which guide you use, though, there are problems making precise calculations. The most important thing we can pray about for others is that they will know god better and that he will help them understand his will, grow in spiritual wisdom, and live lives that honor him.
According to guinness world records as of 1995, the bible is the bestselling book of all time, with an estimated 5 billion copies sold and distributed. Many devout christians are quick to assert that the holy bible is the world s best selling book, for all time. Guinness world records estimates that over five billion copies of the bible have been sold, making it the bestselling book of all time. In the bible theres a part that says, all scripture is godbreathed. Turns out that some books of the bible get a lot more attention than others. It is estimated that more than 1 billion copies of the king james version have been published. Chapman created the list by examining how many individual copies of the books had been printed and sold over the last 50 years. Examining popular religious beliefs in the light of bible truth jones, richard on. According to guinness world records as of 1995, the bible is the best selling book of all time, with an estimated 5 billion copies sold and distributed. Top 10 most read books in the world over the past 50 years. In todays video john dickson, author of a doubters guide to the bible, explains two possible reasons. I hope the below estimations show that the quran is in fact the most read book. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Similarly, many notable book series that sold very widely are poorly documented or consist of multiple subseries.
Why the king james bible of 1611 remains the most popular translation in history not only was it the first peoples bible, but its. The bible tops the list of the most read books in the world. List of world religions and founders, religious books, place. Writer james chapman created a list of the most read books in the world based on the number of copies each book sold over the last 50 years.
The bible sells best because it is living, powerful and universally desired the bible is often said to be the world s best sold book but search the best seller lists and you wont find it anywhere, top to bottom. The 10 least popular books of the bible infographic. I have often heard that the most popular book is the bible, but it seems to me that, for example, classical indian books as the mahabharata or the chinese four books and five classics may be more popular. Another group upheld it as the world s most read books. The bible makes most challenged books list in us for first. What is the second best selling book of all time after. These are the 12 most popular books of all time indy100. The bible of the world is similar to a readers digest condensed book and it containes scriptures from. The bible has sold billions of copies and is the best selling book of all time. The holy bible, quotations from chairman mao tsetung, harry potter, the lord of the rings, the alchemist, the da vinci code, the night saga, gone with the wind, think and grow rich, and the diary of anne frank. The bible worlds most controversial book plain truth.
Oct 17, 2012 one group claimed the bible as the worlds bestselling book. Most people own a private copy of the bible, some hotels purchase a bible for each private room and churches purchase bibles for ceremonies. The huffington post article actually named 16 books that have sold the most copies worldwide, noting that the bible is the top seller in the world. In addition, the bible has been translated into the most number of languages, which makes it the most translated book and also much read. Is bible the worlds bestselling or mostread or most. This article discusses the world s best selling books. Is the most popular book of all time the one that has been read the most often or the one that has sold the most copies. Today the bible is especially popular wherever english is spoken. The most popular book of all time christian universities. It is the most widely known book in the englishspeaking world no one in the englishspeaking world can be considered literate without a basic knowledge of the bible e. Researcher james chapman has compiled this look at the top 10 most read books in the world. The book is cited as the most published book in world history with a significant influence on literature and culture. The worlds most popular book isnt harry potter or the bible. The best selling books in the world famous books on sale in.
And this is why, as bible gateway general manager rachel barach told christianity today, the bible has been criticized, challenged, and banned by individuals, groups, and governments through centuries of persecution. Most read books in the world as of may 2012 published by statista research department, may 9, 2012. The top 100 books of all time take a look at a list of the top 100 books of all time, nominated by writers from around the world, from things fall apart to. Apr 12, 2016 americans have objected to titles as diverse as the bible and fifty shades of grey over the last year, according to a list of the most challenged books which has just been released by the american. For the purposes of this post, least popular leastread book of the bible on. Rather handily, weve discovered this infographic of the top 10 most read books in the world over the past 50 years. Harper lees new novel go set a watchman, the followup to to kill a mockingbird, is set to become one of the fastestselling books of all time. A survey by the bible society concluded that around 2. Top 10 must read holy religious books in the world omg top.
The life and times of bruce gerencser one mans journey from eternity to here. Of the 66 books in the protestant bible, which have been guessed most often in these quizzes. The book of psalms easily wins, probably because it is both the longest book in the bible 150 chapters and it covers every human emotion and every circumstance in life. The most popular book of all time christian universities online. Chapman created the list by examining how many individual copies of the books. Jul 16, 2015 harry potter devotees may fondly imagine that the boy wizard rules the world of literature with a wand of iron but actually, he doesnt. The bible still remains at the top as the most read book in the world. The bible, the world s best selling book, is also the world s most shoplifted book. Although it is impossible to obtain exact figures, there is little doubt that the bible is the world s bestselling and most widely distributed book. Nov 18, 2016 the apostle paul was the most prolific writer in the bible with thirteen epistles under his belt. Bibles for the world is a catalyst for individual and cultural transformation through christ and the power of gods word. Those of us who believe the bible seldom realize that it is hated by millions of unbelievers. Although it is impossible to obtain exact figures, there is little doubt that the bible is the worlds bestselling and most widely distributed book. The bible tells a story from the first book, genesis, to the last book, revelation, that people long to be true.
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