Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The Bible It is the most read book in history. According to writer James Chapman, more than 3,9 billion copies of the sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition have been sold in the last 50 years alone. Likewise, the number of copies sold remains around 100 million annually throughout the world and accumulates 2452 translations to date.
From The Bible, it is possible to infer which are the most read books in history through the sales figures. In this case, I would continue Quotations from Mao Tse-tung's work (1966) by Hou Bo and Mao Zedong with 820 million copies sold. Then they come A Tale of Two Cities (1859) by Charles Dickens and The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, both with 200 million copies.
What is The Bible and how many people have read it?
The Bible It is a compilation of religious scriptures that serve as a sacred foundation, both for Jews (Old Testament) like christians (Old and New Testament). Scholars of these traditions hold that Moses was their sole author. However, theologians and historians agree on the contributions of other historical figures.
Source The Bible
Given the antiquity of the first writings of The Bible (between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries BC), it is impossible to calculate exactly how many people have read it. Clearly, this is the most important and influential book in the history of Western civilization. Only the Qur'an is comparable in terms of cultural relevance (mainly confined to the Middle and Far East).
The Bible It is made up of various works —called “books”— from different native languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. For his part, The Hebrew Bible contains the 24 sacred texts of Judaism., which were elaborated in a period of a millennium (900 BC – 100 AD). Among those, the oldest is the Book of Job, attributed to Moses according to tradition.
etymology and structure
The word "Bible" derives from the Hellenic statement "ta bible ta hagia”, which translates as “the holy books”. They run through an extensive and varied collection of narratives first conceived as separate bundles. Likewise, they describe the origin of the world and of the human being, created by God in his image and likeness in the Garden of Eden until the end of humanity and Judgment Day.
The most obvious difference between the Jewish and Christian scriptures is manifested in The New Testament.. In the latter appear the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, presented as the son of God and the last of the prophets. The Old Testament, on the other hand, Tanach of the Hebrews—contains the stories of the ancient prophets.
Interpretations
The current structure of The Bible Christianity was established under the pontificate of Saint Damasus I, in the year 382. Later, the Council of Trent ratified this reading in 1546 and it was renamed “canon” (model). That is to say, from that moment the sequence of books considered valid and trustworthy was established, but said classification was rejected by the Jewish clergy.
In the sixteenth century, German philosopher and theologian Martin Luther also refuted the canonical selection, contrary to the papist doctrine and promoted the Protestant Reformation. Now, the initial intention of the movement was to reform Catholicism in favor of a more primitive Christianity. But, the consequence was a split within the Catholic Church that originated the current religious currents of Protestantism.
Other widely read books
Quotations from Mao Tse-tung's work (1966)
Hou Bo and Mao Zedong's Manifesto does not usually appear on the list of most read books of all time because its reading was part of a government policy. In addition, it was not a state strategy of any country, it would be a plan carried out in the most populous nation in the world: China. Today, this book is considered iconic among leftist politicians.
Contents
- The communist party;
- Classes and the class struggle;
- Socialism and communism;
- The correct handling of the contradictions of the people;
- War and peace;
- Imperialism and all the reactionaries are paper tigers;
- Dare to fight and win;
- The people's war;
- The people's army;
- Party Leadership and Committees;
- The mass line;
- Political work;
- Relations between officers and men;
- Relations between the Army and the People;
- Democracy and the main fields of the tree;
- The education and training of troops;
- At the service of the people;
- Patriotism and internationalism;
- revolutionary heroism;
- Build our country with diligence and frugality;
- Self-sufficiency and hard struggle;
- Methods of thought and methods of work;
- research and study;
- Correction of misconceptions;
- Unit;
- Discipline;
- Criticism and self-criticism;
- Communists;
- Paintings;
- Youth;
- Women;
- Culture and art;
- Studies.
History of two cities (1859)
Charles Dickens
This masterpiece of Charles Dickens is a historical novel set in London and Paris. The action takes place between the eve and the height of the French Revolution with the subsequent Reign of Terror. The main character is Dr. Manette —of French nationality— who remains imprisoned in the Bastille in Paris for 18 years.
After that time, the protagonist moves to London to live with Lucie, his daughter (whom he had never met). Meanwhile, danger looms throughout the narrative in the form of impending murder or imprisonment.. For this reason, the novel always transmits a very high level of emotions to the reader; Not surprisingly, the influence of this book on popular culture is unquestionable.
The Little Prince (1944)
Le Petit Prince —original title in French— is the best-known work of the legendary French aviator and author Antoine de Saint Exupéry. In fact, This children's fable for adults made the man from Lyon a writer known all over the planet to this day. All this thanks to the sublime central message of the book, "the best things in life are the simplest", of imperishable validity.
Some immortal phrases with social criticism of The Little Prince
- "A king without subjects who only gives orders that cannot be fulfilled, like ordering the sun to set at sunset."
- "A cocky guy who only wants the praise that comes from admiration and being the most admirable person on his otherwise uninhabited planet."
- "A drunk who drinks to forget the shame of drinking."
- "An elderly geographer who has never been anywhere, nor seen anything he records, offering a caricature of expertise in the contemporary world."