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• December 25, 2024
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The festive season is here! You must be gearing up for the UGC-NET/JRF exam, scheduled in the month of January. Today marks the birth of Jesus. In the praise of the Lord, we are here to fill your exam preparation days with light-hearted moments. This blog is just one such attempt. Christmas is here! We need to understand its relevance and significance with complete clarity and surrender ourselves to the service of Lord. Are we ready? 

Before we discuss some famous lines by renowned authors on Christmas. Let’s discuss some facts on the Holy Bible. Don’t forget that your UGC-NET English Literature syllabus also focuses on covering questions from the sacred book. 

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Here are some fascinating facts about the Bible: 

1. Over 100 million copies of the Bible are sold annually.
2. A 1631 Bible misprinted the commandment as “Thou Shalt Commit Adultery,” resulting in the “Sinners’ Bible,” of which only nine copies exist today.
3. The term “Bible” originates from the Greek ta biblia, meaning “the scrolls” or “the books,” derived from Byblos, an ancient city known for supplying paper products.
4. The complete Bible has been translated into 532 languages, with portions translated into 2,883 languages.
5. The Bible comprises works from various authors, including shepherds, kings, farmers, priests, poets, and scribes. Its authors also include traitors, embezzlers, murderers, and auditors.
6. The King James Bible consists of 788,258 words, 31,102 verses, 1,189 chapters, and 66 books.
7. John 11:35, “Jesus wept,” is the shortest verse in the Bible in English but not in its original languages.
8. Psalm 119 is the longest book in the Bible, while Psalm 117, with just two verses, is the shortest.
9. Esther 8:9 holds the title for the longest verse in the Bible.
10. Nearly 80% of Americans consider the Bible the literal or inspired word of God.
11. Women, older individuals, and African Americans are more likely to read the Bible than other groups.
12. According to one interpretation, God killed about 25 million people in the Bible, whereas Satan is credited with around 60 deaths.
13. Mark Twain famously remarked, “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me; it is the parts that I do understand.”
14. The longest word in the Bible is “Mahershalalhashbaz” (Isaiah 8:3).
15. The Old Testament was written over more than a thousand years, while the New Testament was completed within 50–75 years.
16. No original manuscripts of the Bible exist today.
17. The Bible influences three major religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
18. John Wycliffe translated the Bible into English from Latin, but his remains were exhumed and burned posthumously by the Catholic Church.
19. William Tyndale produced the first printed English New Testament but was later executed for his work.
20. Adam’s name originates from the Hebrew adama, meaning “the ground.”
21. The Bible has inspired more song lyrics than any other book, influencing artists like U2, Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, and Bob Dylan.
22. The Geneva Bible, used by Shakespeare and the Pilgrims, was the first to include numbered verses.
23. Despite its widespread depiction, the Bible provides no physical description of Jesus, who likely had Middle Eastern features.
24. The Bible is the most stolen book globally, often taken from hotel rooms and places of worship.
25. Muslims regard the Bible as divine revelation corrupted by humans, with the Qur’an serving as its correction.
26. Bob Marley was buried with marijuana, his red Gibson Les Paul guitar, and a Bible.
27. The King James Bible (1611) is renowned for its accuracy and literary beauty, possibly involving Shakespeare in its translation.
28. The King James Version, without the Apocrypha, was the first English Bible printed in America.
29. Biblical events span three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe.
30. Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” encapsulates the Bible’s story of God’s relationship with humanity.
31. The Bible does not specify the number of wise men who visited Christ, only that they brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
32. Herman Melville’s Moby Dick contains numerous Biblical allegories, including characters like Ishmael and Ahab.
33. The Bible is history’s best-selling book, with over 5 billion copies sold.
34. Charlton Heston, who portrayed Moses in The Ten Commandments, was cast partly due to his resemblance to Michelangelo’s statue of Moses.
35. The 1999 film The Matrix incorporates Biblical themes, naming the rebel base Zion, the ship Nebuchadnezzar, and the Judas figure Cypher.
36. Jesus had at least four named brothers and at least two unnamed sisters.
37. The word “Christ” derives from the Greek khristos, meaning “the anointed.”
38. There are 93 speaking women in the Bible, 49 of whom are named, contributing 14,056 words, or 1.1% of the text.
39. Joseph Conrad learned English by reading and then using Bible pages to roll cigarettes.
40. The Gutenberg Bible was the first book printed using movable metal type, yet its creator earned no profit from it.
41. The world’s smallest Bible, the “Nano Bible,” contains 1.2 million letters of the Old Testament etched on a tiny silicon disk.
42. The most expensive book, the Bay Psalm Book, a Biblical psalms translation, sold for over $14 million.
43. The word “Lucifer” comes from the Latin lux (light) + ferre (carry), meaning “light-bringer.”
44. The final word of the Bible is “Amen.”
45. Many Biblical villains are described as having red hair. 

Did you enjoy learning these interesting facts of the Holy Bible? Now, let’s learn some of the famous lines said by renowned authors on Christmas. Get, set, go! 

1. “Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.”- Calvin Coolidge
2. “Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality.” – Washington Irving
3. “Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. “- Norman Vincent Peale
4. “Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance — each beautiful, unique, and gone too soon.”- Deborah Whipp
5. “Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance—a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.”- Augusta E. Randel
6. “Every gift which is given, even though it be small, is in reality great, if it is given with affection.”-Pindar
7. “Christmas is a tonic for our souls. It moves us to think of others rather than of ourselves. It directs our thoughts to giving.”- B.C. Forbes
8. “Christmas is like candy; it slowly melts in your mouth sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever.”- Richelle E. Goodrich
9. “What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future.”- Agnes M. Pahro
10. “Mankind is a great, an immense family… This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas.”- Pope John XXIII
11. “The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.”- Burton Hills
12. “A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.”- Garrison Keillor
13. “I heard the bells on Christmas Day / Their old familiar carols play / And wild and sweet, the words repeat / Of peace on earth, good-will to men.”- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
14. “I don’t think Christmas is necessarily about things. It’s about being good to one another.”- Carrie Fisher
15. “Peace on earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day.”- Helen Steiner Rice
16. “Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends.”- Margaret Thatcher
17. “Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder
18. “But I did know that nobody ever asked me what I wanted for Christmas. Had any adult with the power to fulfill my desires taken me seriously and asked me what I wanted, they would have known that I did not want to have anything to own, or to possess any object. I wanted, rather, to feel something on Christmas Day.”- Toni Morrison
19. “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” –Charles Dickens
20. “Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” ― Charles M. Schulz
21. “He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.”- Roy L. Smith
22. “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” ― Hamilton Wright Mabie
23. “If my Valentine you won’t be, I’ll hang myself on your Christmas tree.” ― Ernest Hemingway
24. “Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.” ― Eric Severeid
25. “Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart…filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.”― Bess Streeter Aldrich

We hope these warm and bittersweet quotes on Christmas eve will drape you in wintry memories while keeping you motivated to choose the right battle and win it at the end of the day. With this, we wish you a Merry Christmas! 

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