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The Bible Isn’t Too Long for You to Read
It’s not as long as you think
I’ve written before about why the Bible really is literature (and a foundational book of Western civilization), why every writer needs a Bible in their toolbox, and even suggested some tools for those who want to study the Bible beyond simply reading it. There are those who have dismissed all of these previous pieces simply because they deal with the Bible, and there’s not much I can do about that. There has been one consistent objection, however, that I can refute.
Several people (both online and in person) have said it’s great that the Bible is important as a literary work separate from its religious aspects and that it can be helpful to writers, but simply too long to read in one lifetime unless you’re a monk living on a mountain. The Bible is indeed long, far longer than the typical detective novel or bodice-ripper romance. But is it really too long to read?
No, it’s not. Not at all.
Most study Bibles will run around 2,000 pages, which includes the text plus study notes, maps, concordance, and sometimes illustrations (I do have a study Bible that is just over 3,000 pages, but that’s only because at my age I need a large-print edition). A Bible with normal print size and without notes can run half that long. For example, the Bible I use for…
