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How we get the word 'Bible' is tied to the history of the Bible itself. This is the story...
History of the word Bible
The word Bible is indirectly derived from the Greek word for papyrus. Papyrus was used to make a parchment for writing which was rolled into scrolls. The Ancient Egyptians had used papyrus for writing on for thousands of years. In fact the English word 'paper' comes from the word 'papyrus', but in Greek it was called βύβλος (byblos).
By the twelfth century BC, Phoenician traders were importing these papyrus reeds from Egypt, and then traded in paper and scrolls. The main Mediterranean port which they used was Gebal in Lebanon. It is mentioned in the Bible in 1 Kings 5:18, Psalm 83:7 and in Ezekiel 27:9.
Today the port is called Jubayl (جُبَيْل) in Arabic. However, the Greeks came to call the port Βύβλος because of its trade in papyrus. Or some people think it was the other way round, and the word for paper came from the name of the port. Either way Byblos gave its name to the scrolls, and later books, made from the papyrus. The name for the item as linked to the place stuck, in a similar way that today we say champagne which was originally a region of France, or cologne which is named after a city in Germany.
How the word evolved in Greek
Continued below.
christiantoday.com
History of the word Bible
The word Bible is indirectly derived from the Greek word for papyrus. Papyrus was used to make a parchment for writing which was rolled into scrolls. The Ancient Egyptians had used papyrus for writing on for thousands of years. In fact the English word 'paper' comes from the word 'papyrus', but in Greek it was called βύβλος (byblos).
By the twelfth century BC, Phoenician traders were importing these papyrus reeds from Egypt, and then traded in paper and scrolls. The main Mediterranean port which they used was Gebal in Lebanon. It is mentioned in the Bible in 1 Kings 5:18, Psalm 83:7 and in Ezekiel 27:9.
Today the port is called Jubayl (جُبَيْل) in Arabic. However, the Greeks came to call the port Βύβλος because of its trade in papyrus. Or some people think it was the other way round, and the word for paper came from the name of the port. Either way Byblos gave its name to the scrolls, and later books, made from the papyrus. The name for the item as linked to the place stuck, in a similar way that today we say champagne which was originally a region of France, or cologne which is named after a city in Germany.
How the word evolved in Greek
Continued below.
What is the origin of the word 'Bible'?
How we get the word 'Bible' is tied to the history of the Bible itself. This is the story...
