The Bible is a collection of sacred texts that are divided into two main sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The number of books in the Bible can vary slightly depending on the religious tradition. Here, we will outline the number of books in the Bible according to different major Christian traditions.
Protestant Bible
Total Number of Books: 66
- Old Testament: 39 books
- New Testament: 27 books
Old Testament Books
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers
- Deuteronomy
- Joshua
- Judges
- Ruth
- 1 Samuel
- 2 Samuel
- 1 Kings
- 2 Kings
- 1 Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
- Esther
- Job
- Psalms
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes
- Song of Solomon
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
New Testament Books
- Matthew
- Mark
- Luke
- John
- Acts
- Romans
- 1 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians
- Galatians
- Ephesians
- Philippians
- Colossians
- 1 Thessalonians
- 2 Thessalonians
- 1 Timothy
- 2 Timothy
- Titus
- Philemon
- Hebrews
- James
- 1 Peter
- 2 Peter
- 1 John
- 2 John
- 3 John
- Jude
- Revelation
Catholic Bible
Total Number of Books: 73
- Old Testament: 46 books
- New Testament: 27 books
Additional Old Testament Books in the Catholic Bible (Deuterocanonical Books)
- Tobit
- Judith
- Additions to Esther (Vulgate Esther 10:4-16:24)
- Wisdom of Solomon
- Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
- Baruch
- Letter of Jeremiah (Baruch Chapter 6)
- Additions to Daniel (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon)
- 1 Maccabees
- 2 Maccabees
Eastern Orthodox Bible
Total Number of Books: 76 (varies slightly by tradition)
- Old Testament: 49 books (includes additional books not found in the Catholic Bible)
- New Testament: 27 books
Additional Old Testament Books in the Eastern Orthodox Bible
- 1 Esdras
- Prayer of Manasseh
- Psalm 151
- 3 Maccabees
- 4 Maccabees (in an appendix)
Conclusion
The number of books in the Bible varies by tradition:
- Protestant Bible: 66 books
- Catholic Bible: 73 books
- Eastern Orthodox Bible: 76 books (with some variations)
These differences are primarily due to the inclusion or exclusion of certain books in the Old Testament, known as the Deuterocanonical books in the Catholic tradition and the Anagignoskomena in the Eastern Orthodox tradition.