How Many Books Are in the Bible?

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

1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
6. Joshua
7. Judges
8. Ruth
9. 1 Samuel
10. 2 Samuel
11. 1 Kings
12. 2 Kings
13. 1 Chronicles
14. 2 Chronicles
15. Ezra
16. Nehemiah
17. Esther
18. Job
19. Psalms
20. Proverbs
21. Ecclesiastes
22. Song of Solomon
23. Isaiah
24. Jeremiah
25. Lamentations
26. Ezekiel
27. Daniel
28. Hosea
29. Joel
30. Amos
31. Obadiah
32. Jonah
33. Micah
34. Nahum
35. Habakkuk
36. Zephaniah
37. Haggai
38. Zechariah
39. Malachi

New Testament Books

1. Matthew
2. Mark
3. Luke
4. John
5. Acts
6. Romans
7. 1 Corinthians
8. 2 Corinthians
9. Galatians
10. Ephesians
11. Philippians
12. Colossians
13. 1 Thessalonians
14. 2 Thessalonians
15. 1 Timothy
16. 2 Timothy
17. Titus
18. Philemon
19. Hebrews
20. James
21. 1 Peter
22. 2 Peter
23. 1 John
24. 2 John
25. 3 John
26. Jude
27. 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)

1. Tobit
2. Judith
3. Additions to Esther (Vulgate Esther 10:4-16:24)
4. Wisdom of Solomon
5. Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
6. Baruch
7. Letter of Jeremiah (Baruch Chapter 6)
8. Additions to Daniel (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon)
9. 1 Maccabees
10. 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. 1 Esdras
2. Prayer of Manasseh
3. Psalm 151
4. 3 Maccabees
5. 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.