B Is for Bible

Read, or have older children find and read, Psalm 119:105. Then read the following story with your children.

The Bible is God’s Word to us, written in a book. Before the time of Jesus, a group of 70 leaders wanted more people to be able to read God’s Word for themselves. So they worked together to translate the Old Testament into a common language that everyone spoke. They met in the city of Alexandria in Egypt, the same African city that had one of the seven wonders of the world, a famous lighthouse.

After the time of Jesus, some people were confused about which books were part of God’s Word. An African church leader named Athanasius made a list of the books he believed needed to be in the New Testament. Other church leaders agreed with his list when they met in the city of Carthage, which is part of Tunisia today. Today, the Bible has been translated into many African languages, so Africans, too, can read about God and Africa in the Bible.

Questions to ask your children

1. Can you find Egypt and Tunisia on a map?

2. How many languages do you think there are in Africa? (over 3,000)

3. Do you know how many books are in the Bible? (66)

4. In what language do you read the Bible?

Prayer

Pray that God’s Word will be translated into every language, so everyone in the world can read it in their own language.