Final answer:
The Bible is the Christian sacred scripture, including the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament. It has a rich history involving translations and interpretations, serving as a moral and spiritual guide for believers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word Bible refers to the sacred texts of the Christian religion, which consist of the Old Testament, derived from the Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament. The Hebrew Bible narrates the history of the Hebrew people according to Jewish tradition and includes the Torah, which is the most holy text within Judaism. The history of the Bible reflects the cultural and linguistic divisions within the early Church, with the Latin Vulgate becoming the dominant version in Europe for centuries.
During the Renaissance, the official canon of the Bible was established, and later, the Reformation emphasized scripture alone above Church teachings, with translations in vernacular languages becoming more accessible due to the invention of the printing press. The Bible remains central in Christian teaching, serving as a guide for moral living and spiritual belief.