The Bible is the most widely known book of world literature, translated in more than 700 languages. Beyond its more strictly religious use, it has widely inspired literature, poetry and art. The process of the making of the Bible took more than 1200 years to be completed. “Protestant” Bibles have 66 books, “Catholic” Bibles 73, and “Oriental” Bibles up to 81. How did this process happen? How was the text preserved and transmitted? How did it come to a Hebrew Bible, an Old Testament and a New Testament, to canonical and deuterocanonical books, and what non-canonical literature is there? This course offers a fascinating introduction into the history, materiality and use of the Bible.