The Bible has been the most influential text in all of Western culture. It's difficult to understand medieval or early modern or much of modern literature without knowing it...
Prof. Barbara Newman, Northwestern University from 2006 Bible Literary project
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It's not that it's impossible to read some writers without a Biblical background, but that you would miss a whole dimension to their work.
Prof. Steven Goldsmith, University of California at Berkeley from 2006 Bible Literary Project
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I can only say that if a student doesn't know any Bible literature, he or she will simply not understand whole elements of Shakespeare, Sidney, Spenser, Milton, Pope, Wordsworth
Prof. Robert Kiely, Harvard University from 2006 Bible Literary Project
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...there is truth in the remark. "without Tyndale[Bible translator], no Shakespeare"...
Prof. David Daniell, University College London from The Bible in English
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You can't really study Western literature intelligently or coherently without starting with the Bible.
Prof. Gerald L. Bruns, University of Notre Dame from 2006 Bible Literary Project
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...a familiar understanding of Christian doctrine in historical perspective thus contributes to a fuller appreciation of Shakespeare's art, but Shakespeare's art
Prof. Roland M. Frye from Shakespeare and the Christian Doctrine
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In English tradition and also for an American tradition begun by Puritan writers, a knowledge of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament is even more crucial than classical references.
Prof. Ulrich Knoefplmacher, Princeton University from 2006 Bible Literary Project
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There is no book more important for our culture than the Bible, and it is fundametal to the study of English literature and language.
Prof. David Jasper and Prof. Stephen Prickett from the Bible and literature
There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
Picture description: Solomon Picture copyright: V.
bible verse
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
meaning
origin and application
You may have already heard this popular saying, but do you know who created this inspiring quote? It is written by King Solomon, a wise king in Israel who was the son of King David. In his later years, he composed a lot of wise sayings which were included in the Bible as Proverbs and Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. King Solomon got his fame for two things – wisdom and women. In his time there were no kings who could rival his wisdom, which brought him gold and silver offerings from kings in the neighbouring countries who wished to seek his wisdom. He also loved many foreign women who worshipped foreign gods. As he approached his old age, with all the riches he had seen and vicissitudes he had been through, he made this famous quote which became widely circulated generations after generations, that “there is nothing new under the sun.”
A lot of phrases, such as "two-edged sword" and " an eye for an eye", are taken from the English Bible. Learning the stories behind these idioms is fun, and can help boost your vocabulary. Click here to find out now!
Common names such as Joseph and Rachel have their origins in the Bible. Want to know their stories before picking the right name for yourself? Click here to find out.