Bible reference
How Many Books Are in the Bible?
Most Protestant Bibles contain 66 books — 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. But that number isn't universal, and the difference is worth understanding rather than glossing over.
Protestant Bibles: 66 books
39 Old Testament books, 27 New Testament books. This is the count most people mean by default when they ask the question.
Catholic Bibles: 73 books
Catholic Bibles include the same 27 New Testament books, but 46 in the Old Testament — seven more than the Protestant count. These additional books (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1–2 Maccabees, plus additions to Esther and Daniel) are called the deuterocanonical books, or sometimes the Apocrypha in Protestant traditions.
Orthodox Bibles: 76–81 books
Eastern Orthodox canons vary by tradition but generally include everything in the Catholic canon plus a few additional texts, such as 3 Maccabees and Psalm 151.
Why the difference exists
The gap traces back to which version of the Old Testament each tradition used as its base. The Protestant Old Testament follows the Hebrew Masoretic Text; Catholic and Orthodox traditions include books that were part of the Greek Septuagint, widely used by early Christians, but not included in the later Hebrew canon.
Quick reference table
| Tradition | Old Testament | New Testament | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protestant | 39 | 27 | 66 |
| Catholic | 46 | 27 | 73 |
| Orthodox | 49–53 | 27 | 76–81 |
Related: books of the Bible in order and who wrote the Bible.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Bible?
Most Protestant Bibles contain 66 books — 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Catholic Bibles contain 73, and Eastern Orthodox canons generally contain 76–81 depending on the tradition.
How many books are in the Catholic Bible?
73 — the same 27 New Testament books plus 46 Old Testament books. The seven extra books (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1–2 Maccabees, plus additions to Esther and Daniel) are called deuterocanonical.
How many books are in the Old and New Testament?
In the Protestant canon: 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. The New Testament count of 27 is the same across Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions.
Why do Catholic and Protestant Bibles have a different number of books?
The Protestant Old Testament follows the Hebrew Masoretic Text, while Catholic and Orthodox traditions include books that were part of the Greek Septuagint used widely by early Christians but not included in the later Hebrew canon.
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