How the Bible Became the Most Influential Book in History
Our American Stories
iHeartPodcasts
4.6 • 817 Ratings
🗓️ 2 September 2025
⏱️ 11 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Bible is the best-selling book in history, but it did not arrive fully formed. It was written over centuries, first passed along in fragments, then gathered into the texts we know today. Each step left its mark, from the languages in which it was first recorded to the choices that shaped its canon. The History Guy shares the story of how those writings survived and why the Bible’s history remains as important as its words.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:14.8 | And we continue with our American stories. |
| 0:18.5 | Our next story comes to us from a man who's simply known as the History Guy. |
| 0:23.2 | His videos are watched by hundreds of thousands of people of all ages across YouTube. |
| 0:28.8 | The History Guy is also heard here at Our American Stories. |
| 0:33.1 | Let's take a listen to The History Guy as he tells the history of an important book here in America |
| 0:38.4 | and around the world, the Bible. |
| 0:45.6 | Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. |
| 0:49.6 | Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted. |
| 0:52.9 | Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the |
| 0:55.6 | earth. These words from the King James Version of the Holy Bible have inspired generations |
| 1:01.1 | of Christians. Many historians consider the Holy Bible to be the most read book in history. |
| 1:06.9 | Author James Chapman did a survey of the most read books of the last 50 years and determined |
| 1:10.6 | that the Holy Bible is by far the leader, having sold some 3.9 billion copies. |
| 1:17.3 | By comparison, the number two book in that period, the quotations of Chairman Mautzy |
| 1:21.7 | Tong have sold just 820 million copies. |
| 1:24.6 | Third was the Harry Potter series, and about 400 million copies. This isn't |
| 1:29.8 | a religious missive. It is a review of the translation of the most read and one of the most |
| 1:35.8 | influential books in history. The interpretation and translation of the Holy Bible has impacted |
| 1:41.0 | history and culture for nearly 2,000 years, and the history of English translation |
| 1:45.4 | of the Bible deserves to be remembered. According to biblical scholars, the people who would |
| 1:53.0 | have experienced the ministry of Jesus live in a relatively small geographical area from Jerusalem |
... |
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