Page:Biblical Libraries (Richardson).djvu/289



The Bible is itself a library. During the Middle Ages it was commonly called, first "The Divine Library" and then "The Library" (Bibliotheca) in the same exclusive sense that it is now known as "The Book" (Biblia as Latin singular). Even the word Bible itself is historically "Library" rather than "Book" for it was originally the neuter plural Biblia "The Books," although now made by violence into a Latin feminine singular, and "the books," i.e. books collectively, is a natural and common name for library. The Bible itself speaks of itself now as "The Books" (Dan. 9:2) or "The Writings" (Scriptures) (Matt. 21, 42; Jo. 5, 39, etc.), now as the sacred or holy books or