The Short Answer
Protestant Bible: 66 books (39 OT + 27 NT)
Catholic Bible: 73 books (46 OT + 27 NT)
Ethiopian Orthodox: 81 books
All traditions: Same 27-book New Testament
The differences are in the Old Testament, specifically a collection of Jewish writings called the Apocrypha (Protestant) or Deuterocanonical books (Catholic/Orthodox).
The Old Testament: Where the Numbers Differ
Protestant Old Testament: 39 Books
The Protestant Old Testament follows the Hebrew Bible canon (the Tanakh) as its basis. Jews and Protestants agree on which books belong, though they organize and count them differently.
The Law (Torah): 5 books Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
History: 12 books Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
Poetry/Wisdom: 5 books Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
Major Prophets: 5 books Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
Minor Prophets: 12 books Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Catholic Old Testament: 46 Books
Catholic Bibles add 7 deuterocanonical books to the Protestant 39:
| Book | Contents |
|---|---|
| Tobit | Story of a faithful Israelite in Assyrian exile |
| Judith | Story of a widow who defeats an Assyrian general |
| 1 Maccabees | History of the Maccabean revolt (167-134 BC) |
| 2 Maccabees | Earlier events of the same revolt, different perspective |
| Wisdom of Solomon | Poetic wisdom literature |
| Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) | Ben Sira's wisdom and practical teaching |
| Baruch | Letter attributed to Jeremiah's scribe |
The New Testament: 27 Books in All Traditions
All Christian traditions (Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox) have exactly the same 27-book New Testament.
Gospels: 4 books Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Acts: 1 book The Acts of the Apostles
Paul's Letters: 13 books Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon
General Letters: 8 books Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude
Prophecy: 1 book Revelation
Why Do Protestants and Catholics Have Different Bibles?
During the 16th century Protestant Reformation, reformers including Martin Luther returned to the Hebrew canon (Tanakh) as the standard for the Old Testament. The Hebrew Bible did not include the deuterocanonical books, which were written in the Intertestamental period and found in the Greek Septuagint (the translation used by the early church).
Catholics point out that the early church used the Septuagint and that these books were considered Scripture by many church fathers. The Council of Trent (1546) formally defined the Catholic canon in response to the Protestant challenge.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Canon: 81 Books
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has the broadest canon of any Christian tradition: 81 books, including texts not recognized elsewhere such as 1 Enoch and Jubilees. Ethiopian Christianity is one of the oldest in the world, dating to the 4th century, and developed its canon somewhat independently of Western Christianity.
Quick Reference
| Tradition | OT | NT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protestant | 39 | 27 | 66 |
| Catholic | 46 | 27 | 73 |
| Ethiopian Orthodox | 54 | 27 | 81 |
| Jewish (Tanakh) | 24 (same content as Protestant 39, counted differently) | Not included | 24 |
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Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Bible?
The number of books in the Bible depends on which Christian tradition you follow: Protestant Bibles contain 66 books (39 Old Testament + 27 New Testament); Catholic Bibles contain 73 books (adding 7 deuterocanonical books to the Old Testament); Ethiopian Orthodox Bibles contain 81 books (adding additional texts not recognized by other traditions). The 27-book New Testament is the same across all Christian traditions. The differences are entirely in the Old Testament and concern books called the 'Apocrypha' (Protestant term) or 'Deuterocanonical books' (Catholic/Orthodox term).
How many books are in the Old Testament?
The Protestant Old Testament has 39 books. The Catholic Old Testament has 46 books (adding Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, and Baruch). The Jewish Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) contains the same material as the Protestant 39-book Old Testament but counts some books differently (e.g., counting all twelve 'minor prophets' as one book, and combining Kings 1 & 2 as one), arriving at 24 books.
How many books are in the New Testament?
The New Testament contains exactly 27 books in all Christian traditions: 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John); 1 book of Acts; 13 letters of Paul (Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon); 1 letter to the Hebrews (author disputed); 7 general letters (James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude); and 1 book of Revelation. The 27-book New Testament canon was effectively settled by the late 4th century and has remained unchanged across all Christian traditions.
What are the deuterocanonical books?
The deuterocanonical books (Greek: 'second canon') are a set of Jewish writings from roughly 300-100 BC that are included in Catholic and Orthodox Old Testaments but not in Protestant Bibles. The seven books included in Catholic Bibles are: Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon (also called 'Wisdom'), Sirach (also called 'Ecclesiasticus'), and Baruch. These books were included in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament used by early Christians) but were not part of the Hebrew canon used by most rabbinical Judaism. The Protestant Reformers in the 16th century excluded them from their Bibles, citing the Hebrew canon as authoritative.
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