Reference
How many books are in the Bible?
How many books are in the Bible? The answer depends on which tradition you read. A clear breakdown of Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox canons.
Updated 18 May 2026 · By the Bibles.co.uk editorial team
The short answer
Books by canon
The three main Christian canons differ chiefly in the Old Testament. The New Testament is the same 27 books across all three traditions.
- Protestant — 66 books (39 OT + 27 NT).
- Catholic — 73 books (adds 7 Deuterocanonical books).
- Eastern Orthodox — 76–81 books depending on jurisdiction (e.g. Greek, Russian, Ethiopian Orthodox).
In more detail
Protestant Bibles contain 66 books (39 Old Testament + 27 New Testament). Catholic Bibles add 7 Deuterocanonical books (73 total). Eastern Orthodox canons include additional books for 76–81 total depending on jurisdiction.
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