The Bible, The Qur'an and Science

by Dr. Maurice Bucaille

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES EXAMINED IN THE LIGHT
OF MODERN KNOWLEDGE

 Translated from French

by Alastair D. Pannell and The Author

• Foreword
• Introduction
• OLD TESTAMENT
  • General Outlines
  • Origins of the Bible
  • The Books of the Old Testament 
    • The Torah or Pentateuch
    • The Historical Books
    • The Prophetic Books
    • The Books of Poetry and Wisdom
  • The Old Testament and Science Findings
    • The Creation of the World
  • The Date of the World's Creation and the date of Man's Appearance on Earth
  • The Flood
  • Position Of Christian Authors With Regard To Scientific Error In The Biblical Texts
    • A Critical Examination
  • Conclusions
    
• THE GOSPELS
  • Introduction
  • Historical Reminder
    • Judeo-Christianity and Saint Paul
  • The Four Gospels
    • Sources and History
    • The Gospel according to Matthew
    • The Gospel according to Mark
    • The Gospel According to Luke
    • The Gospel according to John
    • Sources of the Gospels
    • History of the Texts
  • The Gospels and Modern Science
    • The General Genealogies of Jesus
    • The Genealogies of Jesus
      • The Book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham
      • Genealogy of Jesus, before David
      • Genealogy of Jesus, After David
    • Variation in the Manuscripts and in Relations to the Old Testament
      • Matthew's Gospel
      • Luke's Gospel
    • Critical Examinations of the Texts
      • The Period from Adam to Abraham
      • The Period from Abraham to David.
      • The Post-David Period.
    • Commentaries of Modern Experts in Exegesis
  • Contradictions and Improbabilities in the Descriptions
    • Descriptions of the Passion
    • John's Gospel does not describe the Institution of the Eucharist
    • Appearences of Jesus raised from the Dead
    • Ascension of Jesus
    • Jesus's Last Dialougue - The Paraclete of John's Gospel
  • Conclusions
    
• THE QUR'AN AND MODERN SCIENCE
  • Introduction
  • Authenticity of the Qur'an
    • How It Came to be Written
  • The Creation of the Heavens and the Earth
    • Differences from and resemblances to the Biblical Description
    • The Six Periods of the Creation
    • The Qur'an does not lay down a sequence for the creation of the Earth and Heavens
    • The basic process of the formation of the Universe and the resulting composition of the Worlds
    • Some modern Scientific data concerning the formation of the Universe
      • The Solar System
      • The Galaxies
      • Formation and Evolution of Galaxies, Stan and Planetary Systems
      • The Concept of the Plurality of the Worlds
      • Interstellar Material
    • Confrontation with the data in the Qur'an concerning the creation
    • Answer to Certain Objections
  • Astronomy in the Qur'an
    • General reflections concerning the Sky
    • Nature of Heavenly Bodies
      • The Sun and the Moon
      • The Stars
      • The Planets
      • The Lowest Heaven
    • Celestial Organization
      • The Existence of the Moon's and the Sun's Orbits
        • The Moon's Orbit
        • The Sun
      • Reference to the Movement of the Moon and the Sun in Space With Their Own Motion
      • The Sequence of Day and Night
    • Evolutions of the Heavens
      • The Expansion of the Universe
    • The conquest of Space
  • The Earth
    • Verses containing general statements
    • The Water cycle and the Seas
      • The Seas
    • The Earth's Relief
    • The Earth's Atmosphere
      • Altitude
      • Electricity in the Atmosphere
      • Shadows
  • The Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms
    • The Origins of Life
    • The Vegetable Kingdom
      • Balance in the Vegetable Kingdom
      • The Different Qualities of Various Foods
      • Reproduction in the Vegetable Kingdom
    • The Animal Kingdom
      • Reproduction in the Animal Kingdom
      • References to the Existence of Animal Communities
      • Statements Concerning Bees, Spiders and Birds
        • Bees
        • Spiders
        • Birds
      • The Source of the Constituents of Animal Milk
  • Human Reproduction
    • Reminder of certain basic concepts
    • Human Reproduction in the Qur'an
      • Fertilization is Performed by Only a Very Small Volume of Liquid
      • The Constituents of the Fertilizing Liquid
      • The Implantation of the Egg In the Female Genital Organs.
      • Evolution of the Embryo inside the Uterus
    • The Qur'an and Sex Education
      
• QUR'ANIC AND BIBLICAL NARRATIONS
• The Flood
• The Exodus
  • The Exodus according to the Bible
  • The Exodus according to the Qur'an
  • Confrontation between Scriptural data and Modern Knowledge
    • 1. Examination of Certain Details Contained in the Narrations The Hebrews in Egypt
      • The Plagues of Egypt
      • The Route Taken by the Exodus
      • The Miraculous Parting of the Waters
    • 2. The Point Occupied by the Exodus in the History of the Pharaohs
    • 3. Rameses II, Pharaoh of the Oppression Merneptah, Pharaoh of the Exodus
      • The Problem of the Stele Dating from the Fifth Year of Merneptah's Reign
    • 4. The Description Contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Pharaoh's Death During the Exodus.
    • 5. Pharaoh Merneptah's Mummy
• QUR'AN, HADITHS AND MODERN SCIENCE
• General Conclusions
  

Back Cover

In his objective study of the texts, Maurice Bucaille clears' away many preconceived ideas about the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Qur'an. He tries, in this collection of Writings, to separate what belongs to Revelation from what is the product of error or human interpretation. His study sheds new light on the Holy Scriptures. At the end of a gripping account, he places the Believer before a point of cardinal importance: the continuity of a Revelation emanating from the same God, with modes of expression that differ in the course of time. It leads us to meditate upon those factors which, in our day, should spiritually unite rather than divide-Jews, Christians and Muslims.

As a surgeon, Maurice Bucaille has often been in a situation where he was able to examine not only people's bodies, but their souls. This is how he was struck by the existence of Muslim piety and by aspects of Islam which remain unknown to the vast majority of non-Muslims. In his search for explanations which are otherwise difficult to obtain, he learnt Arabic and studied the Qur'an. In it, he was surprised to find statements on natural phenomena whose meaning can only be understood through modern scientific knowledge.

He then turned to the question of the authenticity of the writings that constitute the Holy Scriptures of the monotheistic religions. Finally, in the case of the Bible, he proceeded to a confrontation between these writings and scientific data.

The results of his research into the Judeo-Christian Revelation and the Qur'an are set out in this book.

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