The Bible, the Quran, 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

(Does not include the entire book)

 

Table of Contents

bulletForeword
bulletIntroduction
bulletOLD TESTAMENT
bulletGeneral Outlines
bulletOrigins of the Bible
bulletThe Books of the Old Testament 
bulletThe Torah or Pentateuch
bulletThe Historical Books
bulletThe Prophetic Books
bulletThe Books of Poetry and Wisdom
bulletThe Old Testament and Science Findings
bulletThe Creation of the World
bulletThe Date of the World's Creation and the date of Man's Appearance on Earth
bulletThe Flood
bullet Position Of Christian Authors With Regard To Scientific Error In The Biblical Texts
bulletA Critical Examination
bulletConclusions
bulletTHE GOSPELS
bulletIntroduction
bulletHistorical Reminder
bullet Judeo-Christianity and Saint Paul
bulletThe Four Gospels
bullet Sources and History
bulletThe Gospel according to Matthew
bulletThe Gospel according to Mark
bulletThe Gospel According to Luke
bulletThe Gospel according to John
bulletSources of the Gospels
bulletHistory of the Texts
bulletThe Gospels and Modern Science
bullet The General Genealogies of Jesus
bulletThe Genealogies of Jesus
bulletThe Book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham
bulletGenealogy of Jesus, before David
bulletGenealogy of Jesus, After David
bulletVariation in the Manuscripts and in Relations to the Old Testament
bulleta) Matthew's Gospel
bulletb) Luke's Gospel
bulletCritical Examinations of the Texts
bullet1. The Period from Adam to Abraham
bullet 2. The Period from Abraham to David.
bullet3. The Post-David Period.
bulletCommentaries of Modern Experts in Exegesis
bulletContradictions and Improbabilities in the Descriptions
bulletDescriptions of the Passion
bulletJohn's Gospel does not describe the Institution of the Eucharist
bulletAppearences of Jesus raised from the Dead
bulletAscension of Jesus
bulletJesus's Last Dialougue - The Paraclete of John's Gospel
bulletConclusions
bulletTHE QURAN AND MODERN SCIENCE
bulletIntroduction
bulletAuthenticity of the Quran
bullet How It Came to be Written
bulletThe Creation of the Heavens and the Earth
bulletDifferences from and resemblances to the Biblical Description
bulletThe Six Periods of the Creation
bulletThe Quran does not lay down a sequence for the creation of the Earth and Heavens
bulletThe basic process of the formation of the Universe and the resulting composition of the Worlds
bulletSome modern Scientific data concerning the formation of the Universe
bulletThe Solar System
bullet The Galaxies
bulletFormation and Evolution of Galaxies, Stan and Planetary Systems
bulletThe Concept of the Plurality of the Worlds
bullet Interstellar Material
bulletConfrontation with the data in the Quran concerning the creation
bulletAnswer to Certain Objections
bulletAstronomy in the Quran
bulletA. General reflections concerning the Sky
bulletB. Nature of Heavenly Bodies
bulletThe Sun and the Moon
bulletThe Stars
bullet The Planets
bulletThe Lowest Heaven
bulletC. Celestial Organization
bulletThe Existence of the Moon's and the Sun's Orbits
bullet1. The Moon's Orbit
bullet2. The Sun
bulletReference to the Movement of the Moon and the Sun in Space With Their Own Motion
bulletThe Sequence of Day and Night
bulletD. Evolutions of the Heavens
bulletThe Expansion of the Universe
bulletE. The conquest of Space
bulletThe Earth
bulletA. Verses containing general statements
bulletB. The Water cycle and the Seas
bulletThe Seas
bulletC. The Earth's Relief
bulletD. The Earth's Atmosphere
bulletAltitude
bulletElectricity in the Atmosphere
bulletShadows
bulletThe Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms
bulletA. The Origins of Life
bulletB. The Vegetable Kingdom
bulletBalance in the Vegetable Kingdom
bulletThe Different Qualities of Various Foods
bulletReproduction in the Vegetable Kingdom
bulletC. The Animal Kingdom
bullet1. Reproduction in the Animal Kingdom
bullet2. References to the Existence of Animal Communities
bullet3. Statements Concerning Bees, Spiders and Birds
bulletBees
bulletSpiders
bulletBirds
bullet4. The Source of the Constituents of Animal Milk
bulletHuman Reproduction
bulletReminder of certain basic concepts
bulletHuman Reproduction in the Quran
bullet1. Fertilization is Performed by Only a Very Small Volume of Liquid
bullet2. The Constituents of the Fertilizing Liquid
bullet3. The Implantation of the Egg In the Female Genital Organs.
bullet4. Evolution of the Embryo inside the Uterus
bulletThe Quran and Sex Education
bulletQURANIC AND BIBLICAL NARRATIONS
bulletThe Flood
bulletThe Exodus
bulletThe Exodus according to the Bible
bulletThe Exodus according to the Quran
bulletConfrontation between Scriptural data and Modern Knowledge
bullet1. Examination of Certain Details Contained in the Narrations The Hebrews in Egypt
bulletThe Plagues of Egypt
bulletThe Route Taken by the Exodus
bulletThe Miraculous Parting of the Waters
bullet2. The Point Occupied by the Exodus in the History of the Pharaohs
bullet3. Rameses II, Pharaoh of the Oppression Merneptah, Pharaoh of the Exodus
bulletThe Problem of the Stele Dating from the Fifth Year of Merneptah's Reign
bullet4. The Description Contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Pharaoh's Death During the Exodus.
bullet5. Pharaoh Merneptah's Mummy
bulletGeneral 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 Quran. 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 Quran. 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 Quran are set out in this book.