HOW IS THE BIBLE DIFFERENT? Ancient oracles were notoriously ambiguous and unreliable, and modern horoscopes are no better. Futurology is based on current trends and rarely even attempts to predict specific events centuries in advance. In contrast, Bible prophecies are detailed and always come true, even if they tell “from long ago the things that have not been done.”​—Isaiah 46:10.

AN EXAMPLE: In the sixth century B.C.E., the prophet Daniel saw a vision that foretold the rapid defeat of Medo-Persia by Greece. It also foretold that as soon as the victorious king of Greece “became mighty,” his kingship would be “broken.” Who would replace him? Daniel wrote: “There are four kingdoms from his nation that will stand up, but not with his power.”​—Daniel 8:5-8, 20-22.

WHAT HISTORIANS SAY: Over 200 years after Daniel’s time, Alexander the Great became king of Greece. Within ten years, Alexander defeated the Medo-Persian Empire and extended Grecian rule as far as the Indus River (in modern-day Pakistan). But he died suddenly at the age of 32. Finally, a battle near Ipsus in Asia Minor effectively dissolved his empire. The four victors of that battle eventually divided the Grecian Empire among themselves. However, none of them attained Alexander’s degree of power.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Can any other book claim such a record of fulfilled prophecy? Or is the Bible unique?

HOW IS THE BIBLE DIFFERENT? Ancient books often feature unsound and dangerous ideas that have been thoroughly debunked by modern science. Even today, authors must update textbooks to harmonize with new discoveries. But the Bible claims that it was authored by the Creator and that his Word “endures forever.”​—1 Peter 1:25.

AN EXAMPLE: The Mosaic Law commanded the Israelites to dispose of sewage in a covered hole “outside the camp.” (Deuteronomy 23:12, 13) If they touched a dead animal or human, the Israelites had to wash with water. (Leviticus 11:27, 28; Numbers 19:14-16) Lepers back then were quarantined until a physical examination confirmed that they were no longer contagious.​—Leviticus 13:1-8.

WHAT MODERN MEDICINE REVEALS: Proper sewage disposal, hand washing, and quarantine remain effective ways to fight disease. If there are no latrines or other sanitation systems nearby, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends: “Defecate at least 30 meters [100 feet] away from any body of water and then bury your feces.” When communities dispose of excrement safely, they reduce diarrheal disease by 36 percent, according to the World Health Organization. Less than 200 years ago, physicians discovered that they infected many patients when they did not wash their hands after handling corpses. The CDC still calls hand washing “the single most effective way to prevent the transmission of disease.” What about the quarantine of lepers or those with other diseases? Recently, the Saudi Medical Journal said: “In the early stages of an epidemic, isolation and quarantine may be the only and last resort to effectively control infectious diseases.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Would you expect any other ancient holy book to harmonize with modern science? Or is the Bible unique?

HOW IS THE BIBLE DIFFERENT? Even contemporaneous records from ancient times often contradict one another. Books written by different men, in different places, at different times rarely harmonize completely. Yet, the Bible claims that all of its 66 books have but one Author​—presenting a unified and harmonious message.​—2 Timothy 3:16.

AN EXAMPLE: Moses, a shepherd of the 16th century B.C.E., wrote in the Bible’s first book that a “seed” would come to save mankind. This book later foretold that the seed would be a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Genesis 3:15; 22:17, 18; 26:24; 28:14) About 500 years later, the prophet Nathan revealed that the seed would be in the royal line of David. (2 Samuel 7:12) One thousand years after that, the apostle Paul explained that the seed would be made up of Jesus and a group of his chosen followers. (Romans 1:1-4; Galatians 3:16, 29) Finally, by the end of the first century C.E., the last book of the Bible prophesied that members of the seed would bear witness to Jesus on earth, be raised to heaven, and rule with him for 1,000 years. This composite seed will destroy the Devil and save mankind.​—Revelation 12:17; 20:6-10.

WHAT BIBLE COMMENTATORS SAY: After a thorough investigation of the Bible’s 66 books, Louis Gaussen wrote that he was astonished by “the imposing unity of this book, composed during fifteen hundred years by so many authors, . . . who yet pursued one and the same plan, and advanced constantly, as if they themselves understood it, towards that one great end, the history of the world’s redemption by the Son of God.”​—Theopneusty—​The Plenary Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Would you expect a book written over a span of more than 1,500 years by some 40 different men to be totally harmonious? Or is the Bible unique?