Most Israelis Have Bibles at Home

JERUSALEM, Israel -- In preparation for the 24th annual Tenach (Hebrew Bible) Conference at the Herzog Academic College in Alon Shvut, a survey revealed that 95 percent of Israeli Jews have a Bible in their homes.

The Jerusalem Post provided detailed results of the survey, taken at the end of June, as well as some information about the conference.

The annual event features biblically themed tours of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) during which participants hear some 200 lectures on the Bible. Nearly 7,000 people have registered for this year's conference, which begins on Sunday.

The city of Alon Shvut, home to the Herzog Academic College, is itself a modern-day testimony to Israel's biblical connection to the land.

Following are some of the survey's statistical findings:

• While 95 percent of Jewish Israelis have a Tenach (Old Testament or Hebrew Bible) in their homes, only 6 percent of respondents knew where to find it.
• 100 percent of religiously observant Jews, 91 percent of "traditionally observant," and 82.5 percent of secular Jews have Bibles in their homes.
• The Israeli school system provides each new first grade student with a Bible of their own. And soldiers receive a Bible at the IDF's swearing-in ceremony at the end of basic training.
• 68 percent of respondents referred to the Tenach as "the Holy Book," while 16 percent it was the foundation of Jewish identity. Slightly less than 4 percent said it was the same as any other Jewish literature, while 9 percent responded it's "an ancient book with no relevance to my life today."
• Nearly 54 percent of secular Jews called it the Holy Book, compared with 84.6 percent of those calling themselves "traditionally observant."
• 41 percent said they study the Bible "frequently" or at least weekly, and 30 percent responded "infrequently," some saying they hadn't read the Bible since they studied it as part of their high school curriculum.
• 15 percent said they never read the Bible and 13 percent said they turn to the Book of Psalms when facing a crisis.