Scientists believe the bible could have been written by 'dozens' of people (Image: Getty)

       Professor Elizabeth Polczer, a biblical scholar at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, believes the Bible is the result of the work of "dozens" of people.

       Astonishingly, the professor estimates that more than 40 people wrote the holy book, and “each book of the Bible needs to be treated on its own to decide who authored it”.

       Finding out who penned this sacred book is no easy task, the professor told Mailonline, explaining that locating its author is “quite complicated”.

       In certain cases it's known who exactly wrote a book of the Bible, according to Professor Polczer, but in others it's less clear.

       More than 40 people may have written the holy book (Image: Getty)

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       The Christian Bible has two sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the original Hebrew Bible and was written over a period of hundreds of years.

       The exact dates are difficult to pinpoint due to a lack of a consistent calendar and different understandings of history.

       “Some of the most ancient material may date as early as 1200 BC, but the books were likely edited into their present form in the 6th or 5th centuries BC,” Professor Polczer said.

       Whereas The New Testament books were written by Christians in the first century AD.

       “Although books like Genesis and Exodus have been traditionally attributed to Moses, due to contradictions and duplications in their material, they are now thought to have been authored by several sources over the course of centuries”, said Professor Polczer.

       The Christian Bible has two sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament (Image: Getty)

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       The professor even believes that the four Gospels, purported to be written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, could actually be false.

       She said: “The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are all technically anonymous, and were attributed in very early stages to these four evangelists by Church Fathers,' Professor Polczer said.

       “It's difficult to know how much of that attribution is real history, and how much of it was legendary.”

       Most scholars also are in agreement that other books purport to have been written by a famous author – such as Solomon are falsely attributed or fake.