1. Tablets

The first format of the Bible is the tablets. At that time, letters or shards were used for writing.
In this format, only 10 commandments were written.

Benefits of this format is durability. The most ancient inscriptions have survived to this day on stone, shards.

Disadvantages is the only instance that has lost everything.

Today such a format is not used, and the tables that lay in the ark were lost. However, we can not assert that they do not exist or that they will not be found, because stone tablets can be stored for a very long time.

2. Scrolls

Made from parchment (animal skin). They did not last as long as the stone, but much longer than paper.
The most ancient surviving to our days is Scrolls of the Dead Sea, which are 2000 year.

Disadvantages - the complexity of production, which limited the number of copies.
Plus the human factor, the appearance of errors in rewriting. Because of what the cost was very high, related to the scrolls with trepidation, opened with prayer, kissed.

This format is used for worship in synagogues. Scrolls are not used for personal reading, but only for the public during the meeting and certain people. They are preserved as a shrine.
There are people who occupy the rewriting of scrolls, even in the army.

3. Book

One of the main drawbacks of the Bible was the inconvenience of finding the right book, you had to twist very much.
Yes and sorry, dear thing. One priest just cut the scroll and sewed it, so the book appeared.

Disadvantages are the same as that of scrolls, only the search for the right places has improved.

4. Printed book

How many manuscript Bibles were burned, especially new translations that were not pleasing to the church.
Then there is bibliography.

Benefits the cheapness of the publication (compared to manual work) and circulation.

Now it became impossible to control the new translations of the Bible.
After that, the Bible was burned many times, but it was already impossible to destroy this book.

Now this format is most often used. There are editions in leather binding with gilded edges, so that the book will last as long as possible.

5. Electronic Bible

Today the electronic version of the Bible is gaining popularity.
Now the distribution and use is becoming very cheap.

Benefits

full free,
availability,
compact, you can have your Bible with you anywhere on your cell phone,

ease of working with text:
parallel locations,
many translations,
the ability to verify the word in the original text with interpretation,
text search, now you do not need Symphony,
The story will help you come back and remember the place you found earlier.

ease of distribution.

Due to this it is easy to replicate. No one knows how many copies there are.
This Bible can be

on your computer,
mobile or smartphone,
on the Internet: through the computer or mobile.

You do not need to smuggle the Bible across the border. It can be simply download to computer or cellular via the Internet or Bluetooth.
No search will find a Bible for you, you can just visit Bible online from your computer or from mobile.

Here are the advantages of new technologies in general. In addition, we also use the printed Bible.
That is, the electronic version does not replace printed, but complements.

When I want to rest, it's more comfortable for me to sit on the couch reading a printed Bible.
When I study the Bible, it's more convenient for me to use the version to computer, where it's easy to search, compare, copy, and do the teaching.
When I translate teachers in the church, it is more convenient for me to use the Bible on the mobile.
Since one hand is occupied by a microphone, it is not very convenient to work with a printed Bible, but it is very convenient to quickly find places on the mobile.
In addition, when you translate, you can not outline, but you can see the history of the viewed places on the mobile.

There are opponents who believe that the printed Bible is real. Previously, there were those who believed that only scrolls were a true Bible.
In fact, what we have is not the Bible itself, but its translation. And the bearer is not important, but the place for the Bible is our hearts.

* Audio Bible

On the Internet you can not only to read the Bible, but also to listen.

People who have more developed hearing (musicians, visually impaired) are more comfortable hearing the text of the Bible.
There are translations of the Bible that have several audio versions. like the Synodal Bible.
It could be

read one speaker,
read by role,
role-playing with background music, like a play.

There are films based on the text of the Bible.

There is also a Braille Bible for the blind.

Braille Bible