The Tanakh
Nowadays published as a single volume, the Hebrew Bible is made up of individual “books.” The original books were oral stories that were written down as early as 900 BCE, and it was not until 200 BCE that were all written in scrolls. Many first thought that Moses wrote the first five book of the Bible. The Hebrew bible is written in Hebrew and commonly used titles of some of the books are Greek, based on early Greek translations. The historical accuracy of the Hebrew Bible is not always certain because not all biblical accounts can be verified with archeological finds or references in other historical records. Many accounts were transmitted orally long before they were written down or assembled in final form.
The Hebrew Bible is divided into three sections:
the Torah (the Teaching). Nevi’im (the Prophets), and Ketuvim (the Writings).
As a whole it is called the Tanakh.
the Torah (the Teaching). Nevi’im (the Prophets), and Ketuvim (the Writings).
As a whole it is called the Tanakh.
The Torah is composed of five books, sometimes called the Pentateuch. It is the sacred core of the Hebrew Bible, containing the creation story, Adam and Eve, Noah, and the Hebrew patriarchs and matriarchs. Moses is introduced as the great liberator and lawgiver, and his brother Aaron is the founder of the priesthood. It also includes laws about daily conduct and religious ritual.
The Nevi’im is named for those individuals who spoke in God’s name to the Jewish people. The books that concentrate on the history of the Israelite kingdom are called the Former Prophets. It is followed by additional books called the Latter Prophets, which are more strongly visionary and moral in tone. In the Latter Prophets, the voices of the individual prophets tend to predominate. |