Tanakh

The Tanakh is the canonical collection of Jewish texts, which is also a textual source for the Christian Old Testament. These texts are composed mainly in Biblical Hebrew, with some portions in Biblical Aramaic.

Structure

The Tanakh is divided into three main sections:

1. Torah ("Teaching" or "Law"), also known as the Pentateuch, which includes the five books of Moses.
2. Nevi'im ("Prophets"), which contains the historical narratives and prophetic books.
3. Ketuvim ("Writings"), a diverse collection of poetic and philosophical works.

Contents

The Tanakh consists of 24 books, which are divided into the following categories:

Torah

• Genesis
• Exodus
• Leviticus
• Numbers
• Deuteronomy

Nevi'im

• Joshua
• Judges
• Samuel (1 and 2)
• Kings (1 and 2)
• Isaiah
• Jeremiah
• Ezekiel
• The Twelve Minor Prophets, including Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Ketuvim

• Psalms
• Proverbs
• Job
• Song of Songs
• Ruth
• Lamentations
• Ecclesiastes
• Esther
• Daniel
• Ezra–Nehemiah
• Chronicles (1 and 2)

Language and Translation

The original language of the Tanakh is Biblical Hebrew, with some sections in Biblical Aramaic. It has been translated into many languages, with the Septuagint being one of the earliest translations into Koine Greek.

Significance

The Tanakh is central to Jewish religious tradition and is used in synagogue services. It is also studied in Jewish education and forms the basis of Jewish law and ethics.

See also

• Hebrew Bible
• Old Testament
• Jewish history
• Biblical studies

References

• Jewish Publication Society
• Encyclopaedia Judaica