The Tanakh - the Jewish Bible

Writings and History that Go Beyond the Old Testament

Jun 29, 2009

The name Torah is often used to describe the Jewish Bible, although the Torah is actually only one part of Judaism's ancient written scriptures.

For many observant Jews, “Tanakh” is the word that best describes the Jewish Bible: a compendium of writings from more than one source. Tanakh is actually an acronym put together to describe its three sources: Torah (Instruction, or "Law"), Nevi’im ("Prophets") and Ketuvi’im ("Writings") = TaNaKh.

Orthodox versus Reform Judaism Interpretations

Orthodox Judaism believes that the Tanakh represents God’s teachings to man and was actually written by God. The Torah, Orthodox scholars say, was handed to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Nevi’im are teachings that were transmitted to ancient prophets later in the Jewish people’s development, and the Ketuvi’im were recorded by inspired writers through the years. Examples of such writings are the Proverbs that were said to have been written by King Solomon during the time of the First Temple.

The writings that make up the Tanakh were believed to have been initially compiled by the men of the Great Assembly, a gathering of approximately 120 wise scholars who lived around 450 BCE and had a decisive effect upon the canonization of Jewish religious writings. Modern scholars believe that additional records were added to the Tanakh around 200 BCE.

While most Orthodox Jews believe that these writings represent God’s words verbatim, most Reform Jews hold the belief that the 24 books that make up the Tanakh were actually written and interpreted by man.

The Many Books of the Tanakh

The first five books of the Tanakh represent the portion of the Hebrew Bible that is often referred to in Christian canons as the Old Testament:

The Hebrew name of each book actually represents the first word of the first passage of the book. Therefore, Beresheit means “In the Beginning,” referring to the story of the world’s creation (or genesis) and Bamidbar (which means “In the Desert” in Hebrew) is the opening of the discussion of the Jewish people’s 40 years in the desert. Through the years English readers have come to know those books by different, symbolic names, such as Genesis, Exodus, etc.

The eight books of Nevi’im (Prophets) are also considered part of the Tanakh. The eighth book of Nevi’im is referred to as the writings of Minor Prophets and are thought to have been added to the Tanakh after the time of the Great Assembly.

The Ketuvim (Writings) include works that are commonly read during holidays. During Purim for example, Orthodox and Liberal Jews alike read the book of Esther as part of the holy day’s religious celebration.

Translations from Hebrew to Other Languages

The Tanakh is thought to have been initially written in Biblical (Old) Hebrew. Successive translations to Aramaic and other world languages in some cases altered the flavor or meaning of Hebrew words, which is one of the reasons that there are variations in translation between the English (and other) versions of the Jewish Torah and the Christian Old Testament. Debate continues today as to which translations, if any, are the literal translations of the original Bible.

The copyright of the article The Tanakh - the Jewish Bible in Torah & Talmud Studies is owned by Jan Lee. Permission to republish The Tanakh - the Jewish Bible in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.