What is the Jewish Bible / Tanakh?
What is the Jewish Bible / Tanakh?
Answer
The Jewish Bible (also called the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh) is another term for what Christians call the Old Testament portion of the Bible. More specifically, a 1917 English version of the Old Testament was called the Jewish Bible and was prepared by the Jewish Publication Society of America.
One distinctive feature of the Jewish Bible is that it divides the Old Testament into its traditional Hebrew sections. The four sections include the Chumash (The Five Books of Moses), the Neviim (The Prophets), the Treisar (The Minor Prophets) and the Ketuvim (The Writings). The order of the books in the 1917 Jewish Bible, including the Hebrew names, is as follows:
- Chumash/ Torah / The Five Books of Moses** Bereshit / Genesis Shemot / Exodus VaYikra / Leviticus BaMidbar / Numbers Devarim / Deuteronomy
- Neviim/ The Prophets** Yehoshua / Joshua Shoftim / Judges Shmuel A and B / 1—2 Samuel Melachim A and B / 1—2 Kings Yishiyah / Isaiah Yermiyah / Jeremiah Yechezchial / Ezekiel Daniyel / Daniel
- Treisar/ The Minor Prophets** Hoshea / Hosea Yoel / Joel Amos / Amos Ovadiyah / Obadiah Yonah / Jonah Michah / Micah Nachum / Nahum Habakuk / Habakkuk Tzefaniyah / Zephaniah Haggi / Haggai Zechariyah / Zechariah Malachi / Malachi
- Ketuvim/ The Writings** Tehilim / Psalms Mishlei / Proverbs Eyov / Job
- Megilot, which includes:** Shir HaShirim / Song of Songs Ruth / Ruth Eichah / Lamentations Keholet / Ecclesiastes Esther / Esther Ezra / Ezra Nechemiyah / Nehemiah Divrei Yamim A and B / 1—2 Chronicles
In summary, the Jewish Bible can refer to the entire Old Testament or to a particular translation of the Old Testament in 1917 by the Jewish Publication Society. In most cases, people use the terms Hebrew Bible, Jewish Bible, and Old Testament interchangeably.