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The canonical collection of Hebrew scriptures, foundational to Judaism and studied across traditions.
The Hebrew Bible, Jewish Bible, or Tanakh is the canonical collection of Hebrew scriptures, comprising the Torah, the Nevi'im, and the Ketuvim.
Quick Facts
- First occurrence
- Genesis 9:4
- Last occurrence
- 1 Samuel 29:6
Lore & Background
The Hebrew Bible developed during the Second Temple Period. Different branches of Judaism and Samaritanism have maintained distinct textual traditions, including the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Masoretic Text—a medieval textual tradition compiled by Jewish scribes. The Septuagint is a Greek translation of Hebrew scriptures, primarily used by Christians. The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of ancient manuscripts, not a single canonical version. The Masoretic Text is the textual tradition currently used in Rabbinic Judaism.
Reader's Guide
The Tanakh is divided into three parts: Torah (the five books of Moses), Nevi'im, and Ketuvim. The modern form of the Hebrew Bible authoritative in Rabbinic Judaism is the Masoretic Text, consisting of 24 books divided into parashot and pesuqim.
Did You Know?
- The Masoretic Text is a medieval version compiled by Jewish scribes and scholars of the early Middle Ages.
- The Hebrew Bible includes small portions in Biblical Aramaic, mostly in the books of Daniel and Ezra.
Elsewhere in Figures of Scripture
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