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…
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.
