The Tanakh (The Hebrew Bible) The most important Jewish sacred scripture. Literally means “instruction” and refers to the will of God as it is reveal.

The Jewish Scriptures

The Tanakh (The Hebrew Bible)

The most important Jewish sacred scripture.

Literally means “instruction” and refers to the will of God as it is reveal to humankind.

It contains three major parts – the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings.

1. The Torah The Torah is the most

important part of the Tanakh.

It contains the first five books of the Bible, and is called the Pentateuch (a Greek term meaning “five books”).

The Torah contains 613 specific laws, most famous being the Ten Commandments.

The Torah Cont’d…

Genesis (Bereshith) The stories of Creation;

Adam and Eve; Noah; Abraham and Sarah and their offspring

The Torah Cont’d…

Exodus (Shemot) The stories of

Moses; the liberation from slavery in Egypt; the Ten Commandments

The Torah Cont’d…

Leviticus (Vayikra) The detailing of the

laws of sacrifice and other laws pertaining to the priests

The Torah Cont’d…

Numbers (Bemidbar) The wandering of

the twelve tribes of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years

The Torah Cont’d…

Deuteronomy (Devarim) A series of talks by

Moses before the people entered the Promised Land; it is a “Repetition of the Law,” a reminder that the gift of the land depended on obedience to the law

2. The Prophets (Neviim) The Prophets Were

written in a time when the Jewish people were in exile from their homeland.

The Prophets contains warnings to the Jewish people to stay faithful, to practice justice, and to be mindful of widows and orphans.

*Note:* Refer to handout for the names of the Prophets.

3. The Writings (Ketuvim) These books were also

written during the period of exile.

The Writings are known as wisdom books, or the wisdom literature.

They contain sayings or proverbs by wise people that reveal ways of living Jewish life.

*Note*: Refer to handout for the names of Writings.

The Talmud The Talmud is the second most

important Jewish sacred writing.

The Talmud is the written interpretations of the oral Torah (the Halakhah); contains prescribed ways to apply the commandments in the Torah to daily life.

It is a huge book of civil and religious laws and ethical teachings.

It includes laws about ritual purity, such as what foods cannot be eaten, and other impure things to avoid.

Homework:

Read pages 125-134

Complete handout

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