004 the Old Testament

Books in the Old Testament #

These books span several religions are are interesting to read for sure. The Jewish, Islamic, and Christian faiths all have some ties to the Old Testament. This is possibly the most influential book in all of human history. Any journey of intellectualism would be incomplete without a review of this content.

Books in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) #

The Jewish canon is organized differently from the Christian Old Testament. Also the Masoretic (Jewish) Text does have some wording, order, and emphasis differences from the Greek translation in the Christian bible (Septuagint). Honestly, it’s broken up a little better and a little more understandable to read in the Greek (Christian) version.

Torah (Law) #

  • 001 - Genesis
  • 002 - Exodus
  • 003 - Leviticus
  • 004 - Numbers
  • 005 - Deuteronomy

Nevi’im (Prophets) #

  • 006 - Joshua
  • 007 - Judges
  • 009 - 1 Samuel
  • 010 - 2 Samuel
  • 011 - 1 Kings
  • 012 - 2 Kings
  • 023 - Isaiah
  • 024 - Jeremiah
  • 026 - Ezekiel
  • XXX - The Twelve Minor Prophets (Considered as one book in the Jewish tradition, covering 12 Christian books):
    • 028 - Hosea
    • 029 - Joel
    • 030 - Amos
    • 031 - Obadiah
    • 032 - Jonah
    • 033 - Micah
    • 034 - Nahum
    • 035 - Habakkuk
    • 036 - Zephaniah
    • 037 - Haggai
    • 038 - Zechariah
    • 039 - Malachi

Ketuvim (Writings) #

  • 019 - Psalms
  • 020 - Proverbs
  • 018 - Job
  • 022 - Song of Solomon
  • 008 - Ruth
  • 025 - Lamentations
  • 021 - Ecclesiastes
  • 017 - Esther
  • 027 - Daniel
  • XXX - Ezra-Nehemiah (Broken into two books in Christian version)
    • 015 - Ezra
    • 016 - Nehemiah
  • 013 - 1 Chronicles
  • 014 - 2 Chronicles

Books in the Christian Old Testament #

These are the books that are included in the Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox canons. The only major changes I saw were additions to Ester and Daniel in the Greek (Christian) version.

The Greek (Christian) version includes six additional sections in Ester that elaborate on the religious themes, including prayers by Esther and Mordecai, and explicit mentions of God (which is not in the Hebrew version).

There are also three additional sections in the Greek versions of Daniel but not in the Hebrew Bible. The first is “The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Holy Children”. This is inserted into Daniel 3. This addition includes a prayer by Azariah and a hymn of praise by the three men in the fiery furnace. The second addition I saw was “Susanna”. This is a standalone story of Daniel’s wisdom in saving a woman falsely accused of adultery. The last addition was “Bel and the Dragon”. There are two stories in here that ridicule idolatry and emphasize Daniel’s faith in God. There might be other changes, but I probably missed them as I’m not really a scholar of religions.

The Pentateuch (The Law) #

  • 001 - Genesis
  • 002 - Exodus
  • 003 - Leviticus
  • 004 - Numbers
  • 005 - Deuteronomy

Historical Books #

  • 006 - Joshua
  • 007 - Judges
  • 008 - Ruth
  • 009 - 1 Samuel
  • 010 - 2 Samuel
  • 011 - 1 Kings
  • 012 - 2 Kings
  • 013 - 1 Chronicles
  • 014 - 2 Chronicles
  • 015 - Ezra (Combined in Hebrew Bible as part of Ezra-Nehemiah)
  • 016 - Nehemiah (Combined in Hebrew Bible as part of Ezra-Nehemiah)
  • 017 - Esther

Wisdom and Poetry #

  • 018 - Job
  • 019 - Psalms
  • 020 - Proverbs
  • 021 - Ecclesiastes
  • 022 - Song of Solomon

The Prophetic Books #

Major Prophets #

  • 023 - Isaiah
  • 024 - Jeremiah
  • 025 - Lamentations
  • 026 - Ezekiel
  • 027 - Daniel

Minor Prophets #

  • 028 - Hosea
  • 029 - Joel
  • 030 - Amos
  • 031 - Obadiah
  • 032 - Jonah
  • 033 - Micah
  • 034 - Nahum
  • 035 - Habakkuk
  • 036 - Zephaniah
  • 037 - Haggai
  • 038 - Zechariah
  • 039 - Malachi

Deuterocanonical Books #

These are books accepted in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles, but not in the Protestant canon.

  • 040 - Tobit
  • 041 - Judith
  • 042 - Wisdom of Solomon
  • 043 - Ecclesiasticus (Sirach)
  • 044 - Baruch
  • 045 - 1 Maccabees
  • 046 - 2 Maccabees
  • 047 - Additions to Esther (Additional passages in the Septuagint version of Esther)
  • 048 - Additions to Daniel:
    • 048a - The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Holy Children
    • 048b - Susanna
    • 048c - Bel and the Dragon

Eastern Orthodox Additional Books #

The below are books recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church but not in the Catholic or Protestant Bibles.

  • 049 - 1 Esdras
  • 050 - 2 Esdras (Apocalypse of Ezra)
  • 051 - Prayer of Manasseh (Sometimes included with 2 Chronicles)
  • 052 - Psalm 151 (Found in some versions of the Psalms)

Relevant Dead Sea Scroll Texts #

Some of the texts found in the Dead Sea Scrolls include variants or additional manuscripts of the books included in the Old Testament. They are important for understanding the textual history of these books.

  • 053 - Genesis Apocryphon (Expands on the Book of Genesis, telling the stories of Noah, Abraham, and others)
  • 054 - The War Scroll (Describes an apocalyptic war between the “Sons of Light” and the “Sons of Darkness,” which expands the context of the Hebrew Bible’s eschatological themes)
  • 055 - The Psalms Scroll (Contains copies of several Psalms, along with some previously unknown psalms)
  • 056 - The Book of Enoch (Not part of the Hebrew Bible or Christian Old Testament, but it provides insight into Jewish thought during the Second Temple period)
  • 057 - The Book of Tobit (A version of the Deuterocanonical Book of Tobit was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, though it is sometimes thought to have been in the canon of certain Jewish sects)
  • 058 - The Community Rule (Describes the rules and practices of the Dead Sea Scrolls community, often linked to the Essenes, with similarities to teachings found in parts of the Old Testament)
  • 059 - The Copper Scroll (Lists locations where treasures are supposedly hidden, presenting historical and religious significance)

Books in Islam #

Islam does not directly adopt the Old Testament but acknowledges certain scriptures and stories within it, often through the lens of the Quran. Islam sees the Quran as the final and uncorrupted revelation, superseding the Torah, Psalms, and other previous scriptures. Stories and teachings from the Old Testament are often retold in the Quran with theological differences. As a result I don’t really go through this too deeply. However, it important to recognise that this relationship exists.

  • Recognized Scriptures
    • Tawrah (Torah): Given to Musa (Moses) and acknowledged as divine guidance.
    • Zabur (Psalms): Given to Dawud (David) as hymns of praise.
  • Recognized Prophets and Figures (Shared with Old Testament)
    • Adam and Eve: The creation story and fall.
    • Nuh (Noah): The flood narrative.
    • Ibrahim (Abraham): The patriarch of monotheism.
    • Yusuf (Joseph): His trials in Egypt.
    • Musa (Moses): His role in leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
    • Dawud (David) and Sulaiman (Solomon): Kings and prophets.
    • Ayyub (Job): A model of patience.
    • Yunus (Jonah): His story with the whale.