Leviticus

A letter from the Elephantine papyri, requesting the rebuilding of a Jewish temple at Elephantine.

Composition Of the Torah

Composition Of the Torah The composition of the Torah (or Pentateuch, the first five books of the bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) was a process that involved multiple authors over an extended period of time. While Jewish tradition holds that all five books were originally written by Moses sometime...

The Old Testament

Pentateuch

Pentateuch Pentateuch, in Greek pentateuchos, is the name of the first five books of the Old Testament. Name Though it is not certain whether the word originally was an adjective, qualifying the omitted noun biblos, or a substantive, its literal meaning “five cases” appears to refer to the sheaths or boxes in which...

Complete set of Tanakh Hebrew Scrolls shown in Glen Rose, Texas

The Torah

The Torah The Torah is Judaism’s most important text. It is composed of the Five Books of Moses and also contains the 613 commandments (mitzvot) and the Ten Commandments. The word “Torah” means “to teach.” Five books of story, law, and poetry Main article: Oral Torah For Jews, the concept...

Torah reading

Torah

The Torah The Torah (תּוֹרָה, “Instruction”, “Teaching” or “Law”) has a range of meanings. It can most specifically mean the first five books (Pentateuch) of the 24 books of the Tanakh, and it is usually printed with the rabbinic commentaries (perushim). It can mean the continued narrative from the Book of Genesis to...