Hebrew Bible

The Hebrew Bible, known in Judaism as the Tanakh or Mikra, serves as the foundational scripture for Jewish faith and a primary source for Western history. This canonical collection splits into three distinct sections: the Torah, containing the five books of Moses; the Nevi'im, which gathers prophetic writings; and the Ketuvim, a diverse set of poetic and historical works. While the Masoretic Text remains the standard version used in Rabbinic Judaism today, it represents just one chapter in a long story of textual evolution. Scholars trace these scriptures back to the Second Temple Period, where communities debated which writings held divine authority. The text itself exists in various forms, including the Greek Septuagint, the Samaritan Pentateuch, and fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls, each offering unique insights into how ancient Jews understood their world.[edit]