Torah - wikipedia Torah For other uses, see Torah ( disambiguation ). Sefer Torah at old Glockengasse Synagogue ( reconstruction ), Cologne Silver Torah Case, Ottoman Empire Museum of Jewish Art and History Part of a series on the Bible Canons and books Tanakh Torah Nevi'im Ketuvim Christian biblical canons Hebrew Bible Old Testament ( OT ) New Testament ( NT ) Deuterocanon Antilegomena Chapters and verses Apocrypha Jewish OT NT Authorship and development Authorship Dating Hebrew canon Old Testament canon New Testament canon Documentary hypothesis Mosaic authorship Pauline epistles Petrine epistles Johannine works Translations and manuscripts Samaritan Torah Dead Sea scrolls Masoretic Text Targumim Peshitta Septuagint Vulgate Gothic Bible Vetus Latina Luther Bible English Bibles Biblical studies Archeology Artifacts Dating Historicity Internal consistency People Places Names Novum Testamentum Graece Documentary hypothesis Synoptic problem NT textual categories Biblical criticism Historical Textual Source Form Redaction Canonical Interpretation Hermeneutics Pesher Midrash Pardes Allegorical interpretation Literalism Prophecy Inspiration Perspectives Gnostic Islamic Qur'anic Muhammad Inerrancy Infallibility Criticism of the Bible Outline of Bible - related topics Bible book Bible portal The Torah ( / ˈtɔːrəˌˈtoʊrə / ; Hebrew : תּוֹרָה ‎, `` instruction, teaching '' ) is the central reference of Judaism. It has a range of meanings. It can most specifically mean the first five books ( Pentateuch ) of the 24 books of the Tanakh, and it usually includes the rabbinic commentaries ( perushim ). The term `` Torah '' means instruction and offers a way of life for those who follow it ; it can mean the continued narrative from Book of Genesis to the end of the Tanakh, and it can even mean the totality of Jewish teaching, culture and practice. Common to all these meanings, Torah consists of the origin of Jewish peoplehood : their call into being by God, their trials and tribulations, and their covenant with their God, which involves following a way of life embodied in a set of moral and religious obligations and civil laws ( halakha ). In rabbinic literature the word `` Torah '' denotes both the five books ( Hebrew : תורה שבכתב ‎ ‎ `` Torah that is written '' ) and the Oral Torah ( תורה שבעל פה, `` Torah that is spoken '' ). The Oral Torah consists of interpretations and amplifications which according to rabbinic tradition have been handed down from generation to generation and are now embodied in the Talmud and Midrash. According to rabbinic tradition, all of the teachings found in the Torah, both written and oral, were given by God through the prophet Moses, some at Mount Sinai and others at the Tabernacle, and all the teachings were written down by Moses, which resulted in the Torah that exists today. According to the Midrash, the Torah was created prior to the creation of the world, and was used as the blueprint for Creation. The majority of Biblical scholars believe that the written books were a product of the Babylonian captivity ( c. 600 BCE ), based on earlier written and oral traditions, which could only have arisen from separate communities within ancient Israel, and that it was completed by the period of Achaemenid rule ( c. 400 BCE ). The 1979 discovery of fragments of the Hebrew Bible ( Priestly Blessing from the Book of Numbers ) at Ketef Hinnom dating to the late 7th century BC, and thus to before the Babylonian captivity, is the oldest evidence of elements of the Torah which were current before the Babylonian exile. Traditionally, the words of the Torah are written on a scroll by a scribe ( sofer ) in Hebrew. A Torah portion is read publicly at least once every three days in the presence of a congregation. Reading the Torah publicly is one of the bases for Jewish communal life. Contents 1 Meaning and names 1.1 Alternative names 2 Contents 2.1 Bereshit / Genesis 2.2 Shemot / Exodus 2.3 Vayikra / Leviticus 2.4 Bamidbar / Numbers 2.5 D'varim / Deuteronomy 3 Authorship 4 Torah and Judaism 4.1 Ritual use 4.2 Biblical law 5 The Oral Torah 6 Divine significance of letters, Jewish mysticism 7 Production and use of a Torah scroll 8 Torah translations 8.1 Aramaic 8.2 Greek 8.3 Latin 8.4 Arabic 8.5 Modern languages 8.5. 1 Jewish translations 8.5. 2 Christian translations 9 In other religions 10 See also 11 References 12 Bibliography 13 Additional resources 14 External links Meaning and names Reading of the Torah The word `` Torah '' in Hebrew is derived from the root ירה, which in the hif'il conjugation means `` to guide / teach '' ( cf. Lev 10 : 11 ). The meaning of the word is therefore `` teaching '', `` doctrine '', or `` instruction '' ; the commonly accepted `` law '' gives a wrong impression. Other translational contexts in the English language include custom, theory, guidance, or system. The term `` Torah '' is used in the general sense to include both Rabbinic Judaism 's written law and Oral Law, serving to encompass the entire spectrum of authoritative Jewish religious teachings throughout history, including the Mishnah, the Talmud, the Midrash and more, and the inaccurate rendering of `` Torah '' as `` Law '' may be an obstacle to understanding the ideal that is summed up in the term talmud torah ( תלמוד תורה, `` study of Torah '' ). The earliest name for the first part of the Bible seems to have been `` The Torah of Moses ''. This title, however, is found neither in the Torah itself, nor in the works of the pre-Exilic literary prophets. It appears in Joshua ( 8 : 31 -- 32 ; 23 : 6 ) and Kings ( I Kings 2 : 3 ; II Kings 14 : 6 ; 23 : 25 ), but it can not be said to refer there to the entire corpus ( according to academic Bible criticism ). In contrast, there is every likelihood that its use in the post-Exilic works ( Mal. 3 : 22 ; Dan. 9 : 11, 13 ; Ezra 3 : 2 ; 7 : 6 ; Neh. 8 : 1 ; II Chron. 23 : 18 ; 30 : 16 ) was intended to be comprehensive. Other early titles were `` The Book of Moses '' ( Ezra 6 : 18 ; Neh. 13 : 1 ; II Chron. 35 : 12 ; 25 : 4 ; cf. II Kings 14 : 6 ) and `` The Book of the Torah '' ( Neh. 8 : 3 ), which seems to be a contraction of a fuller name, `` The Book of the Torah of God '' ( Neh. 8 : 8, 18 ; 10 : 29 -- 30 ; cf. 9 : 3 ). Alternative names Christian scholars usually refer to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible as the `` Pentateuch '' ( Greek : πεντάτευχος, `` five scrolls '' ), a term first used in the Hellenistic Judaism of Alexandria, meaning five books, or as the Law. Contents Tanakh ( Judaism ) Torah ( Instruction ) Genesis Brʾeišyt Exodus Šemot Leviticus Wayiqra Numbers Bəmidbar Deuteronomy Devarim Nevi'im ( Prophets ) Former Joshua Yehoshua Judges Shofetim Samuel Shemuel Kings Melakhim Latter Isaiah Yeshayahu Jeremiah Yirmeyahu Ezekiel Yekhezqel Minor Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Ketuvim ( Writings ) Poetic Psalms Təhillîm Proverbs Mishlei Job Iyov Five Megillot ( Scrolls ) Song of Songs Shir Hashirim Ruth Rut Lamentations Eikhah Ecclesiastes Qoheleth Esther Ester Historical Daniel Daniyyel Ezra -- Nehemiah Ezra Chronicles Dibh 're Hayyamim Old Testament ( Christianity ) Pentateuch Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Historical Joshua Judges Ruth 1 and 2 Samuel 1 and 2 Kings 1 and 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Wisdom Poetry Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs Prophetic Major prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Minor prophets Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Deuterocanonical Tobit Judith Additions to Esther 1 Maccabees 2 Maccabees Wisdom of Solomon Sirach Baruch / Letter of Jeremiah Additions to Daniel Orthodox only 1 Esdras 2 Esdras Prayer of Manasseh Psalm 151 3 Maccabees 4 Maccabees Odes Orthodox Tewahedo 1 Enoch Jubilees 1, 2, and 3 Meqabyan Paralipomena of Baruch Broader canon Bible portal Torah Information Religion Judaism Author Multiple Language Tiberian Hebrew Chapters 187 Verses 5,852 The Torah starts from the beginning of God 's creating the world, through the beginnings of the people of Israel, their descent into Egypt, and the giving of the Torah at biblical Mount Sinai. It ends with the death of Moses, just before the people of Israel cross to the promised land of Canaan. Interspersed in the narrative are the specific teachings ( religious obligations and civil laws ) given explicitly ( i.e. Ten Commandments ) or implicitly embedded in the narrative ( as in Exodus 12 and 13 laws of the celebration of Passover ). In Hebrew, the five books of the Torah are identified by the incipits in each book ; and the common English names for the books are derived from the Greek Septuagint and reflect the essential theme of each book : Bereshit ( בְּרֵאשִׁית, literally `` In the beginning '' ) -- Genesis Shemot ( שִׁמוֹת, literally `` Names '' ) -- Exodus Vayikra ( ויקרא, literally `` And He called '' ) -- Leviticus Bəmidbar ( במדבר, literally `` In the desert ( of ) '' ) -- Numbers Devarim ( דברים, literally `` Things '' or `` Words '' ) -- Deuteronomy Bereshit / Genesis Genesis begins with the `` primeval history '' ( Genesis 1 -- 11 ), the story of the world 's beginnings and the descent from Adam. This is followed by the story of the three patriarchs ( Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ), Joseph ( Genesis 12 -- 50 ) and the four matriarchs ( Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel ). God gives to the patriarchs a promise of the land of Canaan, but at the end of Genesis the sons of Jacob end up leaving Canaan for Egypt due to a regional famine. They had heard that there was a grain storage and distribution facility in Egypt. Shemot / Exodus Exodus begins the story of God 's revelation to his people of Israel through Moses, who leads them out of Egypt ( Exodus 1 -- 18 ) to Mount Sinai. There the people accept the covenant with God, agreeing to be his people and abide by his holy Law, in return for his agreeing to be their God, and protect and defend them from their enemies, and provide for and prosper them. Moses receives the Torah from God, and teaches His laws and Covenant ( Exodus 19 -- 24 ) to the people of Israel. It also talks about the first violation of the covenant when the Golden Calf was constructed ( Exodus 32 -- 34 ). Exodus includes the instructions on building the Tabernacle and concludes with its actual construction ( Exodus 25 -- 31 ; 35 -- 40 ). Vayikra / Leviticus Leviticus begins with instructions to the Israelites on how to use the Tabernacle, which they had just built ( Leviticus 1 -- 10 ). This is followed by rules of clean and unclean ( Leviticus 11 -- 15 ), which includes the laws of slaughter and animals permissible to eat ( see also : Kashrut ), the Day of Atonement ( Leviticus 16 ), and various moral and ritual laws sometimes called the Holiness Code ( Leviticus 17 -- 26 ). Leviticus 26 provides a detailed list of rewards for following God 's commandments and a detailed list of punishments for not following them. Leviticus 17 establishes sacrifices at the Tabernacle as an everlasting ordinance, but this ordinance is altered in later books with the Temple being the only place in which sacrifices are allowed. Bamidbar / Numbers Numbers tells how Israel consolidated itself as a community at Sinai ( Numbers 1 -- 9 ), set out from Sinai to move towards Canaan and spied out the land ( Numbers 10 -- 13 ). Because of unbelief at various points, but especially at Kadesh Barnea ( Numbers 14 ), the Israelites were condemned to wander for forty years in the desert in the vicinity of Kadesh instead of immediately entering the Promised Land. Even Moses sins and is told he would not live to enter the land ( Numbers 20 ). At the end of Numbers ( Numbers 26 -- 35 ) Israel moves from Kadesh to the plains of Moab opposite Jericho, ready to enter the Promised Land. D'varim / Deuteronomy Deuteronomy is a series of speeches by Moses on the plains of Moab opposite Jericho. Also referred to as Mishneh Torah in Hebrew ( a repeat of the Torah ) the essential gist of the entire book is a rebuke to the Children of Israel to not worship idolatry, to not follow in the ways of Cana'an, and to cleave to God. Moses proclaims the Law ( Deuteronomy 12 -- 26 ), gives instruction concerning covenant renewal at Shechem ( Deuteronomy 27 -- 28 ) and gives Israel new laws ( the `` Deuteronomic Code '' ). At the end of the book ( Deuteronomy 34 ) Moses is allowed to see the promised land from a mountain, and then dies. The text emphasises that no one knows where Moses was finally buried ( 34 : 6 ). Knowing that he was nearing the end of his life, Moses had appointed Joshua his successor, bequeathing to him the mantle of leadership. Soon afterwards Israel begins the conquest of Canaan. Authorship Main articles : Mosaic authorship and Documentary hypothesis The Talmud holds that the Torah was written by Moses, with the exception of the last eight verses of Deuteronomy, describing his death and burial, being written by Joshua. Alternatively, Rashi quotes from the Talmud that `` God spoke them, and Moses wrote them with tears. '' The Mishnah includes the divine origin of the Torah as an essential tenet of Judaism. The modern scholarly consensus is that the Torah has multiple authors and that its composition took place over centuries. This contemporary common hypothesis among biblical scholars states that the first major comprehensive draft of the Pentateuch was composed in the late 7th or the 6th century BC ( the Jahwist source ), and that this was later expanded by the addition of various narratives and laws ( the Priestly source ) into a work very like the one existing today. `` The consensus of scholarship is that the stories are taken from four different written sources and that these were brought together over the course of time to form the first five books of the Bible as a composite work. The sources are known as J, the Jahwist source ( from the German transliteration of the Hebrew YHWH ), E, the Elohist source, P, the priestly source, and D, the Deuteronomist source... Thus the Pentateuch ( or Torah, as it is known by Jews ) comprises material taken from six centuries of human history, which has been put together to give a comprehensive picture of the creation of the world and of God 's dealings with his peoples, specifically with the people of Israel. '' ( Professor John Riches of the University of Glasgow ). Torah and Judaism Presentation of The Torah ( 1860 ) -- Museum of Jewish Art and History Part of a series on Judaism Movements Orthodox Haredi Hasidic Modern Conservative Reform Karaite Reconstructionist Renewal Humanistic Haymanot Philosophy Principles of faith Kabbalah Messiah Ethics Chosenness Names of God Musar movement Texts Tanakh Torah Nevi'im Ketuvim Ḥumash Siddur Piyutim Zohar Rabbinic Mishnah Talmud Midrash Tosefta Law Mishneh Torah Tur Shulchan Aruch Mishnah Berurah Aruch HaShulchan Kashrut Tzniut Tzedakah Niddah Noahide laws Holy cities / places Jerusalem Safed Hebron Tiberias Synagogue Beth midrash Mikveh Sukkah Chevra kadisha Holy Temple Tabernacle Important figures Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses Aaron David Solomon Sarah Rebecca Rachel Leah Rabbinic sages Chazal Tannaim Amoraim Savoraim Geonim Rishonim Acharonim Religious roles Rabbi Rebbe Posek Hazzan Dayan Rosh yeshiva Mohel Kohen Culture and education Brit Pidyon haben Bar and Bat Mitzvah Marriage Bereavement Yeshiva Kolel Cheder Ritual objects Sefer Torah Tallit Tefillin Tzitzit Kippah Mezuzah Menorah Shofar Four species Etrog Lulav Hadass Arava Kittel Gartel Prayers Shema ( Sh'ma ) Amidah Aleinu Kaddish Minyan Birkat Hamazon Shehecheyanu Hallel Havdalah Tachanun Kol Nidre Selichot ( S'lichot ) Major holidays Rosh Hashana Yom Kippur Sukkot Pesach Shavuot Other religions Judaism and Christianity Hinduism Islam Abrahamic religions Judeo - Christian Pluralism Related topics Jews Zionism Israel Criticism Antisemitism Anti-Judaism Holocaust theology Music Jesus Muhammad Judaism portal Rabbinic writings indicate that the Oral Torah was given to Moses at Mount Sinai, which, according to the tradition of Orthodox Judaism, occurred in 1312 BC. The Orthodox rabbinic tradition holds that the Written Torah was recorded during the following forty years, though many non-Orthodox Jewish scholars affirm the modern scholarly consensus that the Written Torah has multiple authors and was written over centuries. The Talmud ( Gittin 60a ) presents two opinions as to how exactly the Torah was written down by Moses. One opinion holds that it was written by Moses gradually as it was dictated to him, and finished it close to his death, and the other opinion holds that Moses wrote the complete Torah in one writing close to his death, based on what was dictated to him over the years. The Talmud ( Menachot 30a ) says that the last eight verses of the Torah that discuss the death and burial of Moses could not have been written by Moses, as writing it would have been a lie, and that they were written after his death by Joshua. Abraham ibn Ezra and Joseph Bonfils observed that phrases in those verses present information that people should only have known after the time of Moses. Ibn Ezra hinted, and Bonfils explicitly stated, that Joshua wrote these verses many years after the death of Moses. Other commentators do not accept this position and maintain that although Moses did not write those eight verses it was nonetheless dictated to him and that Joshua wrote it based on instructions left by Moses, and that the Torah often describes future events, some of which have yet to occur. All classical rabbinic views hold that the Torah was entirely Mosaic and of divine origin. Present - day Reform and Liberal Jewish movements all reject Mosaic authorship, as do most shades of Conservative Judaism. Ritual use Main article : Torah reading Torahs in Ashkenazi Synagogue ( Istanbul, Turkey ) Torah reading ( Hebrew : קריאת התורה, K'riat HaTorah ; `` Reading ( of ) the Torah '' ) is a Jewish religious ritual that involves the public reading of a set of passages from a Torah scroll. The term often refers to the entire ceremony of removing the Torah scroll ( or scrolls ) from the ark, chanting the appropriate excerpt with traditional cantillation, and returning the scroll ( s ) to the ark. It is distinct from academic Torah study. Regular public reading of the Torah was introduced by Ezra the Scribe after the return of the Jewish people from the Babylonian captivity ( c. 537 BCE ), as described in the Book of Nehemiah. In the modern era, adherents of Orthodox Judaism practice Torah reading according to a set procedure they believe has remained unchanged in the two thousand years since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem ( 70 CE ). In the 19th and 20th centuries CE, new movements such as Reform Judaism and Conservative Judaism have made adaptations to the practice of Torah reading, but the basic pattern of Torah reading has usually remained the same : As a part of the morning prayer services on certain days of the week, fast days, and holidays, as well as part of the afternoon prayer services of Shabbat, Yom Kippur, and fast days, a section of the Pentateuch is read from a Torah scroll. On Shabbat ( Saturday ) mornings, a weekly section ( `` parashah '' ) is read, selected so that the entire Pentateuch is read consecutively each year. The division of parashot found in the modern - day Torah scrolls of all Jewish communities ( Ashkenazic, Sephardic, and Yemenite ) is based upon the systematic list provided by Maimonides in Mishneh Torah, Laws of Tefillin, Mezuzah and Torah Scrolls, chapter 8. Maimonides based his division of the parashot for the Torah on the Aleppo Codex. Conservative and Reform synagogues may read parashot on a triennial rather than annual schedule, On Saturday afternoons, Mondays, and Thursdays, the beginning of the following Saturday 's portion is read. On Jewish holidays, the beginnings of each month, and fast days, special sections connected to the day are read. Jews observe an annual holiday, Simchat Torah, to celebrate the completion and new start of the year 's cycle of readings. Torah scrolls are often dressed with a sash, a special Torah cover, various ornaments and a Keter ( crown ), although such customs vary among synagogues. Congregants traditionally stand in respect when the Torah is brought out of the ark to be read, while it is being carried, and lifted, and likewise while it is returned to the ark, although they may sit during the reading itself. Biblical law See also : Biblical law The Torah contains narratives, statements of law, and statements of ethics. Collectively these laws, usually called biblical law or commandments, are sometimes referred to as the Law of Moses ( Torat Moshe תּוֹרַת ־ מֹשֶׁה ‎ ), Mosaic Law, or Sinaitic Law. The oral Torah See also : Oral Torah Rabbinic tradition holds that Moses learned the whole Torah while he lived on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights and both the oral and the written Torah were transmitted in parallel with each other. Where the Torah leaves words and concepts undefined, and mentions procedures without explanation or instructions, the reader is required to seek out the missing details from supplemental sources known as the oral law or oral Torah. Some of the Torah 's most prominent commandments needing further explanation are : Tefillin : As indicated in Deuteronomy 6 : 8 among other places, tefillin are to be placed on the arm and on the head between the eyes. However, there are no details provided regarding what tefillin are or how they are to be constructed. Kashrut : As indicated in Exodus 23 : 19 among other places, a young goat may not be boiled in its mother 's milk. In addition to numerous other problems with understanding the ambiguous nature of this law, there are no vowelization characters in the Torah ; they are provided by the oral tradition. This is particularly relevant to this law, as the Hebrew word for milk ( חלב ) is identical to the word for animal fat when vowels are absent. Without the oral tradition, it is not known whether the violation is in mixing meat with milk or with fat. Shabbat laws : With the severity of Sabbath violation, namely the death penalty, one would assume that direction would be provided as to how exactly such a serious and core commandment should be upheld. However, most information regarding the rules and traditions of Shabbat are dictated in the Talmud and other books deriving from Jewish oral law. According to classical rabbinic texts this parallel set of material was originally transmitted to Moses at Sinai, and then from Moses to Israel. At that time it was forbidden to write and publish the oral law, as any writing would be incomplete and subject to misinterpretation and abuse. However, after exile, dispersion, and persecution, this tradition was lifted when it became apparent that in writing was the only way to ensure that the Oral Law could be preserved. After many years of effort by a great number of tannaim, the oral tradition was written down around 200 CE by Rabbi Judah haNasi, who took up the compilation of a nominally written version of the Oral Law, the Mishnah ( Hebrew : משנה ). Other oral traditions from the same time period not entered into the Mishnah were recorded as `` Baraitot '' ( external teaching ), and the Tosefta. Other traditions were written down as Midrashim. After continued persecution more of the oral law was committed to writing. A great many more lessons, lectures and traditions only alluded to in the few hundred pages of Mishnah, became the thousands of pages now called the Gemara. Gemara is written in Aramaic, having been compiled in Babylon. The Mishnah and Gemara together are called the Talmud. The Rabbis in Israel also collected their traditions and compiled them into the Jerusalem Talmud. Since the greater number of Rabbis lived in Babylon, the Babylonian Talmud has precedence should the two be in conflict. Orthodox and Conservative branches of Judaism accept these texts as the basis for all subsequent halakha and codes of Jewish law, which are held to be normative. Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism deny that these texts, or the Torah itself for that matter, may be used for determining normative law ( laws accepted as binding ) but accept them as the authentic and only Jewish version for understanding the Torah and its development throughout history. Humanistic Judaism holds that the Torah is a historical, political, and sociological text, but does not believe that every word of the Torah is true, or even morally correct. Humanistic Judaism is willing to question the Torah and to disagree with it, believing that the entire Jewish experience, not just the Torah, should be the source for Jewish behavior and ethics. Divine significance of letters, Jewish mysticism Further information : Kabbalah Kabbalists hold that not only do the words of Torah give a divine message, but they also indicate a far greater message that extends beyond them. Thus they hold that even as small a mark as a kotzo shel yod ( קוצו של יוד ), the serif of the Hebrew letter yod ( י ), the smallest letter, or decorative markings, or repeated words, were put there by God to teach scores of lessons. This is regardless of whether that yod appears in the phrase `` I am the Lord thy God '' ( אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ ‎, Exodus 20 : 2 ) or whether it appears in `` And God spoke unto Moses saying '' ( וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים, אֶל - מֹשֶׁה ; וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, אֲנִי יְהוָה. ‎ Exodus 6 : 2 ). In a similar vein, Rabbi Akiva ( c. 50 -- c. 135 CE ), is said to have learned a new law from every et ( את ) in the Torah ( Talmud, tractate Pesachim 22b ) ; the particle et is meaningless by itself, and serves only to mark the direct object. In other words, the Orthodox belief is that even apparently contextual text `` And God spoke unto Moses saying... '' is no less important than the actual statement. One kabbalistic interpretation is that the Torah constitutes one long name of God, and that it was broken up into words so that human minds can understand it. While this is effective since it accords with our human reason, it is not the only way that the text can be broken up. Production and use of a Torah scroll Main article : Sefer Torah Page pointers, or yad, for reading of the Torah Manuscript Torah scrolls are still scribed and used for ritual purposes ( i.e., religious services ) ; this is called a Sefer Torah ( `` Book ( of ) Torah '' ). They are written using a painstakingly careful methodology by highly qualified scribes. This has resulted in, according to B. Barry Levy, `` The popular assumption that no changes were ever introduced into copies of the Bible during rabbinic times. '' However, he writes that this `` simply does not accord with the facts. '' It is believed that every word, or marking, has divine meaning, and that not one part may be inadvertently changed lest it lead to error. The fidelity of the Hebrew text of the Tanakh, and the Torah in particular, is considered paramount, down to the last letter : translations or transcriptions are frowned upon for formal service use, and transcribing is done with painstaking care. An error of a single letter, ornamentation, or symbol of the 304,805 stylized letters that make up the Hebrew Torah text renders a Torah scroll unfit for use, hence a special skill is required and a scroll takes considerable time to write and check. According to Jewish law, a sefer Torah ( plural : Sifrei Torah ) is a copy of the formal Hebrew text handwritten on gevil or klaf ( forms of parchment ) by using a quill ( or other permitted writing utensil ) dipped in ink. Written entirely in Hebrew, a sefer Torah contains 304,805 letters, all of which must be duplicated precisely by a trained sofer ( `` scribe '' ), an effort that may take as long as approximately one and a half years. Most modern Sifrei Torah are written with forty - two lines of text per column ( Yemenite Jews use fifty ), and very strict rules about the position and appearance of the Hebrew letters are observed. See for example the Mishnah Berurah on the subject. Any of several Hebrew scripts may be used, most of which are fairly ornate and exacting. The completion of the sefer Torah is a cause for great celebration, and it is a mitzvah for every Jew to either write or have written for him a Sefer Torah. Torah scrolls are stored in the holiest part of the synagogue in the Ark known as the `` Holy Ark '' ( אֲרוֹן הקֹדשׁ ‎ aron hakodesh in Hebrew. ) Aron in Hebrew means `` cupboard '' or `` closet '', and kodesh is derived from `` kadosh '', or `` holy ''. Torah translations Aramaic Main article : Targum The Book of Ezra refers to translations and commentaries of the Hebrew text into Aramaic, the more commonly understood language of the time. These translations would seem to date to the 6th century BCE. The Aramaic term for translation is Targum. The Encyclopedia Judaica has : At an early period, it was customary to translate the Hebrew text into the vernacular at the time of the reading ( e.g., in Palestine and Babylon the translation was into Aramaic ). The targum ( `` translation '' ) was done by a special synagogue official, called the meturgeman... Eventually, the practice of translating into the vernacular was discontinued. However, there is no suggestion that these translations had been written down as early as this. There are suggestions that the Targum was written down at an early date, although for private use only. The official recognition of a written Targum and the final redaction of its text, however, belong to the post-Talmudic period, thus not earlier than the fifth century C.E. Greek Main article : Septuagint One of the earliest known translations of the first five books of Moses from the Hebrew into Greek was the Septuagint. This is a Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible that was used by Greek speakers. The Greek version 's name in Latin is the Septuagint : Latin septem meaning seven, plus - gintā meaning `` times ten ''. It was named Septuagint from the traditional number of its translators. This Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures dates from the 3rd century BCE, originally associated with Hellenistic Judaism. It contains both a translation of the Hebrew and additional and variant material. Later translations into Greek include seven or more other versions. These do not survive, except as fragments, and include those by Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion. Latin Early translations into Latin -- the Vetus Latina -- were ad hoc conversions of parts of the Septuagint. With Saint Jerome in the 4th century AD came the Vulgate Latin translation of the Hebrew Bible. Arabic From the eighth century AD, the cultural language of Jews living under Islamic rule became Arabic rather than Aramaic. `` Around that time, both scholars and lay people started producing translations of the Bible into Judeo - Arabic using the Hebrew alphabet. '' Later, by the 10th century, it became essential for a standard version of the Bible in Judeo - Arabic. The best known was produced by Saadiah, and continues to be in use today, `` in particular among Yemenite Jewry. '' Modern languages Jewish translations The Torah has been translated by Jewish scholars into most of the major European languages, including English, German, Russian, French, Spanish and others. The most well - known German - language translation was produced by Samson Raphael Hirsch. A number of Jewish English Bible translations have been published. Christian translations As a part of the Christian Biblical canon, the Torah has been translated into hundreds of languages. In other religions See also : Biblical law in Christianity, Islamic -- Jewish relations, and Torah in Islam While Christianity includes the five books of Moses ( the Pentateuch ) among their sacred texts in its Old Testament, Islam states that only the original Torah was sent by God. In neither religion does the Torah retain the religious legal significance that it does in Orthodox Judaism. Among early centers of Christianity the Septuagint was used by Greek speakers, while Aramaic Targums were used by Aramaic speakers such as the Syriac Orthodox Church. It was regarded as the standard form of the Old Testament in the early Greek Christian Church and is still considered canonical in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Though different Christian denominations have slightly different versions of the Old Testament in their Bibles, the Torah as the `` Five Books of Moses '' ( or `` the Mosaic Law '' ) is common among them all. The Quran refers heavily to Moses to outline the truth of his existence and the religious guidelines that God had revealed to the Children of Israel. According to the Qur'an, Allah says `` It is He Who has sent down the Book ( the Qur'an ) to you with truth, confirming what came before it. And He sent down the Taurat ( Torah ) and the Injeel ( Gospel ). '' ( 3 : 3 ) Muslims call the Torah the Tawrat and consider it the word of God given to Moses. However, Muslims also believe that this original revelation was corrupted ( tahrif ) ( or simply altered by the passage of time and human fallibility ) over time by Jewish scribes and hence do not revere the present `` Jewish version '' Torah as much. 7 : 144 -- 144 The Torah in the Quran is always mentioned with respect in Islam. The Muslims ' belief in the Torah, as well as the prophethood of Moses, is one of the fundamental tenets of Islam. The Bahá'í position on the Torah was composed in 1906 by its official interpreter on all matters religious, Sir ' Abdu'l - Bahá ' Abbas K.B.E. `` The Torah, held to be the most ancient of histories, existeth today in three separate versions : the Hebrew, considered authentic by the Jews and the Protestant clergy ; the Greek Septuagint, which was used as authoritative in the Greek and other eastern churches ; and the Samaritan Torah, the standard authority for that people. These three versions differ greatly, one from another, even with regard to the lifetimes of the most celebrated figures. In the Hebrew Torah, it is recorded that from Noah 's flood until the birth of Abraham there was an interval of two hundred and ninety - two years. In the Greek, that time span is given as one thousand and seventy - two years, while the Samaritan, the recorded span is nine hundred and forty - two years. Refer to the commentary by Henry Westcott for tables are supplied therein which show the discrepancies among the three Torahs as to the birth dates of a number of the descendants of Shem, and thou wilt see how greatly the versions differ from one another. Moreover, according to the text of the Hebrew Torah, from the creation of Adam until Noah 's flood the elapsed time is recorded as one thousand six hundred and fifty - six years, while in the Greek Torah the interval is given as two thousand two hundred and sixty - two years, and in the Samaritan text, the same period is said to have lasted one thousand three hundred and seven years. Reflect now over the discrepancies among these three Torahs. The case is indeed surprising. The Jews and Protestants belittle the Greek Torah, while to the Greeks the Hebrew version is spurious, and the Samaritans deny both the Hebrew and the Greek versions. '' ' Abdu'l Bahá 's elucidations above in 1906 are found in his letter to Ethel Jenner Rosenberg ( 1858 -- 1930, without issue and no relation to the famous spies, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg ) http://bahai-library.com/abdulbaha_tablet_wisdom_questions See also Book of Moses ( LDS ) Christianity and Judaism Heptateuch Hexapla Ketuvim Nevi'im Jewish Publication Society ( JPS ) New Jewish Publication Society of America Tanakh ( JPS Tanakh ) Judeo - Christian Ketef Hinnom Moses in rabbinic literature Samaritan Pentateuch Tanakh Ten Commandments Torah redactor Torah scroll ( Yemenite ) Torah study References Jump up ^ Neusner, Jacob ( 2004 ). The Emergence of Judaism. Louisville : Westminster John Knox Press. p. 57. `` The Hebrew word torah mean ' teaching. ' We recall... the most familiar meaning of the word : ' Torah = the five books of Moses, '' the Pentateuch... The Torah may also refer to the entirety of the Hebrew Scriptures... The Torah furthermore covers instruction in two media, writing and memory... ( The oral part ) is contained, in part, in the Mishnah, Talmud, and midrash compilations. But there is more : what the world calls ' Judaism ' the faithful know as ' the Torah. ' '' ^ Jump up to : Birnbaum ( 1979 ), p. 630 Jump up ^ Vol. 11 Trumah Section 61 Jump up ^ page 1, Blenkinsopp, Joseph ( 1992 ). The Pentateuch : An introduction to the first five books of the Bible. Anchor Bible Reference Library. New York : Doubleday. ISBN 0 - 385 - 41207 - X. Jump up ^ Finkelstein, I., Silberman, NA., The Bible Unearthed : Archaeology 's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts, p. 68 Jump up ^ Davila, James, `` MORE ON THE KETEF HINNOM AMULETS in Ha'aretz, '' Paleojudaica, Sept. 2004. Jump up ^ Barkay, Gabriel, et al., `` The Challenges of Ketef Hinnom : Using Advanced Technologies to Recover the Earliest Biblical Texts and their Context '', Near Eastern Archaeology, 66 / 4 ( Dec. 2003 ) : 162 - 171. Jump up ^ `` Solving a Riddle Written in Silver ''. The New York Times. 28 September 2004. Jump up ^ Myers, Gary D. `` ' Silver scrolls ' are oldest O.T. scripture, archaeologist says ''. Jump up ^ Barkay, Gabriel ; Lundberg, Marilyn J. ; Vaughn, Andrew G. ; Zuckerman, Bruce ( 1 January 2004 ). `` The Amulets from Ketef Hinnom : A New Edition and Evaluation ''. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research ( 334 ) : 41 -- 71. JSTOR 4150106. doi : 10.2307 / 4150106 -- via JSTOR. Jump up ^ Babylonian Talmud Bava Kama 82a Jump up ^ Rabinowitz, Louis Isaac and Harvey, Warren. `` Torah ''. Encyclopaedia Judaica. Ed. Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik. Vol. 20. 2nd ed. Detroit : Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. pp. 39 -- 46. Jump up ^ Philip Birnbaum, Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts, Hebrew Publishing Company, 1964, p. 630 Jump up ^ p. 2767, Alcalay Jump up ^ pp. 164 -- 165, Scherman, Exodus 12 : 49 Jump up ^ Sarna, Nahum M. et al. `` Bible ''. Encyclopaedia Judaica. Ed. Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik. Vol. 3. 2nd ed. Detroit : Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. pp 576 -- 577. Jump up ^ The World and the Word : An Introduction to the Old Testament, ed. Eugene H. Merrill, Mark Rooker, Michael A. Grisanti, 2011, p, 163 : `` Part 4 The Pentateuch by Michael A. Grisanti : The Term `` Pentateuch '' derives from the Greek pentateuchos, literally,... The Greek term was apparently popularized by the Hellenized Jews of Alexandria, Egypt, in the first century AD... '' Jump up ^ `` Devdutt Pattanaik : The fascinating design of the Jewish Bible ''. Jump up ^ Coogan, Michael D. A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament : The Hebrew Bible in Its Context. Oxford University Press, 2009. pp. 148 -- 149 Jump up ^ Bava Basra 14b Jump up ^ Louis Jacobs ( 1995 ). The Jewish religion : a companion. Oxford University Press. p. 375. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 826463 - 7. Retrieved 27 February 2012. Jump up ^ Talmud, Bava Basra 14b Jump up ^ Mishnah, Sanhedrin 10 : 1 Jump up ^ McDermott, John J., ( 2002 ). Reading the Pentateuch : a historical introduction. Pauline Press. p. 21. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8091 - 4082 - 4. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ Riches, John ( 2000 ). The Bible : A Very Short Introduction. Oxford : Oxford University Press. pp. 19 -- 20. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 285343 - 1. Jump up ^ History Crash Course # 36 : Timeline : From Abraham to Destruction of the Temple, by Rabbi Ken Spiro, Aish.com. Retrieved 2010 - 08 - 19. Jump up ^ Berlin, Adele ; Brettler, Marc Zvi ; Fishbane, Michael, eds. ( 2004 ). The Jewish Study Bible. New York City : Oxford University Press. pp. 3 -- 7. ISBN 978 - 0195297515. Jump up ^ Nadler, Steven ; Saebo, Magne ( 2008 ). Hebrew Bible / Old Testament : The History of its Interpretation, II : From the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. p. 829. ISBN 3525539827. Retrieved 18 September 2015. Jump up ^ Ibn Ezra, Deuteronomy 34 : 6 Jump up ^ Ohr Ha'chayim Deuteronomy 34 : 6 Jump up ^ For more information on these issues from an Orthodox Jewish perspective, see Modern Scholarship in the Study of Torah : Contributions and Limitations, Ed. Shalom Carmy, and Handbook of Jewish Thought, Volume I, by Aryeh Kaplan. Jump up ^ Larry Siekawitch ( 2013 ), The Uniqueness of the Bible, pp 19 -- 30 Jump up ^ Book of Nehemia, Chapter 8 Jump up ^ Source ? Jump up ^ The Authentic Triennial Cycle : A Better Way to Read Torah ? Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Archived August 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Rietti, Rabbi Jonathan. The Oral Law : The Heart of The Torah Jump up ^ Talmud, Gittin 60b Jump up ^ `` FAQ for Humanistic Judaism, Reform Judaism, Humanists, Humanistic Jews, Congregation, Arizona, AZ ''. Oradam.org. Retrieved 2012 - 11 - 07. Jump up ^ B. Barry Levi, Fixing God 's Torah : The Accuracy of the Hebrew Bible Text in Jewish Law, Oxford University Press, 2001, p. 4. Jump up ^ Mishnat Soferim The forms of the letters translated by Jen Taylor Friedman ( geniza.net ) Jump up ^ Chilton, BD. ( ed ), The Isaiah Targum : Introduction, Translation, Apparatus and Notes, Michael Glazier, Inc., p. xiii Jump up ^ Encyclopedia Judaica, entry on Torah, Reading of Jump up ^ Encyclopedia Judaica, entry on Bible : Translations Jump up ^ Greifenhagen, FV., Egypt on the Pentateuch 's Ideological Map : Constructing Biblical Israel 's Identity, Continuum, 2002, p. 218. Jump up ^ Encyclopedia Judaica, vol. 3, p. 597 Jump up ^ Encyclopedia Judaica, vol. III, p. 603 Jump up ^ p. 317, DeSilva Jump up ^ Is the Bible God 's Word by Sheikh Ahmed Deedat Bibliography Bandstra, Barry L ( 2004 ). Reading the Old Testament : an introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Wadsworth. ISBN 9780495391050. Birnbaum, Philip ( 1979 ). Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts. Wadsworth. Blenkinsopp, Joseph ( 2004 ). Treasures old and new : essays in the theology of the Pentateuch. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802826794. Campbell, Antony F ; O'Brien, Mark A ( 1993 ). Sources of the Pentateuch : texts, introductions, annotations. Fortress Press. ISBN 9781451413670. Carr, David M ( 1996 ). Reading the fractures of Genesis. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664220716. Clines, David A ( 1997 ). The theme of the Pentateuch. Sheffield Academic Press. ISBN 9780567431967. Davies, G.I ( 1998 ). `` Introduction to the Pentateuch ''. In John Barton. Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198755005. Friedman, Richard Elliot ( 2001 ). Commentary on the Torah With a New English Translation. Harper Collins Publishers. Gooder, Paula ( 2000 ). The Pentateuch : a story of beginnings. T&T Clark. ISBN 9780567084187. Kugler, Robert ; Hartin, Patrick ( 2009 ). The Old Testament between theology and history : a critical survey. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802846365. Levin, Christoph L ( 2005 ). The Old testament : a brief introduction. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691113944. McEntire, Mark ( 2008 ). Struggling with God : An Introduction to the Pentateuch. Mercer University Press. ISBN 9780881461015. Ska, Jean - Louis ( 2006 ). Introduction to reading the Pentateuch. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575061221. Van Seters, John ( 1998 ). `` The Pentateuch ''. In Steven L. McKenzie, Matt Patrick Graham. The Hebrew Bible today : an introduction to critical issues. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664256524. Van Seters, John ( 2004 ). The Pentateuch : a social - science commentary. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 9780567080882. Walsh, Jerome T ( 2001 ). Style and structure in Biblical Hebrew narrative. Liturgical Press. ISBN 9780814658970. Additional resources Rothenberg, Naftali, ( ed. ), Wisdom by the week -- the Weekly Torah Portion as an Inspiration for Thought and Creativity, Yeshiva University Press, New York 2012 Friedman, Richard Elliott, Who Wrote the Bible ?, HarperSanFrancisco, 1997 Welhausen, Julius, Prolegomena to the History of Israel, Scholars Press, 1994 ( reprint of 1885 ) Kantor, Mattis, The Jewish time line encyclopedia : A year - by - year history from Creation to the present, Jason Aronson Inc., London, 1992 Wheeler, Brannon M., Moses in the Quran and Islamic Exegesis, Routledge, 2002 DeSilva, David Arthur, An Introduction to the New Testament : Contexts, Methods & Ministry, InterVarsity Press, 2004 Alcalay, Reuben., The Complete Hebrew -- English dictionary, vol 2, Hemed Books, New York, 1996 ISBN 978 - 965 - 448 - 179 - 3 Scherman, Nosson, ( ed. ), Tanakh, Vol. I, The Torah, ( Stone edition ), Mesorah Publications, Ltd., New York, 2001 Heschel, Abraham Joshua, Tucker, Gordon & Levin, Leonard, Heavenly Torah : As Refracted Through the Generations, London, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005 Hubbard, David `` The Literary Sources of the Kebra Nagast '' Ph. D. dissertation St Andrews University, Scotland, 1956 External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Torah. Look up Torah or Pentateuch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Jewish Encyclopedia : Torah ( in Hebrew ) Three Complete Kosher Sefer Torah Scrolls for Study online ( Congregation Beth Emeth of Northern Virginia ) ( in Hebrew ) Sefer Torah Scroll for Study online with Megillot and commentaries Computer generated Sefer Torah for Study online with translation, transliteration and chanting ( WorldORT ) Online Torah Resources -- weekly parsha pages, learning resources by topic Interlinear Pentateuch ( with Idiomatic Translation, Samaritan Pentateuch and Morphology ) The Tanach Page -- הדף של התנ `` ך Damascus Pentateuch from around 1000 CE Jastrow, Morris ( 1905 ). `` Pentateuch ''. New International Encyclopedia. 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( wife of Nuh ) Walihah or Wahilah ( wife of Lut ) Yam or Kan'an ( son of Nuh ) Groups and tribes Tribes and ethnicities Mentioned ' Ād ( people of Hud ) Arabs and Ajam Children of Israel / Israelites Companions of the Rass People of Saba ' / Sheba People of Shu'aib ( people of Madyan and people of Aykah / Wood ) People of Tubba ' Quraysh Romans Thamud ( people of Saleh, companions of Hijr ) Ya'juj and Ma'juj / Gog and Magog Implicitly mentioned Ahl al - Bayt Amalek Banu Hashim Banu Nadir Banu Qaynuqa Banu Qurayza Iranian people Umayyad Dynasty Groups Mentioned Christian apostles Disciples of Jesus Companions of Noah 's Ark Companions of Sabbath ( Aşḥāb al - Sabt ) Companions of the Cave / Seven Sleepers and Companions of al - Raqaim Companions of the Elephant People of al - Ukhdūd People of the City ( People of Ya - Sin ) People of the Burned Garden ( Aşḥāb al - Jannah ) Ulu'l azm prophets Implicitly mentioned Ahl al - Suffa ( People of the Verandah ) Aus and Khazraj Copts Hezbollah Muhajirun ( The emigrants ) and Ansar ( The helpers ) Ummah of Islam ( Ummah of Muhammad ) Religious groups Ahl al - dhimmah ( Dhimmi ) Christians ( People of Injil ) Jews Kafir ( Infidels ) Majus Zoroastrians Munafiq Hypocrites Mushrik Polytheists Muslims People of the Book ( ‎ ′ Ahl al - Kitāb ) Sabians Ahbār ( Jewish scholars ) Qissis ( Christian priest ) Rabbani / Rabbi Ruhban ( Christian monks ) Locations, entities and events Locations Mentioned Ahqāf Al - Aqsa Mosque Arafat and Mash'ar al - Harām Bābil / Babylon Badr Door of Hittah Hijr / Hegra Holy Land ( Palestine and Levant ) Hunayn Iram Ka'bah / Kaaba ( Bayt al - Harām / Sacred House, Bayt al - ' Atīq / Ancient House ) Madyan / Midian Madinah / Medina ( formerly Yathrib ) Majma ' al - Bahrain Makkah / Mecca ( Umm al - Qura, Balad al - Amin, Bakkah ) Maqām Ibrahim Masjid al - Dirar Masjid al - Haram Mount Judi Mu'tafikat ( Sodom ) Rass Saba ' / Sheba Al - Safa and Al - Marwah Tur Sinā ' / Mount Sinai and Jabal al - Tur Egypt Valley of Tuwa Implicitly mentioned Antioch Antakya Ayla Barrier of Dhul - Qarnayn Bayt al - Muqaddas and ' Ariha Black Stone ( Al - Ḥajar al - Aswad ) and Al - Hijr of Isma'il Canaan Cave of Hira and Cave of Thawr Cave of Seven Sleepers Dār al - Nadwa Hudaybiyyah Jordan River Ma'rib Dam Masjid al - Nabawi ( Prophet 's Mosque ) Mesopotamia Nile River Nineveh Palestine River Paradise of Shaddad Quba Mosque Sinai Desert and Tīh Desert Ta'if Religious locations Bay'a ( Church ) Mihrab Monastery Mosque Salat ( Synagogue ) Non-human physical entities Religious texts Injil / Gospel Quran Suhuf - i Ibrahim ( Scrolls of Abraham ) Tawrat / Torah, Suhuf - i - Musa ( Scrolls of Moses ) and Tablets of Stone Zabur Related animals Cow of Israelites and Golden calf Dog of Seven Sleepers Fish of Yunis Hoopoe of Sulayman She - Camel of Saleh Related objects Forbidden fruit of Adam Heavenly Food of Christian Apostles Noah 's Ark Staff of Musa Tabut al - Sakina ( Casket of Shekhinah ) Throne of Bilqis Trumpet of Israfil Mentioned idols ( cult images ) Baal Lāt, ' Uzza and Manāt Wadd, Suwa ', Yaghuth, Ya'uq and Nasr ( Jibt and Taghut Ansāb ) Events Battle of Badr Battle of Hunayn Battle of Khaybar Battle of Tabouk Battle of the Trench ( Battle of the Confederates ) Battle of Uhud Conquest of Mecca Hadith of the pond of Khumm Incident of Ifk Layla al - Mabit Mubahala The Farewell Pilgrimage ( Hujja al - Wada ' ) Treaty of Hudaybiyyah Umrah al - Qaza Yawm al - Dār Note : The names are sorted alphabetically. 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Question: first five books of the bible in order
Answer: Genesis