What is the Jewish Bible / Tanakh?

Answer  
  

The Jewish Bible (also called the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh) is another term for what Christians call the Old Testament portion of the Bible. More specifically, a 1917 English version of the Old Testament was called the Jewish Bible and was prepared by the Jewish Publication Society of America.  
  

One distinctive feature of the Jewish Bible is that it divides the Old Testament into its traditional Hebrew sections. The four sections include the *Chumash* (The Five Books of Moses), the *Neviim* (The Prophets), the *Treisar* (The Minor Prophets) and the *Ketuvim* (The Writings). The order of the books in the 1917 Jewish Bible, including the Hebrew names, is as follows:  
  

***Chumash* / Torah / The Five Books of Moses**  

*Bereshit* / Genesis  

*Shemot* / Exodus  

*VaYikra* / Leviticus  

*BaMidbar* / Numbers  

*Devarim* / Deuteronomy  
  

***Neviim* / The Prophets**  

*Yehoshua* / Joshua  

*Shoftim* / Judges  

*Shmuel* A and B / 1—2 Samuel  

*Melachim* A and B / 1—2 Kings  

*Yishiyah* / Isaiah  

*Yermiyah* / Jeremiah  

*Yechezchial* / Ezekiel  

*Daniyel* / Daniel  
  

***Treisar* / The Minor Prophets**  

*Hoshea* / Hosea  

*Yoel* / Joel  

*Amos* / Amos  

*Ovadiyah* / Obadiah  

*Yonah* / Jonah  

*Michah* / Micah  

*Nachum* / Nahum  

*Habakuk* / Habakkuk  

*Tzefaniyah* / Zephaniah  

*Haggi* / Haggai  

*Zechariyah* / Zechariah  

*Malachi* / Malachi  
  

***Ketuvim* / The Writings**  

*Tehilim* / Psalms  

*Mishlei* / Proverbs  

*Eyov* / Job  
  

***Megilot*, which includes:**  

*Shir HaShirim* / Song of Songs  

*Ruth* / Ruth  

*Eichah* / Lamentations  

*Keholet* / Ecclesiastes  

*Esther* / Esther  

*Ezra* / Ezra  

*Nechemiyah* / Nehemiah  

*Divrei Yamim* A and B / 1—2 Chronicles  
  

In summary, the Jewish Bible can refer to the entire Old Testament or to a particular translation of the Old Testament in 1917 by the Jewish Publication Society. In most cases, people use the terms Hebrew Bible, Jewish Bible, and Old Testament interchangeably.  
  

