Writings (Ketuvim)

Overview and Contents

Judaism divides the Hebrew Bible, which corresponds to the Old Testament, into three parts: the Law (Torah), the Prophets (Nevi'im), and the Writings (Ketuvim). The Hebrew Bible is called the "Tanakh," a name formed from the initial letters of these three parts. The term Writings means "things written," and the division is also known by the Greek name Hagiographa, meaning "sacred writings."

In printed Hebrew Bibles today, the books of the Writings generally appear in the following order, although ancient Jewish sources also preserve other arrangements.

• Poetry and wisdom: Psalms, Proverbs, Job
• The Five Scrolls (Megillot): Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther
• Other books: Daniel, Ezra–Nehemiah (counted as one book), 1 Chronicles–2 Chronicles (counted as one book)

In the New Testament, the phrase "in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms" in Luke 24:44–46 is commonly interpreted as reflecting this threefold division. According to one view, "the psalms" here, as the first book of the Writings, stands for the Writings as a whole.

Background

The prologue to the Greek translation of Sirach, generally dated to the late second century BC, refers to "the Law and the Prophets and the other books." For this reason, many scholars believe that the Writings had already taken shape as a collection to some degree by that time. Rabbinic literature records debates over whether books such as the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and Esther belonged in the canon. It was once widely held that the scope of the Writings was fixed at a "Council of Jamnia" in the late first century AD, but many scholars today are skeptical of this account.

The Five Scrolls are read in the synagogue on Jewish festivals: the Song of Solomon at Passover, Ruth at the Feast of Weeks, Lamentations on the Ninth of Av (Tisha B'Av), which commemorates the destruction of the Temple, Ecclesiastes at the Feast of Tabernacles, and Esther at Purim.

Relationship to the Christian Old Testament

The Protestant Old Testament contains the same books as the Hebrew Bible but follows an order derived from the Septuagint tradition. As a result, the books of the Writings are distributed across several groupings. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon are placed among the poetical books, while Ruth, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther are placed among the historical books. Lamentations and Daniel are included among the prophetic books. The Old Testaments of the Catholic and Orthodox churches also contain books not found in the Hebrew Bible, but these books do not belong to the Writings.

Interpretations and Debates

• The placement of Daniel: Judaism places Daniel among the Writings, whereas Christianity places it among the prophetic books. In Matthew 24:15 the New Testament speaks of "Daniel the prophet." There are two views on why the Hebrew Bible places Daniel among the Writings. One holds that the book entered the canon late; the other holds that Daniel served not in the office of a prophet but as a court official. Which view one adopts is closely tied to one's position on the date of the book's composition.
• "From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias": Some interpret this phrase in Luke 11:51 as referring to martyrdoms recorded in Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible, and in Chronicles, its last book (2 Chronicles 24:20–22). On this interpretation, the phrase would indicate that Chronicles already stood at the end of the canon in the time of Jesus. This is, however, an inference; the text does not state it directly.
• Theological significance of the arrangement: The Hebrew Bible ends with Chronicles, while the Protestant Old Testament ends with Malachi. Some scholars see in this difference two distinct emphases: in the Hebrew Bible, the hope of return and the rebuilding of the Temple; in the Protestant Old Testament, the expectation of the Messiah.

In the Korean Church

The term "Writings" is used mainly in Old Testament introduction courses at seminaries and in Bible study materials when explaining the structure of the Hebrew Bible. Korean Bibles such as the New Korean Revised Version follow the order of the Christian Old Testament. Consequently, most churchgoers are more familiar with the categories "historical books," "poetical books," and "prophetic books" than with the term "Writings."