The basic Old Testament contains 39 books, including the
books of Moses. But not all Christian denominations recognize all of the books
as being true to the original prophetic scriptures, and some do not recognize
some of the books at all. Protestants
include 39 books, Catholics include 46 books, Eastern Orthodox includes 51
books, and other denominations vary in the books they include.
Following the Pentateuch, the Old Testament is broken into
four parts: Historical Books, Wisdom Books, Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets.
But, again, each denomination differs in how the Old Testament is broken down
and arranged.
The Historical Books tell the story of the Israelites after
the death of Moses. In this story the Israelites conquer Jerusalem, the land
promised to them by God, but because they continuously disobey God and worship
other deities they end up being conquered by other nations, Jerusalem is
destroyed, and they are eventually sent into exile around 587 B.C..
The Wisdom Books are thought by some to be the most important
books in the Old Testament and contain narratives and poetry about the lives of
the Israelites in exile; stories exploring the nature of human suffering and
God’s justice; and instructions on ethical behaviour.
The Major Prophets are called such not because of their
importance, compared to the Minor Prophets, but because of their size. These
books cover the warnings, teachings, calls for repentance, and words of
encouragement by people chosen by God to tell the Israelites his messages.
The Minor Prophets tell of the Israelite’s temptations of
evil and loss of faith in God, and give reason for God’s eventual deliverance
of Jesus to save them.
Sources:
Sparknotes .com
Biblegateway.com
bbc.co.uk/religions
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