The Hebrew Bible, also known as the Tanakh, consists of three main sections: the Torah (Law), the Nevi'im (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings). The number of books and their names in the Hebrew Bible can vary depending on different Jewish traditions. However, I will provide you with the commonly accepted number and names of the books recognized in the Hebrew Bible during the Second Temple period:
-
Torah (Pentateuch):
- Genesis (Bereshit in Hebrew)
- Exodus (Shemot in Hebrew)
- Leviticus (Vayikra in Hebrew)
- Numbers (Bamidbar in Hebrew)
- Deuteronomy (Devarim in Hebrew)
-
Nevi'im (Prophets):
- Joshua (Yehoshua in Hebrew)
- Judges (Shoftim in Hebrew)
- Samuel (Shmuel in Hebrew), which is divided into two books:
- 1 Samuel (Shmuel Aleph in Hebrew)
- 2 Samuel (Shmuel Bet in Hebrew)
- Kings (Melachim in Hebrew), which is also divided into two books:
- 1 Kings (Melachim Aleph in Hebrew)
- 2 Kings (Melachim Bet in Hebrew)
- Isaiah (Yeshayahu in Hebrew)
- Jeremiah (Yirmiyahu in Hebrew)
- Ezekiel (Yechezkel in Hebrew)
- The Twelve Minor Prophets (Trei Asar in Hebrew), which is a collection of twelve separate books:
- Hosea (Hoshea in Hebrew)
- Joel (Yoel in Hebrew)
- Amos (Amos in Hebrew)
- Obadiah (Ovadia in Hebrew)
- Jonah (Yonah in Hebrew)
- Micah (Micha in Hebrew)
- Nahum (Nahum in Hebrew)
- Habakkuk (Chavakuk in Hebrew)
- Zephaniah (Tzefanya in Hebrew)
- Haggai (Chaggai in Hebrew)
- Zechariah (Zechariah in Hebrew)
- Malachi (Malachi in Hebrew)
-
Ketuvim (Writings):
- Psalms (Tehillim in Hebrew)
- Proverbs (Mishlei in Hebrew)
- Job (Iyov in Hebrew)
- Song of Songs (Shir HaShirim in Hebrew)
- Ruth (Rut in Hebrew)
- Lamentations (Eicha in Hebrew)
- Ecclesiastes (Kohelet in Hebrew)
- Esther (Esther in Hebrew)
- Daniel (Daniel in Hebrew)
- Ezra-Nehemiah, which is treated as one book in the Hebrew Bible:
- Ezra (Ezra in Hebrew)
- Nehemiah (Nechemiah in Hebrew)
- Chronicles (Divrei Hayamim in Hebrew), which is also divided into two books:
- 1 Chronicles (Divrei Hayamim Aleph in Hebrew)
- 2 Chronicles (Divrei Hayamim Bet in Hebrew)
During the Second Temple period (516 BCE - 70 CE), the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) contained 24 books, which are the same books found in today's Hebrew Bible:
-
Torah - 5 Books
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy -
Nevi'im - 8 Books
Joshua, Judges, Samuel (1&2), Kings (1&2), Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, The Twelve (Hosea - Malachi) -
Ketuvim - 11 Books
Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah (1 Book), Chronicles (1&2) -
So the Hebrew Bible in the Second Temple period contained the same 39 books as today's Hebrew Bible, although they were organised into 24 books instead of 39 separate books.
There were no additional or alternative books considered authoritative Scripture by Judaism during the Second Temple period. The canon was fixed by the Jewish leadership at this time.