What is the Tanakh?
The Tanakh is the Hebrew Bible — the complete canon of Jewish Scripture. Its name is an acronym for its three parts: Torah (the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im (the Prophets), and Ketuvim (the Writings). Together these books span law, history, prophecy, poetry, and wisdom, and form the foundation that all later Jewish texts build upon. When people speak of "the Jewish Bible," the Tanakh is what they mean.
What are the three parts of the Tanakh?
- Torah — the Five Books of Moses; the foundation (what is the Torah?).
- Nevi'im (Prophets) — historical and prophetic books, from Joshua and Judges through Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the later prophets.
- Ketuvim (Writings) — a varied collection including Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Five Megillot (such as Ruth and Esther), Daniel, and Chronicles.
How is the Tanakh different from the Talmud?
The Tanakh is Scripture — the biblical text itself. The Talmud is the later rabbinic discussion of how to live by it. A daily way to walk through the entire Tanakh is the 929 cycle — one chapter a day.
In short: the Tanakh is the Hebrew Bible — Torah, Prophets, and Writings — the scriptural foundation of Judaism.
Study the Tanakh with Derekh Learning
Derekh prepares daily lessons across the Tanakh — including the weekly parsha and the 929 cycle — in a voice that fits you. Browse Tanakh learning or read what the Torah is.
