What is the Old Testament?
Q: What is the Old Testament?
A: The Old Testament is the first part of the Bible which was completed before Jesus Christ was born. It contains different texts, called "books", about God, and the people of Israel.
Q: Who coined the term "Old Testament"?
A: Tertullian was probably the first person to call these books the "Old Testament". He used the Latin name vetus testamentum in the 2nd century.
Q: How is it divided?
A: The Old Testament can be divided into several sections: Torah, History of Israel, Prophets and Wisdom books. In Judaism, this collection of books is known as Tanakh because it is divided into three parts (Torah, Nevi'im and Ketuvim).
Q: Is it considered holy by some religions?
A: Most Jews and many Christians believe these texts to be holy. According to them, God inspired people to write them.
Q: Are there differences between religious communities regarding what books are included in the Old Testament?
A: Different religious communities include (or exclude) certain books from the Old Testament. The Catholic Church uses Saint Jerome's Latin translation of the Old Testament called Vulgate while Eastern Orthodox church uses ancient Greek translation of Jewish sacred writings called Septuagint. Protestant Bibles stick more closely to books in Tanakh but list them in a different order.
Q: What language does Catholic Church use for its version of Old Testament?
A: The Catholic Church uses Saint Jerome's Latin translation of the Old Testament called Vulgate for its version of Old Testament.
