what is the ketuvim

The Ketuvim is the third and final section of the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible. Its name means "Writings" and it is an anthology of various types of religious texts including poetry, philosophy, history, and stories. The Ketuvim contains diverse books like Psalms, Proverbs, and Job (poetical books), the Five Megillot or Five Scrolls (Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther), plus books of prophecy such as Daniel and historical works like Ezra- Nehemiah and Chronicles. Unlike the Torah and the Prophets sections, Ketuvim's books were canonized individually and later, mostly during the post-Second Temple period from the 5th to 2nd centuries BCE, with final recognition in the first few centuries CE. The writings include expressions of worship, wisdom literature, narratives of Jewish history, and reflections on divine justice and human suffering. Many of its texts play a key role in Jewish liturgy and festivals. In summary, the Ketuvim is a diverse collection of Jewish scripture encompassing poetry, wisdom, stories, prophecy, and history, forming the third major part of the Hebrew Bible after the Torah and the Prophets.