what is the tanakh

The Tanakh, also known as the Hebrew Bible, is the canonical collection of Hebrew scriptures. The word "Tanakh" is an acronym derived from the first Hebrew letter of each of the Masoretic Texts three traditional divisions: Torah (Instruction or Law), Neviim (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). The Tanakh consists of 24 books, including the Torah, which contains five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; the Neviim, which comprise eight books subdivided into the Former Prophets and the Latter Prophets; and the Ketuvim, which include 11 books, such as Psalms and Proverbs. The Tanakh is the appropriate term to use for the Hebrew scriptures, and it is still used in Hebrew today alongside the term Mikra. The Tanakh is considered sacred in the Jewish faith and is also referred to as the Old Testament by Christians.