# Old Testament > first division of the Christian biblical canon **Wikidata**: [Q19786](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19786) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Testament) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/old-testament ## Summary The Old Testament is the first division of the Christian biblical canon. It is a major section of the Bible and comprises many named books (law, history, wisdom, and prophecy) that are referenced across Christian and Jewish traditions. ## Key Facts - The Old Testament is described as the "first division of the Christian biblical canon." - Alias: OT. - Wikipedia title: Old Testament. - Wikidata description: first division of the Christian biblical canon. - Sitelink count: 176. - The Old Testament is part of the Bible, which is a collection of sacred books in Judaism and Christianity. - The Old Testament contains the Book of Genesis (sitelink_count: 174). - The Old Testament contains Exodus (sitelink_count: 150). - The Old Testament contains Leviticus (sitelink_count: 132). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Numbers (sitelink_count: 126). - The Old Testament contains Deuteronomy (sitelink_count: 130). - The Old Testament contains Joshua (sitelink_count: 115). - The Old Testament contains Judges (sitelink_count: 115). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Ruth (sitelink_count: 113). - The Old Testament contains the First Book of Samuel (sitelink_count: 85). - The Old Testament contains the Second Book of Samuel (sitelink_count: 79). - The Old Testament contains the First Book of Kings (sitelink_count: 76). - The Old Testament contains the Second Book of Kings (sitelink_count: 75). - The Old Testament contains the First Book of Chronicles (sitelink_count: 68). - The Old Testament contains the Second Book of Chronicles (sitelink_count: 66). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Ezra (sitelink_count: 96). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Nehemiah (sitelink_count: 95). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Job (sitelink_count: 104). - The Old Testament contains Psalms (sitelink_count: 141). - The Old Testament contains Proverbs (sitelink_count: 111). - The Old Testament contains Ecclesiastes (sitelink_count: 118). - The Old Testament contains Song of Songs (sitelink_count: 114). - The Old Testament contains Isaiah (sitelink_count: 105). - The Old Testament contains Jeremiah (sitelink_count: 96). - The Old Testament contains Lamentations (sitelink_count: 95). - The Old Testament contains Ezekiel (sitelink_count: 101). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Daniel (sitelink_count: 106). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Hosea (sitelink_count: 91). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Joel (sitelink_count: 97). - The Old Testament contains Amos (sitelink_count: 99). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Obadiah (sitelink_count: 94). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Jonah (sitelink_count: 95). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Micah (sitelink_count: 98). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Nahum (sitelink_count: 91). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Habakkuk (sitelink_count: 91). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Zephaniah (sitelink_count: 90). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Haggai (sitelink_count: 90). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Zechariah (sitelink_count: 87). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Malachi (sitelink_count: 94). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Esther (sitelink_count: 102), which is described as a book of the Hebrew Bible. - The Old Testament includes deuterocanonical books (books regarded as non-canonical by Protestant denominations). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Tobit (deuterocanonical; sitelink_count: 76). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Judith (Septuagint book; sitelink_count: 77). - The Old Testament contains 1 Maccabees (historical; found in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles; inception: -0200; sitelink_count: 69). - The Old Testament contains 2 Maccabees (deuterocanonical; sitelink_count: 68). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Wisdom (deuterocanonical sapiential book; sitelink_count: 77). - The Old Testament contains Sirach (Jewish wisdom text; part of Catholic and Eastern Orthodox canons; sitelink_count: 86). - The Old Testament contains the Book of Baruch (deuterocanonical in some Christian traditions; sitelink_count: 67). - The Old Testament contains the Books of Samuel (noted as a book in the Hebrew Bible found as two books in the Christian Old Testament; sitelink_count: 66 for Books of Chronicles, 66 and 79/85 where listed). - The Old Testament contains the Books of Kings (appears in Christian Old Testament as 1–2 Kings; sitelink_count: 68). - The Old Testament contains the Books of Chronicles (divided into two books in the Christian Old Testament; sitelink_count: 64). - The Old Testament contains the Twelve Minor Prophets (book or collection in the Bible; sitelink_count: 46). - The Old Testament is related to categories such as literary work, religious text, and religious literature (sitelink_counts: literary work 20; religious text 81; religious literature 6). - Frank Crüsemann is listed as a related person: German theologian (occupations: , , ; citizenship: ; sitelink_count: 6). ## FAQs Q: What exactly is the Old Testament? A: The Old Testament is the first division of the Christian biblical canon and a major part of the Bible, containing many named books of law, history, wisdom, and prophecy. Q: Which larger work does the Old Testament belong to? A: The Old Testament is part of the Bible, which is a collection of sacred books in Judaism and Christianity. Q: What kinds of books are included in the Old Testament? A: The Old Testament contains the Pentateuch (first five books), historical books, wisdom/sapiential books, prophetic books, and in some Christian traditions deuterocanonical books. Q: Are deuterocanonical books part of the Old Testament? A: Yes; the Old Testament, as represented in different Christian traditions, includes deuterocanonical books such as Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch, though Protestant denominations consider these non-canonical. Q: How does the Old Testament relate to the Torah and Pentateuch? A: The Pentateuch and the Torah are identified in the source material as the first five books; those books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) are contained within the Old Testament. Q: Does the Old Testament include books that are also in the Hebrew Bible? A: Several books contained in the Old Testament are explicitly described in the source material as books of the Hebrew Bible (for example, Esther, Ezekiel, and others), indicating overlap between the collections without asserting exact equivalence. Q: Who is Frank Crüsemann in relation to the Old Testament? A: Frank Crüsemann is listed as a related person; he is identified as a German theologian (occupations: , , ; citizenship: ; sitelink_count: 6) in the provided material. ## Why It Matters - Canonical foundation: As the first division of the Christian biblical canon, the Old Testament forms the theological and narrative foundation preceding the New Testament in Christian scripture. Its inclusion establishes the corpus of texts that many Christian traditions regard as authoritative. - Cross-religious significance: The Old Testament's contents overlap with books identified in the Hebrew Bible and Torah/Pentateuch listings, making it central to both Christian and Jewish textual traditions and interpretations referenced in the source material. - Doctrinal and literary breadth: The Old Testament contains law (the Pentateuch), historical accounts (e.g., Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles), wisdom and sapiential literature (e.g., Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Wisdom, Sirach), and prophetic books (e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Twelve Minor Prophets). This breadth makes it a primary source for legal, historical, ethical, poetic, and prophetic material in religious study. - Tradition-dependent canon: The presence of deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament (such as Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch) highlights the role of religious tradition in defining canonicity and influences differences among Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Bibles. - Scholarly and cultural reference: The Old Testament's constituent books are widely referenced in theology, literary studies, history, and religious practice, and many of those books carry substantial standalone scholarly attention (as evidenced by sitelink counts for individual books). ## Notable For - Being defined as the first division of the Christian biblical canon. - Containing the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). - Including a broad set of historical books (Joshua; Judges; Samuel; Kings; Chronicles; Ezra; Nehemiah). - Housing major wisdom and sapiential works (Psalms; Proverbs; Ecclesiastes; Song of Songs; Wisdom; Sirach). - Featuring major prophetic books (Isaiah; Jeremiah; Ezekiel; Daniel; the Twelve Minor Prophets). - Incorporating deuterocanonical books in certain Christian canons (Book of Tobit; Judith; 1 & 2 Maccabees; Book of Wisdom; Sirach; Baruch). - Reflecting overlaps with the Hebrew Bible and the Torah through multiple books explicitly described as part of the Hebrew Bible or Torah groupings. - Recorded presence across many language Wikipedias and knowledge bases, as shown by a sitelink_count of 176. ## Body ### Overview - The Old Testament is presented in the source material as the first division of the Christian biblical canon. - It is part of the larger entity "Bible," which the source defines as a collection of sacred books in Judaism and Christianity. - The Old Testament is also identified by the alias "OT" and has a recorded sitelink_count of 176 in the provided metadata. ### Composition and Major Groupings - Pentateuch / Torah: - The Pentateuch and the Torah are both identified as the first five books of the Bible. - The Old Testament contains those five books explicitly: Book of Genesis (sitelink_count: 174), Exodus (150), Leviticus (132), Book of Numbers (126), Deuteronomy (130). - Historical Books: - The Old Testament contains a set of historical books noted in the source: Joshua (115); Judges (115); Book of Ruth (113); First Book of Samuel (85); Second Book of Samuel (79); First Book of Kings (76); Second Book of Kings (75); First Book of Chronicles (68); Second Book of Chronicles (66); Book of Ezra (96); Book of Nehemiah (95). - "Historical books" is also named as one of four divisions in the Christian Old Testament (sitelink_count: 19). - Wisdom / Sapiential Books: - The Old Testament contains Psalms (141), Proverbs (111), Ecclesiastes (118), Song of Songs (114). - The source also lists sapiential books as a subset of the Septuagint: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom, Sirach. - The Book of Job (104), Book of Wisdom (77), and Sirach (86) are included in the list of contained subsidiaries. - Prophetic Books: - Major prophetic books listed as contained include Isaiah (105), Jeremiah (96), Lamentations (95), Ezekiel (101), Book of Daniel (106). - The Twelve Minor Prophets are listed as a book or collection of books in the Bible (sitelink_count: 46) with individual minor prophets contained, including Hosea (91), Joel (97), Amos (99), Obadiah (94), Jonah (95), Micah (98), Nahum (91), Habakkuk (91), Zephaniah (90), Haggai (90), Zechariah (87), Malachi (94). - Deuterocanonical and Septuagint-related Books: - The Old Testament as described in the provided content contains deuterocanonical books: Book of Tobit (76), Book of Judith (77), 1 Maccabees (69; inception -0200), 2 Maccabees (68), Book of Wisdom (77), Sirach (86), Book of Baruch (67). - The source explicitly states that deuterocanonical books are "books of the Bible which are considered non-canonical by Protestant denominations." ### Individual Books and Notation (selected) - Genesis — listed as the first book of the Bible (sitelink_count: 174). - Exodus — listed as the second book of the Bible (sitelink_count: 150); Exodus 20 is separately listed in parent relationships (Exodus 20 — twentieth chapter of Exodus, composed of 26 verses; sitelink_count: 7). - Leviticus — listed as the third book (sitelink_count: 132). - Book of Numbers — listed as fourth book (sitelink_count: 126). - Deuteronomy — listed as fifth book of the Torah and Christian Old Testament (sitelink_count: 130). - Psalms — noted as a book of the Bible and described as having five books internally (sitelink_count: 141). - Books marked as "book of the Hebrew Bible" in the source include Book of Esther (102), Lamentations (95), Ezekiel (101), and others; these labels indicate where the source identifies those books as part of the Hebrew Bible. ### Parent / Related Entities - Parent: - The primary parent relationship is to the Bible (collection of sacred books in Judaism and Christianity). - Related categories: - The Old Testament is linked in the source material to the concepts literary work (class; sitelink_count: 20), religious text (Thing; sitelink_count: 81), and religious literature (Thing; sitelink_count: 6). - Related people: - Frank Crüsemann is listed among related persons. The source gives: Frank Crüsemann — German theologian (occupations: , , ; citizenship: ; sitelink_count: 6). ### Canonical Variation and Tradition Notes - The source material explicitly highlights canonical variation by noting deuterocanonical books and stating that they are considered non-canonical by Protestant denominations. Specific deuterocanonical books are enumerated among the Old Testament's contained subsidiaries. - The inclusion of Psalm, Pentateuch, Torah, Sapiential Books, Historical books, Twelve Minor Prophets, and various prophetic books demonstrates the Old Testament's multi-genre composition as presented in the provided lists. ### Metadata and Knowledge-base Identifiers - Alias in structured properties: OT. - Sitelink_count attributed to Old Testament in the structured properties: 176. - Wikipedia title provided: Old Testament. - Wikidata short description: first division of the Christian biblical canon. ### Miscellaneous Notes from Source - Exodus 20 is called out specifically: "Exodus 20 — twentieth chapter of Exodus, composed of 26 verses" (sitelink_count: 7). This appears in the provided parent/part relationships and is part of the linked material around Old Testament books. - 1 Maccabees is recorded with an inception of -0200 (interpreted from the provided inception: -0200-00-00T00:00:00Z) and a sitelink_count of 69, indicating a dated historical context within the provided material. ### Cross-references among lists - Several books appear in both the "Part of / Parent" and "Contains / Subsidiaries" groups in the provided material (for example Pentateuch, Torah, Psalms, etc.). The lists provided in the source align to show those texts as integral components of the Old Testament's composition and as junction points with the Hebrew Bible and the Torah. (End of entry.) ## References 1. Virtual International Authority File 2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 3. BBC Things 4. BabelNet 5. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/a.htm) 6. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/b.htm) 7. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/c.htm) 8. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/d.htm) 9. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/f.htm) 10. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/h.htm) 11. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/j.htm) 12. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/k.htm) 13. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/q.htm) 14. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/s.htm) 15. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/t.htm) 16. [Source](https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/ahd-i-atik) 17. FactGrid 18. KBpedia 19. Provenio 20. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)