Pentateuch

A word formed by the Greek roots pente (which means “five”) and teuchos (which means “book”). The term is commonly used to refer to the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These five books were commonly grouped as a single book. This portion of God’s word is the foundation the rest of Scripture relies on. It is traditionally attributed to Moses (Exodus 17:14; 24:4; 34:27; Numbers 33:1–2; Deuteronomy 31:9, 22). The Pentateuch includes many important stories, including:

the creation of the universe

God's interactions with humans in the Garden of Eden

the creation of a prosperous family for Abraham (the patriarchal stories)

the formation of the nation Israel

Much of the Pentateuch is made up of laws that guide the religious and everyday life of the nation, where God is considered the king.

See also Deuteronomy, Book of; Exodus, Book of; Genesis, Book of; Leviticus, Book of; Numbers, Book of; Torah.