pentateuchos

Pentateuchos is a term from Greek meaning “five scrolls” or “five volumes.” In scholarly and manuscript contexts it refers to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These books are also known in Judaism as the Torah or the Law and form the foundational narrative and legal corpus for Judaism and, in Christian traditions, for the Old Testament.

Etymology and usage: The word pentateuchos is derived from pente (five) and teuchos (scroll or book). In ancient Greek and later Latin and Christian scholarship, pentateuchos/pentateuchus is used to denote the five-books collection, distinguishing it from other biblical subcollections such as the Writings.

Contents and structure: The Pentateuch covers creation, early human history, the patriarchs, the Exodus from Egypt, the covenant at Sinai, and a long legal and ceremonial code that governs religious and civil life. Its material is structured into narrative blocks interwoven with laws, rituals, and instructions for community organization.

Authorship and composition: Traditional Jewish and Christian sources attribute the authorship to Moses. Modern critical scholarship often describes the Pentateuch as a composite work drawn from multiple earlier sources and redacted over time. The Documentary Hypothesis identifies strands commonly labeled as J, E, P, and D, with final redaction occurring in the late pre-exilic to Persian periods (roughly 9th–5th centuries BCE).

Canonical role and influence: The Pentateuch/ Pentateuchos forms the core of Jewish law and theology and constitutes the opening portion of Christian Old Testaments. Its themes of covenant, law, creation, and ethical instruction have had a profound influence on later religious thought, ethics, and law in the Western tradition.