Church of Christ Studies

The Pentateuch is the term commonly applied to the first five books of the Bible; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy . The Pentateuch was the first collection of literature acknowledged as Scripture by the Hebrew community. The writing of these books has been ascribed to Moses. It holds supreme rank in the Old Testament canon in respect and holiness.
 

This Greek expression means "five scrolls" and was popularized by the Alexandria Jews in the first century A.D. who had come under the influence of Greek culture. The Hebrew-speaking Jewish community referred to these five books as "The Law," "Torah," or "The Law of Moses."