The Catholic Old Testament consists of 46 books. The first five books – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy – are called the Pentateuch (the Greek word for “five scrolls”).
The Pentateuch is followed by the historical books, which recount the history of the people of Israel, and the prophetic books in which prophets warn against sin and announce the coming of the Messiah (Jesus). Finally, there are the books of wisdom. These are collections of answers to general questions about life asked by believers. What we call the Old Testament, the Jews call the Tanakh.
