Our English Versions of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) contain 39 books, while the Hebrew Scriptures themselves contain 24. Josephus (writing near the end of the first century AD) mentions 22, combining Ruth with Judges and Lamentations with Jeremiah. This was done to correspond with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Jewish division of the books
The Jews did not divide the writings in the same manner as later translators divided them. For example: the minor prophets are grouped together as the “Twelve;” Ezra and Nehemiah are taken together; Samuel, Kings and Chronicles are each one book rather than two. These 22 or 24 (or 39) books constitute the “Canon” of the Old Testament.
The 22 books (one listing, at least) would be:
1.Genesis 2. Exodus
3.Leviticus 4. Numbers
5.Deuteronomy 6. Joshua
7. Judges(and Ruth) 8. I Samuel and II Samuel
9. I Kings and II Kings 10. I Chronicles and II Chronicles
11.Ezra and Nehemiah 12. Esther
13.Job 14. Psalms
15.Proverbs 16. Ecclesiastes
17/Song of Songs 18. Isaiah
19.Jeremiah (and Lamentations) 20. Ezekiel
21.Daniel 22. The Twelve (or Minor) Prophets
(The most common listing of 24 would make Lamentations separate from Jeremiah, and Ruth separate from Judges.)
Canon set in first century
The word “canon” is Greek and means a straight rod, rule or measure; or, that which is measured by the “canon.” The canon of the Old Testament as we have it today was set in the time ofJosephus; by his time
(c. 90 AD) the Apocryphal books, which had found their way into the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament), had been rejected.
The Old Testament in the days of Josephus was recognized as of ancient authority and divinely inspired.
There is, of course, some uncertainty — or room for different theories—in all this, as the two counts (22 or 24) mentioned above bear out.
I, personally, like the “22” version of counting, for the very reason that it does correspond to the number of Hebrew letters.. .and also for the following:
If we may count 22 books in the Old Testament, then — along with 27 books in the NT — we arrive at a total (much more satisfying, symbolically speaking) of 49 (7 x 7, a wonderful number) books in the whole Bible, and not 66.
A suggestive arrangement
This leads to another satisfying arrangement of the books of the Bible:
- 22 books of the Old Testament;
- 5 “bridge” books: the history (4 gospels, and Acts) — which may be seen as the culmination of the Old Testament (see, e.g. Matt. 5:17), as well as the beginning of the New Testament; and
- another 22 books of the New Testament (all the letters, and Revelation).
In this arrangement, the 5 “bridge” books can be seen as something like a new “Torah,” or “Law” (the new Genesis-Deuteronomy) at the end of the Old and the beginning of the New Testament.
Now the Book of Revelation, with all its sevens (maybe even “seven sevens,” by one grouping!) takes its place as the 49th book!
Finally, 49 books in Scripture at this point leaves room for one more, the 50th (or “Jubilee”) book, to complete the cycle. And what might that book be?
How about the “book” that has been in process of writing all through history? “…the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” (Rev. 13:18). “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev. 21:27).
A fitting idea, I think: one day, ALL our names (and stories?) will be written in the updated Bible! Will this 50th book contain our story?
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