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Talmud, the Old Testament in the Time of the.

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The Talmud presupposes a text so firmly established by tradition that the Talmudists no longer venture to alter anything in it; they merely seek to settle it unchangeably for all time by means of very precise regulations on the subject of Biblical calligraphy, the different ways of reading, etc.

1. The Canon (κανών ). — This word, which occurs first in the 3rd century after Christ, has no corresponding expression in Jewish writings. The Bible is called ספר, or הספר, "the Book" (Sabbath, fol. 13, Colossians 1); "the Scripture," כתבא (Targum 2 in Genesis 12:42); "Holy Writings," כתבי הקדש (Sabbath, fol. 16,Colossians 1); מקרא, "Reading" (Taanith, fol. 27, Colossians 2). In Kiddushin, fol. 49, Colossians 1, we find the expression וכתובי אורייתא נביאים, "the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings."

The order of books as found in our present Hebrew Bibles is that of the Masorites, and differs from that given in the Talmud, as the following table will show:

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