Pentateuch

noun

Pen·​ta·​teuch ˈpen-tə-ˌtük 

-ˌtyük

: the first five books of Jewish and Christian Scriptures

Did you know?

Pentateuch means simply "five books". In Greek, the Pentateuch (which Jews call the Torah) includes the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These contain some of the oldest and most famous stories in the Bible, including those of Adam and Eve, Jacob and his brother Esau, and Moses, as well as some of the oldest codes of law known, including the Ten Commandments.

Examples of Pentateuch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After all, the Gospel is nothing if not a narrative, and the Hebrew Pentateuch is one good story after another. —The New Yorker, 31 July 2023

The sacred scrolls, containing the Pentateuch in manuscript, were taken out and the passages referring to the Rosh Hashonoh were read from them. —Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Penteteuke, from Late Latin Pentateuchus, from Greek Pentateuchos, from penta- + teuchos tool, vessel, book, from teuchein to make — more at doughty

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above