part 1
a book in five parts
the torah is often considered and treated as a single book; however, it is made up of five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.[1] this division is marked on the torah scroll itself, which is written as one long document, on pieces of parchment sewn together and includes a 4-line cut between each book (see shulchan arukh, yoreh deah 273).
it is attested in all textual traditions, mt, sp and lxx,[2] and is taken for granted by religious groups that canonize the torah, such as the Jews, Samaritans and Christians. however, the division of the torah into five books is not explicitly mentioned anywhere in the bible. what is the oldest evidence we have for the fivefold division of the torah?
You are reading: Torah number of books
five part division in second temple literature
the 2nd century B.C. aristeas letter (which recounts the origins of the septuagint translation of the pentateuch), refers to the books and “scrolls” (τὰ τεύχη) of the Jews, that is, treating the torah in the plural. however, it does not specify the number five.[3]
five books
The oldest reference to the fivefold division of the Torah (for him, the Greek lxx) is made by the Hellenistic Jewish philosopher Philo Judaeus (ca. 25 BC-50 AD), in the opening of his work on Abraham, in the one who points out that the Torah has five books (πέντε βίβλοις).[4] Surprisingly, Philo, who writes extensively on the symbolic nature of many elements in Jewish law, never ventures to explore the meaning of the number five in this context. [5]
several decades later, josephus, who died in 100 ce, discusses the jews’ devotion to their holy books and explains,
“pentateuch”
The first time the Greek word “pentateuch” is used in reference to the Torah is in the mid-2nd century AD, in a Greek epistle written by the Gnostic Christian philosopher Ptolemy to a believer named Flora:
ironically, the first reference to the moses pentateuch is in a letter denying that he wrote it!
five-part structures in tanakh
another early indication of the five-part division of the torah is the five-part structure of other biblical works such as the psalms, whose five-part structure is best explained as an imitation of the torah.
the five books of psalms
This fivefold division is especially clear in the psalms, as each of the five sections ends with a liturgical doxology (41, 72, 89, 106, 150), with similar formulations of praise to god.
end of book 1 (sal 41:14)
end of book 2 (sal 72:19)
end of book 3 (ps 89:53)
end of book 4 (sal 106:48)
psalm 150, which does not precisely repeat the formulas found in these passages, serves as the book’s closing doxology, with its call to voices both in heaven and on earth to praise god to the accompaniment of the temple orchestra.[8] the final passages of books 1-4 are the only verses of the psalms in which the word “amen” (a liturgical response) occurs, and thus appear to be additions, probably intended to divide the canonical psalter into five books.[9] these additions are very old, since they were already present in the Hebrew before its translation into Greek in the 3rd century BC[10]
The rabbis of the Roman period interpreted the five-part arrangement as corresponding to that of the Torah, as is evident from the midrash tehilim (also known as midrash shocher tov):
other five-part books
The book of proverbs can be divided into five parts according to their superscripts.[12] A later work, the Gospel of Matthew (dating from the 1st century AD), also has a five-part structure that some attribute to the influence of the Pentateuch.[13]
the mishnaic treatise avot had five sections in its original core.[14] martin s. Cohen, a pulpit rabbi and biblical scholar, finds quintuple elements in additional biblical books. the workbook has speeches from five people besides god.[15] furthermore, a section of the writings (ketuvim) is classified as the “five scrolls”, but this designation is medieval.[16]
thus we see that the torah was already divided into five books in the times of the second temple, and that other books copied this division. but what is the reason for this division?
part 2
maximum offset length
some have suggested that the technology available to the ancients made a full-length torah scroll impossible, with genesis (the longest book in the torah) representative of the maximum length of the scroll.[17] but this seems to be wrong. as menachem haran has pointed out, chronicles, which was considered a single book in ancient times, is 25% longer than genesis, and would have been written on a scroll.[18]
emanuel tov writes that the maximum length of the scrolls for the Qumran scribal period is unclear. lists seven scrolls found in the judean desert that appear to combine two or more books of torah, but admits that the junctions between these pairs of books have not been preserved, so the inclusion of two or more books in one scroll is just hypothetical.[19] therefore, the length of the scroll is a possible explanation for why the torah is divided into more than one book, but it does not explain why five.
reading comfort
Others have suggested that having the Torah in several scrolls was more convenient to read and refer to than assigning it to one long scroll.[20] while this may be the case, such an explanation seems insufficient to explain the division into five parts, which was not made based on size, considering the wide disparity between the lengths of the five books:
If the length of the scroll were the justification for the division, we would expect all five units to be of similar length, which is not the case.[22]
thematic importance
The division of the pentateuch into five books was probably “from the beginning, an act of premeditated partition…having a thematic significance”, as haran has already argued.[23] In other words, the Pentateuch was designed to be a five-book project from the start. such an explanation better explains the different lengths of the books, as well as other stylistic features of the books that we will explore shortly. but why this particular division? An obvious starting point for the division of the Torah into books is the oneness of both Genesis and Deuteronomy.
See Also: American Civil War Picture Books for Elementary Students
Genesis offers a prehistory of the people of Israel, beginning with a universalist perspective, but then focusing narrowly on the family and clan that constitute Israel’s ancestors. this justifies its distinction as its own “book”. .[25]
deuteronomy, the other bookend, is presented as Moses’ farewell address to the Israelite nation beginning with “these are the words that Moses spoke” (אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר מֹשֶה). scholars have long emphasized its unique origin and style compared to the other four books.[26]
the three middle books?
So, the reasons for the division of Genesis and Deuteronomy from the other books are obvious, but why three books of Exodus to numbers? it is true that its literary integrity should not be overstated as the books have significant thematic overlap. all three books have cultic themes and laws, and all three books take place, at least partially, in the sinai desert. baruch schwartz notes that the chapters from exodus 25 to numbers 10 constitute a “long narrative which may be called ‘when the tabernacle was at sinai.'”[27]
However, within this literary continuity, the demarcations suggest that these three central books constitute three almost independent works with introductions and conclusions.
jacob milgrom has argued that each of these books has different central themes:
exodus – describes the construction of the cult implements, Leviticus – converts this “static image into scenes of a living cult”, numbers – “follow the cult laws of the field in motion.”[28]
theme of the exodus: from egypt to the tabernacle
the book of exodus begins with the story of the next generation after the death of joseph, as israel grows from a family to a people, and ends with the construction of the tabernacle, ready for the start of cult worship. the recapitulation of the names of the “sons of israel” in exodus 1:1-5 (echoing genesis 46:8-27) is an apt introduction. for william propp, “it seems to be composed for the purpose it now has: to introduce the second book of the torah and to summarize the essentials for readers unfamiliar with genesis.”[29]
The exodus ends when the construction of the tabernacle is completed, on the first day of the new year after the exodus, when the glory of god fills the sanctuary (Exodus 40:2).[30] Since the last word of Exodus is “journeys”, Hebrew mas’eyhem, it anticipates the journey that follows, from Mount Sinai to the borders of Canaan.[31]
leviticus theme: rules
the book of leviticus offers rules for the worship of the newly established sanctuary. While Exodus ends with a long narrative description of the construction of the tabernacle by Betzalel and his select group of craftsmen (Exodus 35:20-40:34), Leviticus begins with an address to all Israelites regarding the sacrificial system. (Leviticus 1:2).
Leviticus 1:1 marks the first time yhwh addresses moses from the tent of meeting, so he must summon (vayyiqra’) him there to speak with him. dennis olson comments that,
holiness collection – second half of leviticus
Leviticus 26 with its rewards for compliance and graphic threats for covenant breaches, represents the conclusion of a subdivision of Leviticus, called the “holiness collection” by modern scholars.[33] the chapter is analogous to the endings of other legal collections in the torah, exodus 23:20-33 and deuteronomy 28. leviticus 26 has its own conclusion for the book as a whole:
Leviticus then includes a further chapter, an appendix on the financing of the sanctuary through vows, consecrations, and tithes, and scholars offer several justifications for its role as the book’s conclusion: its presence emphasizes “a matter of central importance” . the financing of the sanctuary;[35] it shares content with chapter 1 thus forming an envelope; allows Leviticus to end on a positive note, after the long and dire curses of chapter 26.[36]Leviticus 27 has its own ending, which serves as a conclusion to the entire book:
theme of numbers: the camp
the book of numbers begins with a different place, not “mount sinai” but “the desert of sinai”, and with a specific focus on the camp and its holiness, the theme of numbers 1-6.[38] ] there is no continuity from the theme of Leviticus 27, which focuses on the contributions of the individual to the tabernacle.
Number narratives are assigned to various locations, with numbers 1-10:11 located in the Sinai Desert, and numbers 11:12 through chapter 20 located in various locations in the Paran Desert, the Desert of zin, and kadesh, among other places.[39] numbers 21-36 describe the movement of the Israelites through transjordan, and thus the book’s final statement serves as a conclusion to the last section of the book (chapters 21-36), and not to the book as a whole :
other possible divisions
Theoretically, the three middle works could have been divided into two: the first devoted to Israel’s sojourn on Mount Sinai and the second to their movement from Mount Sinai to Transjordan, or perhaps even four, depending on residence. from israel to egypt, on mount sinai, in the sinai desert and in transjordan. other thematic divisions are also possible. therefore, we are still left with the question why this division? is it possible that the editor specifically wanted to have five books? if so, why?
highlighting leviticus (blenkinsopp)
in the pentateuch, joseph blenkinsopp suggests that the arrangement of the five books “highlights leviticus as the central panel of the pentad”, and therefore the number five was specifically chosen, “rather than, say, four or six”. the choice of five, then, is based on its condition as an odd number, which is why attention is drawn to a central panel, which is why it deserves special emphasis.[41]
The focus on Leviticus emphasizes the ritual and legal prescriptions that ideally help Israel become a “holy community.” curriculum.
the centrality of loving your neighbor
jacob milgrom and yehuda radday sharpen the focus of blenkinsopp’s observation by noting that leviticus 19:18, with its demand that the israelite “love his neighbor as himself,” constitutes the central verse of the torah. [43] how is that? Leviticus 19, which requires Israel to aspire to holiness by following a variety of ritual and ethical demands, is flanked on two sides by similar chapters (Leviticus 18 and 20) that focus on sexual ethics and which, Milgrom notes, “begins and highlight the centrality of ch. 19.”[44]
While it can be argued that the formal chapter and verse divisions are later innovations (whether rabbinical or medieval), the sedarim and parashot divisions reflect older ways of differentiating the various subject divisions in the text and, depending on both Leviticus 19 begins a new subsection.[45]
See Also: Books Set In Utah: Utah Novels – Tale Away: For Readers Who Travel
the distinction of leviticus 19 from the passages that precede and follow is marked by god’s instructions to moses to “speak to the whole israelite community” (kol-adat-benay-yisra’el), the only time that inclusive phrase is used in Leviticus.[46] Furthermore, it is the only passage in Leviticus (and the Holiness Code) where God’s demand that Israel strive for holiness heads a chapter and appears in the context of ethical behavior; in other places it concludes a chapter and its context is more specific and ritual (11:44-45, 20:7, 21:7-8).
Furthermore, its wide range of laws and echo of the Decalogue suggest that it was intended to have a primary meaning, which is reflected in leviticus rabbah (24:5, margoliot ed.):
As for the structure of Leviticus 19, this chapter contains 37 verses, and v.18b falls in the middle, serving as the climax in its series of ethical commandments (vs.11-18), before the huqot or “statutes” :[48]
This verse calls Israel to achieve holiness through love, that is, by performing acts of kindness and generosity.[49] Thus, the uniqueness of this chapter in the book of Leviticus, its inclusion in two chapters of similar content, along with its ethical core culminating in the command to love, support Milgrom and Radday’s view that Leviticus 19 constitutes the central chapter of the five-part torah.
part 3
the symbolism of the letter heh (cohen)
martin cohen, responding to blenkinsopp’s reasoning, asks why five in particular were chosen when any odd number would have sufficed to highlight a central panel.[50] why not three or seven?
cohen suggests that a possible reason for the choice of five is because it represents the fifth letter of the alphabet, heh, which is the number five in gematria,[51] the practice of representing numbers with letters and vice versa. Cohen notes that heh was added or infixed to the names of biblical persons to indicate his new relation to the biblical god: this is certainly the case with sarah and abraham.[52]
that the letter heh was thought to represent the divine may be based on the inclusion in the tetragrammaton (the four-letter name of god) of two hehs or because it is the first letter of hashem, literally “the name” – a circumlocution for the tetragrammaton that occurs twice in the Hebrew Bible and is common in Mishnaic Hebrew.[53]
ancient gematria?
The practice of ascribing a numerical value to letters according to their location in the alphabet is well known from later Jewish texts, and is believed by many scholars to have entered Hebrew exegesis from Greek exegesis in the period Hellenistic.[54] however, there are some indications in the Hebrew Bible and cuneiform texts that it was already in use at a much earlier period.[55]
gershon scholem points out that,
israel knohl builds the case for gematria in the hebrew bible.[57] for example, he writes that it is no coincidence that moses lives in the twenty-sixth generation from adam, and the divine name yhwh, whose numerical value is 26, was revealed to moses. knohl (among others[58]) finds the number 26 provides a organizing principle in several poetic passages of the bible. it is not difficult to adduce more cases of gematria. for example,
- the number of servants/warriors in abraham’s fighting force is 318, which the sages note is the numerical value of the name of abraham’s servant, eliezer.[59]
- The Sabbath commandment in the Exodus Decalogue begins with zakor, and thus the Hebrew letter zayin, the seventh letter of the alphabet.[60]
- The name “gad”, which has no obvious meaning, is composed of the letters gimel and dalet (3 + 4 = 7). Gad is Jacob’s seventh son and he himself has seven sons (Genesis 29:31-30:11, 46:16, Numbers 26:15-17).[61]
Of course, this may all be the result of coincidence, but it seems at least possible, if not likely, that the Bible already reflects the use of gematria. Therefore, Cohen’s attempt to explain the fivefold division of the Torah as an expression of the letter heh, linked with the Tetragrammaton, may have a basis in Biblical usage.
the gematria of five: more support
We can further strengthen the association of heh/five with yhwh by noting the following:
- psalm 19:8-10, which deals specifically with the torah, has six clauses with the tetragrammaton as the second word, but with five-word intervals between the occurrence of the tetragrammaton five times.[62]
- The tetragrammaton is the fifth word in both Leviticus 1:1 and 27:34, the first and last verses of Leviticus. the syntax of leviticus 1:1 is difficult (“and he called moses and yhwh spoke to him”), but perhaps this was occasioned by the desire to make the tetragrammaton the fifth word.[63]
- It is also the fifth word in the third commandment, whose subject is the misuse of God’s name (Exodus 20:7).
- the tetragrammaton is the fifth word in lev 19:18b — וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְהוָ-ה (“love your neighbor as yourself, I am”).
.
.
five fingers and the hand of god
Another idea invoked by the number five is the number of fingers on the human hand, the organ that most distinguishes the human species from all other known forms of life. the hand is the organ of authority, blessing, prayer, ritual, greeting, oath, custody, war and manual work; these are exclusively human activities.[65]
Symbolism related to the human hand is found throughout religious art, from the hamsa to the Latin benedictio in Catholic iconography[66] and the mudras (symbolic gestures) of Buddhist and Hindu art. w. Gunther Plaut suggests that Moses’ age at the time of his death, 120, was “the perfect age because it was built into the structure of the human body. our hands have five fingers; multiply them and you get 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 = 120.”[67] the fivefold division of the torah may be an expression of this “perfection”, no less than the age of moses.
martin cohen goes further, linking the number five with the fingers of god’s hand, which is mentioned in a variety of biblical contexts:
the fifth plague: Describing the cattle disease plague, the fifth plague, the text states that “the hand of god is about to fall” (הִנֵּה יַד יְ-הוָה הוֹיָה ) on Egyptian cattle (Exodus 9:3). here we have the association of five and the hand of god, not to mention the very unusual verb hoya with a double heh.[68] there are also five objects in v.3 after the general “cattle in the field”: “horses, donkeys, camels, big cattle and small cattle”. the association of the quintity with the hand and the letter heh is evident. other plagues are similarly described as resulting from the hand of god.[69]
prophecy: the spirit of prophecy is considered to be the work of the hand of god, especially in the book of ezekiel.
god’s benevolence: in the post-exilic period, god’s benevolent care for an individual is expressed in terms of god’s hand upon him:
The image of the torah as a representation of the divine hand goes along with the description of two tables of the decalogue as “written with the finger of god”. perhaps the image of two tablets with five units each is a symbol of the two hands of god.[72]
the “hand of god” appeared as a motif in later jewish and christian art when the depiction of yhwh or the father god as a full human figure was considered unacceptable; the image of god’s hand implies that god is present and exercises power and authority.[73]
in a religious system where no image of deity was allowed, could the torah function as a subtle image of god’s hand and thus represent god’s presence? if so, then the quinquity of the torah may have suggested that the divine hand, bringer of revelation and benevolence, rests not only on the prophets and priests, but on the entire nation that received the torah.[74]