Old Testament

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Christian term for the Hebrew Bible, a collection of Jewish scriptures that form the first part of the Christian Bible. Gathered over many centuries, it contains 39 (according to Christianity) or 24 (according to Judaism) books, which include an account of beliefs about God's creation of the world, the history of the ancient Hebrews and their covenant with God, prophetical writings, and religious poetry. The first five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) are traditionally ascribed to Moses and known as the Pentateuch (by Christians) or the Torah (by Jews). They contain the basic principles for living in a relationship with God, and include the Ten Commandments.

The language of the original text was Hebrew, dating from the 12th–2nd centuries BC. The earliest known manuscripts containing part of the text were found among the Dead Sea scrolls. The traditional text (translated first into Greek and then other languages) was compiled by rabbinical (Jewish) authorities around the 2nd century AD.

Red symbolizes blood. Yellow represents sunshine. Green stands for the islands' riches. Black reflects the Melanesian population. Effective date: 30 July 1980. >>