TOWRAT

      (We should know that TOWRطT which is frequently mentioned in Qurجn, is the Book that was sent down to Moses, but of surety it is not the OLD- TESTAMENT as we have it today; nor the first five principal books of the whole which is known as theBIBLE.

      In this voluminous book written by some unknown or known writers, there is a fragment of the original law given to Moses, mixed up with a lot of semi- historical and legendary stories, ethics, poetries, and other various matters. These are traditionally ascribed to Moses, but it is certain that neither Moses has written them nor AARON.

      The primitive TORAH, must have been in old HEBREW, but there is no HEBREWmanuscript of the Old- Testament which can be dated with certainty earlier than 916. A.D.

      In the HEBREW BIBLE, there is a three fold division into the LAW or TORAH, containing the Pentateuch. The PROPHETS, containing also most of the historical books. Then there is the WRITTINGS, which contains the remainder.

      The total number of books in the HEBREW reckoning is 24. The Pentateuch was of first importance and by 444 B.C. was accepted by the Jewish community in its present form. The final edition of the PROPHETIC BOOKS was made at the latest by 200 B.C. and by the council of Jammia 90. A.D. the Hebrew Old- testament contained all these books which it now has. The original language of the Old- testament was Hebrew, with the exception of a few passage in the Books of EZRA, DANIEL and JEREMIAH.

      For further information please refer to International Encyclopedia

TRANSLALTOR'S NOTE)