Hebrew Bible

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This article is about the term "Hebrew Bible". For the Hebrew Bible itself, see Tanakh (Jewish term) or Old Testament (Christian term).

Hebrew Bible : (Hebrew: תנ"ך‎) is a term that refers to the common portions of the Jewish and Christian biblical canons. The use of the term 'Hebrew Bible' is considered as a neutral term that is preferred in academic writing over the "Old Testament", which alludes to the Christian doctrine of supersessionism, and to the "Tanakh," the common Hebrew acronym which is unfamiliar to many English speakers and others (Alexander 1999, p. 17).

Hebrew in the name may refer to either the Hebrew language or to the Hebrew people who historically used Hebrew as a spoken language, and have continuously used the language in prayer and study, or both. Indeed few practising Jews would ever refer to the "Hebrew Bible" and this term is commonly used by non-Jews namely Christians.

Because "Hebrew Bible" refers to the common portions of the Jewish and Christian biblical canons, it does not encompass the deuterocanonical books (largely from the Koine Greek Septuagint translation (LXX), included in the canon of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches). Thus the term "Hebrew Bible" corresponds most fully to the Old Testament in use by Protestant denominations (adhering to Jerome's Hebraica veritas doctrine).