The Torah (תּוֹרָה) is the most important document in Judaism, revered as the inspired word of God, traditionally said to have been revealed to Moses. The word Torah means "teaching," "instruction," "scribe", or "law" in Hebrew. It is also known as the Five Books of Moses, the Law of Moses (Torat Moshe תּוֹרַת־מֹשֶׁה) or the Pentateuch (Greek Πεντάτευχος (pentáteukhos) for "five containers," which refers to the scroll cases in which the books were kept). Other names include Hamisha Humshei TorahHumash (חוּמָשׁ "fifth"). A Sefer Torah is a formal written scroll of the five books, written by a Torah scribe under exceptionally strict requirements. The term is sometimes also used in the general sense to also include both Judaism's written law and oral law, encompassing the entire spectrum of authoritative Jewish religious teachings throughout history, including the Mishnah, the Talmud, the Midrash, and more.
The Torah comprises the first five books of the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible, and of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The five books, their names and pronunciations in the original Hebrew, are as follows:
(The Hebrew names are taken from initial words within the first verse of each book. See, for example, Genesis 1:1.) These books describe the creation of the Universe and its history, and it describes in particular the special covenant between God and the people of Israel.
Jews have revered the Torah through the ages, as have Samaritans and Christians. It is traditionally accepted as the literal word of God as told to Moses. For many, it is neither exactly history, nor theology, nor legal and ritual guide, but something beyond all three. It is the primary guide to the relationship between God and man, and the whole meaning and purpose of that relationship, a living document that unfolds over generations and millennia.