Article 2: Catholic Classification of the Canon of the Old Testament
By Adrian Mathew Disclaimer – The following article is meant for educational purpose only and not for any commercial purpose. The Catholic Church's classification of the Canon of the Old Testament is based on the Latin Vulgate by St. Jerome. As a note, the term "canon" is Latin derived from the Greek "kanon" which means "cane". In Early Christianity "canon" came to mean a rule, measure or authoritative standard against which to evaluate doctrine. The canonization of the Scriptures in the Catholic Church can be identified with formal decisions of Church Councils. By the end of the fourth century, the Churches in communion with Rome settled on the canon recognized by the Catholic Church today, as can be seen from the Council of Rome (382 AD). The Catholic Old Testament consists of 46 books, which are divided into four main sections: 1) The Pentateuch/Torah/Law: The first five books of the Old Testament are known as the Pentateuch or th