Old Testament

In addition to the writings of the prophets and the sages, several other books are included in the canon of the Old Testament. These books can scarcely be classified according to any one basic characteristic; they represent different styles of writing and deal with a variety of subjects. Regarded as inspired writings but not on as high a level as the prophets, some of the books are of relatively late origin; not until after the beginning of the Christian era was agreement reached concerning their inclusion among the sacred writings. The books included in this group are Jonah, Ruth, Esther, and Daniel, a collection of psalms, Lamentations, and a love poem called Song of Songs.