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recognized that up to his time the inspired prophets had ceased with Malachi. "And there was
great stress in Israel [in 168 B.C.], such as there had not been SINCE THE TIME WHEN THE
PROPHETS CEASED TO APPEAR TO THEM" (I Macc. 9:27). Without men of God in a
prophetical office, it was impossible to have inspired writings. It is therefore plain that Josephus,
who was one of the leading Pharisees of his day, and other prominent Jews, believed the canon of
the Old Testament was completed under Ezra and Nehemiah.

The Three Divisions of the Old Testament

When Ezra and Nehemiah compiled the Old Testament books they placed them in three
general divisions. These are known as the Triparte Divisions. The first division was called THE
LAW, and consisted of the first five books. The second was called THE PROPHETS. The third
division was called, in Christ's day, THE PSALMS, because this division commenced with the
book of Psalms.

Thus, the inspired Old Testament, from Genesis to II Chronicles (the Hebrew order), was
divided into three divisions -- THE LAW, THE PROPHETS, and THE PSALMS. This arrange-
ment of the books has always been reckoned by the Jews as having had its origin in the time of
Ezra and Nehemiah (Ryle, Canon of the Old Testament, p. 252; Angus, Bible Handbook, p.
568). There is no question about this fact.

Historical References to the Triparte Divisions

There are several early references which show that the Old Testament was divided into the
Triparte Divisions. One notable mention is that of Sirach's grandson -- a Jewish religious leader
who lived in the second century BEFORE Christ. He says in his prologue to the apocryphal book,
Ecclesiasticus, that the recognized Scriptures of official Judaism were those books found in "The
Law," "The Prophecies," and "The Rest of the Books." This is a clear reference to the authoritative
Triparte Divisions established by Ezra and Nehemiah.

You will perhaps notice that the grandson of Sirach did not use the name "The Psalms" for
the third division. This is easily explained. This third section did not have a proper name in the
time of Sirach. It became popularly called "The Psalms" by the Jews of Christ's time because that
particular book introduced the division. This is clearly indicated by Philo, a Jew who lived a few
years before Christ. He said that the Triparte Divisions were then being called "The Law," "The
Prophets," and "The Psalms" (On the Contemplative Life, 3). Later, in the third century A.D.,
however, the Jews began to refer to the third division as "The Writings." This designation has
been used by the Jews up to our own times.

Christ Sanctions the Triparte Divisions

It is important to realize that the Jews accepted only the books within the Triparte Divi-
sions as inspired. No other books were ever recognized as being canonical. The Apocrypha were
never accepted. But regardless of the beliefs of official Judaism, we have the testimony of a much
greater authority, telling us of what books the inspired Old Testament consisted. That witness is
YEHOVAH God Himself -- the very One who inspired the prophets of the Old Testament.
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