This Textbook provides an introduction to the 'big' (catholic) canon of the christian Old Testament. The 'Old Testament' is the holy scripture of the Jews and Christians: the Torah/Pentateuch, the books of history, the books of wisdom and the prophets. The origin of each book is embedded into its historical und religious context, so that it proven to be an effect of the Israeli history of belief. The author especially reflects on the dual character of the Old Testament as (unifiing and seperatin ...