The Old Testament or the Hebrew Scriptures constitutes the first major part of the Christian Bible
Christians divide their Bible into Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament are those books written before the Jesus of Nazareth while the New Testament are those books written after his death. Most Jews accept as Scripture the same books as those found in the Christian Old Testament, although the ordering of the books in the Jewish Bible differs significantly.
Some Christians regard the Torah and the Old Testament as the “Word of God” while other churches are lest fundamental in their interpretation of certain aspects of the books.
The Old Testament was composed between the 5th century BCE and the 1st century BCE, although parts of it, such as the Torah, date back much earlier.
The Pentateuch or the five Books of Moses -- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy make up the main part of the Old Testament and are believed to be the oldest stories some dating from the 10th BCE, although they were written down during the Jewish exile in Babylon in the 5th Century BCE. The obvious resemblance to other stories from the region, the Great Flood from the Epic of Gilgamesh for example, suggests many different sources for the books. Apparent contradictions within the opening of the book of Genesis also suggest the stories were a blending of various versions.
Contemporary archaeologists have now rejected much of the history of the Old Testament. Many events described in the Bible is regarded as largely ahistorical -- the patriarchal histories, the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt, the Exodus, the wanderings of the Israelites in the Sinai Peninsula, the conquest of Canaan by Joshua and a united kingdom of Israel under David and Solomon.
While the Christian and Jewish worlds were brought up on the notion of David’s great kingdom and Soloman’s great city and Temple, the reality is Israel at the time was a loose confederation of tribal villages, often at conflict with its neighbours.

Genesis is perhaps the best known book of the Bible. The book describes the creation of the Earth and the creation of man. The first man, Adam, and his wife are tossed out of Paradise for disobeying God. Genesis then details the account of the descendants of Adam to the story of Noah who survives a great flood, and the account of the descendants of Noah through the tower of Babel to the rise of Abraham. Next follows the story of the Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the life of Joseph. God promises of the land of Canaan to Abraham’s descendents, but famine drives the Israelites to Egypt.

Exodus opens with the Israelites in Egypt. Their leader, Moses, breaks with the Pharaoh and after God brings down several blights upon the Egyptians he leads the Israelites back out of Pharaoh's Egypt to Mount Sinai. There, Moses is given the Commandments of God and he is instructed to bring them to the Israelites. Moses presents God’s covenant and laws, and is then forced to deal with the violation of those law when some Israelites begin worshipping a Golden Calf. Moses also instructs those remaining on building the tabernacle that will hold the covenants of God. After 40 years of wandering Sinai, the Israelites finally reach Canaan.

Isaiah is concerned with the connection between worship and ethical behavior. One of his major themes is God's refusal to accept the ritual worship of those who are treating others with cruelty and injustice. Isaiah speaks also of idolatry, which was common at the time. The Canaanite worship, which involved fertility rites, including sexual practices forbidden by Jewish law, had become popular among the Jewish people.
Another important theme is that God is the God of the whole earth. Isaiah's God is a conceived as the only true god, and the god of all humankind, not just the Israelite nation.
A final thematic goal that Isaiah constantly leans toward throughout the writing is the establishment of God's kingdom on earth, with rulers and subjects to who strive to live by the will of God.

Book of Job largely concerns the question, "Is misfortune always a divine punishment for something?" It has been called the most difficult book of the Bible. Is the book an attempt to reconcile the co-existence of evil and God? The book appears ambiguously as an invocation to righteousness, as a cynical outlook on the idea of righteousness, and as a response to the problem of evil.
The Book of Job narrates the tragedy of the loss of his children, wealth, and physical soundness. The book begins with an introduction to Job's character, stating that he was a blameless and upright man who feared God and shunned evil, and gives an overview of his riches. It then chronicles a dialogue between Satan and God; Satan challenges Job's integrity, ending in God giving Job into Satan's hand. The main portion of the text consists of the discourse of Job and his three friends, ending in God answering Job. Other themes of the book include restoration and the omnipotence of God.