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Which five books make up the Five Megillot, or Five Scrolls?
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Hebrew Bible
Portion of the Aleppo Codex, a manuscript of the Hebrew Bible written in the Hebrew language in the 10th century ce; in the Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
The Five Megillot, or Five Scrolls, are a collection of books within the Ketuvim (Writings) section of the Hebrew Bible. While they did not originally form a single unit, they are grouped together in modern practice based on the annual cycle of their public reading during religious festivals in the synagogue.12
The five books are:
- Song of Songs: Read at Pesah (Passover).3
- Book of Ruth: Read at Shavuot (Weeks).3
- Lamentations: Read at Tisha be-Av (the 9th of Av).3
- Ecclesiastes: Read at Sukkot (Tabernacles).3
- Book of Esther: Read at Purim (Lots).3
These books vary significantly in content and tone, ranging from poetic works and wisdom literature to narratives about heroines, and they are primarily linked by their specific roles in the Jewish liturgical calendar.12