Historical books
The historical books are a division of the Christian Bible, grouping 12 books in the Old Testament. In terms of the Tanakh, it includes the Former Prophets from the Nevi'im and two of the ungrouped books of Ketuvim, together with the Book of Ruth and the Book of Esther which in the Tanakh are both found in the Five Megillot. These 12 books make up the historical books in the Protestant Bible, but several other books not found in the Hebrew Bible are also included in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles.
The books tell the history of the Israelites spanning nearly a millennium, from their conquest of Canaan until the return to Zion in 539 BC. The historical books document the entry of the Israelites into the Promised Land after The Exodus, the leadership of the Biblical judges, the establishment of the United Monarchy and its subsequent division into the northern Kingdom of Israel and southern Kingdom of Judah, and the Babylonian captivity.List
The historical books of the main Christian canons are as follows:
