HAGIOGRAPHIA, a name given to part of the
books of Scripture, called by the Jews Cetuvim. The
word is compounded of agios "holy;" and graphein "I
write." The name is very ancient: St Jerome makes
frequent mention of it: before him, St Epiphanius
called these books simply graphia.
The Jews divide the sacred writings into three clas-
ses: The Law, which comprehends the five books of
Moses; the Prophets, which they call Neviim: And
the Cetuvim כתובים, called by the Greeks, &c. Hagio-
graphia; comprehending the books of Psalms, Proverbs,
Job, Daniel, Ezra, including also the books of Nehe-
miah, Chronicles, Canticles, Ruth, the Lamentations,
Ecclesiastes, and Esther.
The Jews sometimes call the books the Writings,
by way of eminence, as being written by immediate
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Thus says Kinichi, in
his preface to the Psalms, Maimonides in More Ne-
voch, and Elias Levita in his Thilbi, under the word
כתוב.
They distinguish the hagiographers, however, from
the prophets; in that the authors of the former did
not receive the matters contained in them by the way
called Prophecy, which consists in dreams, visions, whis-
pers, ecstasies, &c. but by mere inspiration and direction
of the Spirit.