The first five books of the Old Testament have a very special place in both Jewish and Christian teaching. Deuteronomy or the "Second Law" represents a reworking of the first four "Books of the Law" to take account of the experience of the people of Israel as they became settlers in Palestine. Deuteronomy has a unity of insight and purpose that has had a great influence on Christian understanding, in particular with regard to the norms of behaviour expected in the Church and in a Christian society.
