Which year did the canon of Judaism become fixed for a specific list of books?

Which year did the canon of Judaism become fixed for a specific list of books?

• A. 70 CE
• B. 90 CE
• C. 100 CE
• D. 120 CE

Answer: (B)

The question tests understanding of when Judaism settled on a single, authoritative list of sacred books. After the destruction of the Second Temple, rabbinic leaders in the late first century began to standardize which writings would be regarded as Scripture and used in worship and teaching. By around 90 CE, this consolidation is traditionally associated with forming a stable 24-book canon (Torah, Prophets, and Writings). That dating—often linked to the Yavne period and the post-70 CE rabbinic movement—is why 90 CE is the commonly cited moment for fixing the canon. The process continued in later centuries, but this late-1st-century marker best fits the traditional record of when the list became authoritative and consistently recognized.

The question tests understanding of when Judaism settled on a single, authoritative list of sacred books. After the destruction of the Second Temple, rabbinic leaders in the late first century began to standardize which writings would be regarded as Scripture and used in worship and teaching. By around 90 CE, this consolidation is traditionally associated with forming a stable 24-book canon (Torah, Prophets, and Writings). That dating—often linked to the Yavne period and the post-70 CE rabbinic movement—is why 90 CE is the commonly cited moment for fixing the canon. The process continued in later centuries, but this late-1st-century marker best fits the traditional record of when the list became authoritative and consistently recognized.