in the Hebrew Bible, any of the five sacred books of the Ketuvim (the third division of the Old Testament), in scroll form, that are read in the synagogue in the course of certain festivals. The Song of Solomon (Solomon, Song of) (Song of Songs) is read on the sabbath of Passover week, the Book of Ruth (Ruth, Book of) on Shavuot, Lamentations of Jeremiah (Lamentations of Jeremiah, The) on Tisha be-Av, Ecclesiastes on the sabbath of the week of Sukkoth, and the Book of Esther (Esther, Book of) on Purim. The reading of Esther on Purim is prescribed in the Mishna; other readings were introduced in post-Talmudic days.