The book of leviticus (/lɪˈvɪtɪkəs/, from ancient greek: λευιτικόν leuïtikón; hebrew: וַיִּקְרָא vayyīqrāʾ, "and he called") is the third book of the torah (the pentateuch) and of the old testament, also known as the third book of moses;[1] scholars generally agree that it developed over a long period of time, reaching its present form during the persian period between 538–332 bc.