Ralph DeBruin, age 16, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for his question:

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT DEUTERONOMY?

Old Deuteronomy is the name of a very wise old feline in the popular musical play called "Cats." The wonderful character got his name from the Bible.

Deuteronomy (pronounced do ter AHN oh me) is the fifth book of  the Bible, and the last of the Five Books of Moses. Its name comes from a Greek word meaning "the second law."

The book of Deuteronomy contains Moses' last words to the Israelites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. In this important hour, Moses repeated and added to many of the laws found in the earlier books of the Bible.

Deuteronomy contains four main sections: the orations, which review the history of the Hebrew people in order to emphasize Gods love for them; the laws, which deal with ail areas of life; the great warning, which emphasizes obedience to Gods Law; and the song of Moses, which stresses the relationship of love and loyalty between God and Israel.

Many scholars believe that the book of Deuteronomy, or a part of it, was the book of the Law found in the Temple in Jerusalem in 621 B.C.