Authorship of the Pentateuch

[AnswersInHovind]

I was reading in another thread that some people don't think Moses wrote the Pentateuch. I didn't even know that opinion existed. So I looked into it over the last couple days (yay google and wikipedia: as omnicient as a manmade thing can be )

Turns out there is two major camps outside the traditional "Moses wrote it". (There may be more, these are the only 2 I found)

So tradition holds Moses wrote Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and all but the last chapter of Deuteronomy. And then Joshua finished Deuteronomy with the death of Moses chapter.

Then there is something called Documentary Hypothesis that thinks there was 4 different authors to the books (JEDP) and that an editor compiled the 5 books.

Then, the third camp, which seems to be the newest, is one that says the first four books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers) all have the same editor, and then Deuteronomy through Kings has its own editor.

From this, I gather scholars really don't know what they are talking about and just sit around theorizing things. I mean, documentary hypothesis isn't that old, and its already being replaced by a new one. And who knows how long that will stick around?

And yet for thousands of years, Moses authorship went unchallenged - again, only challenged when evolution was first being invented (sorry, "discovered") Is it any coincidence the Word of God got both these attacks at the same time in history?

 

[Markus6]

And yet for thousands of years, Moses authorship went unchallenged - again, only challenged when evolution was first being invented (sorry, "discovered") Is it any coincidence the Word of God got both these attacks at the same time in history?

Why is challenging Mosaic authorship an attack on the Word of God? None of the first five books claim to be written by Moses and Moses is written about in the third person. As far as I've seen it's just Jewish tradition that Moses wrote them.

 

[redcliffesalvo]

well the authorship is nt neccessarily important but the one who inspired it is

god foreve was forever will be

somethings change and can cast dispesions on what remains constant

 

[Ramon96]

Hello,

Yes, it is a Jewish tradition, but one that we defended by Saint Peter (Acts 3:22), Saint Paul (Acts 26:22): Paul, referring to Leviticus 18:5, began Romans 10:5 with, “For Moses writes...” Later, quoting from Deuteronomy 32, he writes that “Moses says” (Romans 10:19). 2 Corinthians 15 refers to Moses being read. Thus, the Holy Apostles consistently testify that Moses was the author of the Pentateuch. Jesus Christ himself testify to this (Matthew 19:8; Mark 7:10, Mark 12:26, Luke 16:29-31, Luke 24:27). Therefore, there are internal evidences in Holy Scriptures that teaches that Moses wrote the Pentateuch.The New Testament writers showed no hesitation in affirming that Moses wrote the Pentateuch. There are external evidences, which are too long to detailed here but can be research online.

Not all Jewish traditions are myths and fables. Even Saint Paul appeal to Jewish tradition (2 Tim 3:8). Also, the fact that the Pentateuch is written in the third person, doesn't mean that Moses did not wrote it. This is a invalid argument.

If people want to question who wrote the Pentateuch, then they must come face to face with Jesus Christ and the Holy Apostles. If they deny Moses, they also deny the words of Jesus. Thus, in reality, the issue is of momentous import. The very integrity of Jesus and the Holy Apostles is on the line.

As M.R. DeHaan explained in his book, Genesis and Evolution:

Prove that Moses did not write the books of the Pentateuch and you prove that Jesus was totally mistaken and not the infallible Son of God he claimed to be. Upon your faith in Moses as the writer of the five books attributed to him rests also your faith in Jesus as the Son of God. You cannot believe in Jesus Christ without believing what Moses wrote. You see, there is much more involved in denying the books of Moses than most people suppose (1982, p. 41).
​

After studying the Holy Fathers of the Church, there has been no disagreement about Moses writing the Pentateuch. The doubt of the authorship of the Pentateuch is a modern issue, stemming from Protestantism/Liberalism.

Why is challenging Mosaic authorship an attack on the Word of God?

Either knowingly or unknowingly, it is a attack on Jesus Christ and the Holy Apostles. Think about it. If Jesus and the Holy Apostles believe Moses wrote the Pentateuch, and one modern Christian believe he did not wrote it, for whatever reason , who is he disbelieving? As for me, I rather believe Jesus and the Holy Apostles instead of listening to some Protestant Liberists (no disrespect intended to anyone).


In IC.XC,
Ramon

 

[ebia]

Hello,

Yes, it is a Jewish tradition, but one that we defended by Saint Peter (Acts 3:22), Saint Paul (Acts 26:22): Paul, referring to Leviticus 18:5, began Romans 10:5 with, “For Moses writes...” Later, quoting from Deuteronomy 32, he writes that “Moses says” (Romans 10:19). 2 Corinthians 15 refers to Moses being read. Thus, the Holy Apostles consistently testify that Moses was the author of the Pentateuch.

Do they? Or do they simply use the conventional terms for talking about those books, without being concerned with the historical detail of who wrote them?

I'll ask the same question I asked once before in another thread and nobody had the courage to address properly:
If Jesus, Paul or an Evangelist talked about "sunrise" would they:
a. go into a complicated and obtuse but technically accurate description of the earth rotating so that one's visible line of sight included the sun.
b. use the phrase sunrise and be therefore wrong
c. use the phrase sunrise as the appropriate way of talking about it in their cultural situations technical understanding, oblivious to it's inaccuracy.

If people want to question who wrote the Pentateuch, then they must come face to face with Jesus Christ and the Holy Apostles. If they deny Moses, they also deny the words of Jesus. Thus, in reality, the issue is of momentous import. The very integrity of Jesus and the Holy Apostles is on the line.

No it isn't. Those who want to hang onto the traditional understanding try to make it that.

As M.R. DeHaan explained in his book, Genesis and Evolution:

Prove that Moses did not write the books of the Pentateuch and you prove that Jesus was totally mistaken and not the infallible Son of God he claimed to be.
​

No you don't. Anymore than you would prove that if you found that he used the phrase "sunrise". Not that the incarnate Jesus claimed that kind of infallibility anyway, which would actually be a denial of his humanity.

(no disrespect intended to anyone).

Writing "no disrespect intended" doesn't let you off the hook. Either stand by what you say - disrespect included, or modify it to not be disrespectful if that's what needs doing.

 

[dcyates]

We should note that what is most important is not who wrote a particular book of the Bible, but that they were inspired by the Spirit when they did. I have no problem accepting that much of what is contained in the Pentateuch is ultimately derived from Moses, but it's highly doubtful that absolutely everything in the Pentateuch finds its provenance with him. For example, should we insist that Moses referred to himself as more humble than anyone else on earth, as it states in Num 12.3?

 

[cyberlizard]

jesus seems to indicate the torah was written by Moses.... if it is good enough for him, it is good enough for me.


Steve