Introduction to Pentateuch
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The study of the Pentateuch in the past and in present times has been an issue accompanied by criticism. The criticism of it emancipating from the study methods that were used to facilitating the whole study. The criticism methods examined include source, traditional –historical, and literal criticism. Among the crisis outlined in the video is that Chapter 2 is put into a context that only evaluates the written sources’ inclusivity was just explained in the Bible as having a written form before its final state. The criticism doubts the Pentateuch books’ viability as there are no original foundations that came up with the absolute address of the present-day law books.[1]
texts in law books have been criticized in that scholars have been on the run to find out if the Bible was translated into modern-day languages. What was the original text the led to the translation said? Was it really of the same information as the current Bible, or were they different? Alexandra, in his book, tries to examine the form that the story was passed.
Many of the Bible doings were orally done. The scholars had tried to examine how the oral information would have looked like before it was put down in writings. Furthermore, the time was pre-literal, and claims that there could be misquotations and wrong information written down is not doubted. It is alleged that God dictated Moses’s writing, and the original paper that Moses put down is not yet seen.[2] The authors claim that the historical translation to modern life today may have omitted the essentials of the original quotes to suit today’s lifestyle.
The theory above might not be viable to the authorship of the Pentateuch because of the different views and intentions that people gave when they are reading the Bible. The theories made to criticize the Bible say that the form of the writing that the Mosaic books were written in could not have been changing when only one of the writers who is Moses, would be the one writing.[3] The criticisms suggest that everyone has his way of writing ad as far as the law books’ style is considered. But how viable is this, considering that the Bible and specifically the Pentateuch books were written for more than forty years by the same person.
The style and form of which the books were written should not be a baseline to criticism because regularly. When a writer is doing his work, he might sort out to a particular style of writing for some time and later changes it as time goes by due to the relevance of the information it carries.[4] Looking at the way the books were written, it was evident that the times were also changing.
Therefore, it was vital if the times would change, and the writing styles also change to suit the needs of the time. This action then makes the theory about Pentateuch critics not viable as the books were written over a lifespan of 40 years, so it was evident that the form and style in which the books were written would also change to suit the advancements made.
Essential Mosaic authorship is a belief that is way too traditional that Torah books or the Mosaic books were put down by Moses as dictated by God. The opinion further stipulates that the book authors’ names are not included in them and therefore were not necessary at the time. But during the Temple period in its second phase, the Jews began to find the authors of the books. It was then that they knew it was Moses as he was not only a prophet as they had known him to be but also the author of the law books that included Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Genesis, Exodus, Numbers.[5]
The Mosaic authorship is a compelling theory for Pentateuch’s authorship. It raises several concern questions as to whether Moses is the one who took part in the writing of the books in question. JEDP theory, for instance, puts forward that the first five books in the Old Testament were not written by Moses when the contrasting ideas are that he wrote the books. That is a compelling theory that raises concerns. Moses is aside to have died in about 1400 B.C. [6] This assumption is put forward by different people who lived later after Moses.
The theory seems to cement its viability by questioning different names used in the law books to refer to God. Claims are that if one person writes the books, then God’s word would have been used as one all through the books, but they keep on changing Jehovah to Yahweh, and many more. Therefore, the authors claim that it is possible that Ezra and Elohim, among others, took part in writing the Law books, which may not be the case. Moses might have used God’s names differently to bring out the relevant meanings of the words in the situations that the context of every book was at during the time.
Reference
Mathews, J. (2017). Paradise, patriarchs, promised land: A thematic introduction to the Pentateuch [Book Review]. St Mark’s Review, (239), 110.
Kim, H. (2020). Multiple Authorship of the Septuagint Pentateuch: The origin of the Septuagint. In Multiple Authorship of the Septuagint Pentateuch. Brill.
Andrews, E. D. (2019). MOSAIC AUTHORSHIP CONTROVERSY: Who Wrote the First Five Books of the Bible?. Christian Publishing House.
Aceto, M., Calà, E., Fenoglio, G., Labate, M., Denoël, C., Operti, L., & Agostino, A. (2020). New evidence of non-traditional Egyptian blue manufacture in the 6th century Ashburnham Pentateuch. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 33, 102487.
Andrews, E. D. (2017). DEFENDING OLD TESTAMENT AUTHORSHIP: The Word of God Is Authentic and True. Christian Publishing House.
Alexander, T. D. (2002). From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch. Baker Academic.
[1] Alexander, T. D. (2002). From Paradise to the Promised Land:
[2] Mathews (2017). Paradise, patriarchs, promised land, (239), 110.
[3] Kim, H. (2020). Multiple Authorship of the Septuagint Pentateuch, 122
[4] Andrews (2019). MOSAIC AUTHORSHIP CONTROVERSY, 43
[5] Andrews (2017). DEFENDING OLD TESTAMENT AUTHORSHIP:
[6] Aceto and Calà (2020). New evidence of non-traditional Egyptian, 33, 102487.