My impression is that we know that one author wrote Leviticus and one author wrote Deuteronomy, but Genesis, Exodus, and Numbers have a more complicated composition history, plus some additions by the author of Leviticus.
Am I in agreement with the experts?
Hermeneutics would have us see what scripture says, rather than the opinion of "experts" who refer instead to outside sources. Christ seems to be happy with connecting the first five books to Moses [Jhn 5:46-47 KJV] For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? Jesus specifically ties Moses to each of the first five books:
Genesis (1:27, 2:24): [Mat 19:7-8 KJV] They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
Exodus (3:6): [Mar 12:26 KJV] And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I [am] the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? Note that "the Book of Moses"(also mentioned in 2 CH 25:4, 35:12, Ezr 6:18, Neh 13:1) meant all 5 of these books.
Leviticus (14:2): [Mar 1:44 KJV] 44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
Numbers (21:9): [Jhn 3:14 KJV] 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
Deuteronomy (5:16): [Mar 7:10 KJV] 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
The tradition among believers has mostly been that Moses personally composed the five books of the Pentateuch.
According to Dr. William Wood (Ph.D., Westminster Theological Seminary):
"If you’re talking to a conservative Old Testament scholar like myself, almost all of us would ascribe to a view called essential or substantial Mosaic authorship. This means that, by and large, Moses was the actual author of the first five books of the Bible from Genesis to Deuteronomy." 1
The process which led to Moses becoming identified as the author of the Torah may best be summed up with three factors:
He is said to write something, frequently at the command of God.
He plays a key role in four of the five books.
His authority as lawgiver and liberator of Israel united the story and laws of the Pentateuch.
Arguments:1
Now, this is a theory that proposes the Pentateuch, was not written by a single author (traditionally Moses), but is a compilation of works from multiple authors over time. Here’s a summary of the theory and the arguments for and against it:
Theory Summary:
Arguments:
| References | |
|---|---|
| [1] | Wood, W. (2023, September 19). Was Moses really the author of the Pentateuch? Reformed Theological Seminary. https://rts.edu/resources/was-moses-really-the-author-of-the-pentateuch/ |
| [2] | Wikipedia contributors. (2024a, January 9). Mosaic authorship. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaic_authorship |
| [3] | Andy Judd’s Old Testament and Hermeneutics. (2020, April 3). The Documentary Hypothesis explained: Wellhausen and the formation of the Pentateuch [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFp8n5tqsRU |
The OP's question involves a fundamental assumption about what-is-an-author.
We don't have any ancient records of how the books of the pentateuch were commissioned, drafted, edited, approved and sent for production. But it must have been a substantial enough process that we can hope for the archaeology to uncover something someday. The final red-line edits would be nice!
Attention should next come to an immediate and obvious property of written literature: that whilst we can listen to more than one person talking, we can only read one book at a time one word at a time. As a natural consequence of what human language is, books place their words in a strict sequence.
We don't have any descriptions of how the Pentateuch was written, and that Moses (is anciently accredited to have) wrote it is one of the only things we know about Moses.
But to be an author has always been to lead a collaboration of human thought and effort.
Whoever added to Genesis, they didn't (so far as we can tell) produce a 'fork' with some believers prizing OG Genesis and others the Yahwist Reboot. The new writers' words were added into Moses' sequence on the basis that they were now Moses' words.
Genetic analysis of authorship tends to hazard a colossal disrespect of the new writer(s) plus the entire creative system they have joined. Because a huge part of all their craft is to take on the style of the original author and make the new information flow naturally from what was there before. And they must have basically succeeded, or the work would have been rejected.
As a recent real-life example, they have reissued Roald Dahl's Matilda with some politically-sensitive language swapped out. But it's still Roald Dahl's Matilda, the edits aren't credited.
This logic is clearest seen at the macro-level, of publication. But it extends down to composition: each word Moses fits into his syntax is being handed him by a living language of speakers. And in a history of the Jewish people right back to creation - we'd expect phrasing to be inherited from oral traditions stretching back hundreds of years and into earlier instances of Hebrew. And still other phrasing was what he'd heard in the marketplace the day before, or his colleagues' suggestions of "what's a good word for", or a beloved verbal quirk of his grandmother.
His memories of himself - such as when he said "Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent" - also come to him from the language. Because then he was speaking not writing, and to now write the words he before spoke involves selection or editing or change.
There is no "track-changes" or markup of where words came from. Written language doesn't have embedded blockchain so that the royalties on folk-aphorisms or dialect idioms can be traced back to whoever 'generated' the 'intellectual property'. Once new words have been inserted into the sequence and signed off by the commissioning priests, there's no way of telling. Statistical analysis shows the simplest explanation - but any writer knows the process isn't simple.
The difference between the Yahwist and the Priest might be two different authors, or it might be that the Priest is an artefact of how the Yahwist's colleagues edited the Deuteronomist to make the new material fit better.
We don't know and we can't tell. But treating the text as Moses' text treats all the actors involved, and the text, and the faith, with the greatest respect - and gives the clearest insight into the work - not by removing the distractions of genetic analysis so much as by forcing it to be treated as coherent and self-stating.
Although lengthy, this is the support needed for the simple argument that we know Leviticus was written by Moses because Moses is defined as whoever wrote Leviticus.
Whether he wrote Genesis as well can't much influence how either Genesis or Leviticus are read. He might have eaten something different for breakfast, or changed his mind about something, or switched publishers, or been a totally different person.
Answer
Despite the Documentary Hypothesis, we know that Moses wrote the Pentateuch. All the circumstantial evidences point towards the fact.
However, evidences also show that holy men have edited the same.
Explanation
Jesus Christ asked a simple but very valid question to Nicodemus:
“I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message. If you don't believe when I talk to you about things on earth, how can you possibly believe if I talk to you about things in heaven?” (John 3:11-12).
If Jesus is wrong in one natural thing, then we cannot trust Him in any of the spiritual things He said. This is the essence of what Jesus told Nicodemus.
If Jesus is wrong when He said Moses wrote the Pentateuch, then He could be wrong when He said He is the eternal Life giving resurrection to the believers!
Then we have no “justification” and “salvation” from God!
Jesus said Moses wrote the Pentateuch:
“Has not Moses given you the Law” (John 7:19).
Was Jesus wrong here?
Then we have no guarantee of our resurrection and eternal life because Jesus could be wrong there also!
Apostle Peter says that it is the Spirit of Christ that inspired Moses to write the Pentateuch (1 Pet 1:11).
If so, Lord Jesus Christ is in a much better position (than the so called “experts” who are removed by several centuries from the time) to witness correctly regarding Moses.
What the Pentateuch Says
“And Jehovah said to Moses, Write this, a memorial in a book, and set it in the ears of Joshua” (Exo 17:14).
“And Moses wrote ALL the Words of Jehovah” (Exo 24:4).
“And Moses wrote this Law, and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi” (Deut 31:9).
What Joshua Says
Joshua was the immediate successor of Moses. What does he witness concerning the writings of Moses?
“as Moses, the servant of Jehovah, commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the Law of Moses” (Joshua 8:31).
“And you shall be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the Law of Moses, so as not to turn aside from it to the right or to the left” (Joshua 23:6).
Joshua ADDED/Edited the Book
Joshua has added and edited things in the Law of God written by Moses:
“And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the Law of God” (Joshua 24:26).
Now we know who wrote the death of Moses (Deuteronomy chapter 34 and other portions) in Moses’ own book.
Kings to Copy the Law
There are clear instructions Moses wrote in advance to the future kings of Israel to write down a copy of the Book of Law:
“And it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this Law in a book, from before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Jehovah your God, to keep all the Words of this Law and these statutes, to do them” (Deut 17:18-19).
The Book of the Law written by Moses was a practical book for day to day life for the Israelites right from Joshua.
It was not a conglomerate of Jahwist, Priestly, Elohist, Deuteronomist traditions. There was no enough time also for these traditions to accumulate because right from the time of Joshua, people were holding the Book of Law as the rule of conduct in their practical life.
Israel Forgets the Book
In spite of the strict rules of the Law, Israel especially the kings forgot all about it. At times they found accidentally the Book of Law in the Temple of God.
During King Josiah’s time:
“And when they brought out the silver that was brought into the house of Jehovah, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of Jehovah by Moses…..” (2 Chron 34:14).
A great commotion erupts when the King comes to know about it!
The same thing happens after the Babylonian captivity when the exiles thirst for God’s Word:
“And all the people gathered themselves as one man into the street before the water gate. And they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which Jehovah had commanded to Israel” (Neh 8:1).
So, there is a consistent record of history in the Scripture itself that the Pentateuch was written by Moses and the Book was the rule of law right from the time of Joshua onwards till now.
Conclusion
The OP may be “in agreement with the experts” who came about 3000 years later; but not with Lord Jesus Christ who inspired the writing of it.
Jesus witnessed that Moses wrote the Pentateuch. And He is the final word for a Christian.
The answer to this question depends on what is meant by "wrote the Pentateuch." Hermeneutically, both the Pentateuch itself, and other books in the Bible, indicate quite strongly that the 5 Books of Moses were written down by Moses. But Moses is not the author, G-d is.
For example, Deuteronmy 31:24-26:
.וַיְהִ֣י ׀ כְּכַלּ֣וֹת מֹשֶׁ֗ה לִכְתֹּ֛ב אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַתּוֹרָֽה־הַזֹּ֖את עַל־סֵ֑פֶר עַ֖ד תֻּמָּֽם .וַיְצַ֤ו מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּ֔ם נֹ֥שְׂאֵ֛י אֲר֥וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר לָקֹ֗חַ אֵ֣ת סֵ֤פֶר הַתּוֹרָה֙ הַזֶּ֔ה וְשַׂמְתֶּ֣ם אֹת֔וֹ מִצַּ֛ד אֲר֥וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָֽיָה־שָׁ֥ם בְּךָ֖ לְעֵֽד
Literally translated: "And it was when Moses finished writing down the words of this Torah on a book (i.e. in a scroll) until it was complete. And Moses commanded the Levites who carried the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH, saying 'take this Book of the Torah and place it on the side of the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH, your Lord, and it will be there for you as a witness."
This Torah is later found by the Priests in the days Josiah as recorded in II Chronicles 34:14:
מָצָא֙ חִלְקִיָּ֣הוּ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֶת־סֵ֥פֶר תּֽוֹרַת־יְהוָ֖ה בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה "Chilkiyahu the Priest found the Book of the Torah of YHWH, by the hand of Moses."
But Moses did not write on his own accord, rather he was commanded by G-d to write and what words to use. As it says in II Chronicles 35:6 "כִּדְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה" which means "according to the Word of G-d by the hand of Moses."
Similarly, Nehemia 8:14 describes commandments "כָּת֣וּב בַּתֹּורָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֔ה" which means "written in the Torah that G-d commanded by the hand of Moses." There are many more examples in the Bible.
This concept, that Moses was merely writing what G-d told him to write, is found throughout the Pentateuch itself. E.g. Numbers 36:13:
אֵ֣לֶּה הַמִּצְוֹ֞ת וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֖ה "These are the commandments and laws that G-d commanded by the hand of Moses."
Leviticus 10:11:
וּלְהוֹרֹ֖ת אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַ֣חֻקִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה "and You must teach the Children of Israel all of the statutes that G-d told to them, by the hand of Moses."
It is clear, then Moses had no authorship of the Torah. He was merely the hand writing down the words of G-d.
וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֵ֚ת כׇּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה "And Moses wrote all the words of G-d." (Exodus 24:4)
I have my own “theory that there was 3 authors of Genesis 1-5. If it’s already published somewhere by a scholar it’s just a coincidence. I don’t pay much attention to the history and current events of academia.
This idea came about sober when looking at the MT translations of Genesis. The KJV version consistently translates Elohim as God, YHWH as LORD, until Genesis 15:2, where it has Lord GOD.
The 3 authors of Genesis theory comes from that Genesis 1 and 5 only use the word Elohim, (God).
Genesis 2 and 3 only use the word YHWH Elohim (LORD God).
Genesis 4 does not use LORD God. All you will notice is either LORD and God once at 4:25.
I call that 3 signatures. 3 authors. Each author has a distinct word or phrase they consistently write.
The 3 authors are Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 3 authors of Genesis 1-5. Total number of authors of Genesis I think is at least 4 because of Genesis 15:2. (Numbers 26:59) To Amram she bore Aaron, Moses and their sister Miriam.
So then, as other words are applied as adjectives of YHWH to write the name, that would indicate a new author. If one could go through the entire Torah and recollect a consistent pattern of name changes, that number of name changes would be the total number of authors. That would be an enormous task. 10,000 hours comparing the KJV to MT every time the name of God is written.
