Moses Authorship

Good question Raj. Thanks for the challange.

For starters I agree with you in part. Certainly Moses wasn't looking over the shoulder of God and writing down all that was happening ... he wasn't alive yet. But just because he wasn't alive doesn't mean he was not the author. Authors are all the time writing about historical evenents that precede their own genesis. So, yes, he had to have been taught these stories orally/and in written form I'm sure but I believe that Genesis is authored by Moses himself for the following reasons.

First off, just beause the story doesn't "flow" chronologically doesn't negate that it was written by a single author. We then are superimposing our own expectation upon the writing ... ie a single author would write in chronological order. But I think of many stories that are written by authors that start in the midle of the story and then return to the beginning. Or like in the case of Genesis do a summary of an event and then return to unfold specific elements.

Second. There are textual evidences that make me think that Moses wrote the Pentatuch:

Joshua 8:31 ... just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, "an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool." And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.

Here "the book of the Law of Moses" referes to a quote from Exodus 20:25, giving evidence that Moses authored at least Exodus (see also 23:6)

Joshua 8:35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

Here Joshua again talks about reading "all that Moses commanded." So Moses certainly was the author of something. But does this included Genesis ... I'm not sure. There is no obvious evidence

There are other places it speaks of the Book of Moses ... but I will move to the NT

Mat 8:4 And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them."

Here Jesus is speaking about Leviticus

Matthew 19:7 They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?"

Here Jesus is speaking about Deuteronomy

Mark 7:10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.'

Here Jesus is speaking about Exodus

Mark 10:3-9 3 He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" 4 They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away." 5 And Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 7 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

Here Jesus does not openly say "Moses said this ..." but one could assume that when he asked, "What did Moses command you?" and the response was not complete that Jesus says, this is what God said through Moses in Genesis.

Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Here Jesus takes his disciples through what appears to be all the Hebrew scriptures ... ie from Genesis to the end of the Prophets. But Jesus doesn't say Genesis, he says Moses.

Luke 24:44 Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."

Here Jesus divides the Hebrew scriptures up into three sections known as the Tanakh ... the Torah (Law), the Nevi'im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (writings). But his statement is not general about "the Torah" instead he states it as authored by Moses. I have never known Genesis to be included in the prophets or writings but always considered part of the Law.

John 7:22-24 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."

Interesting ... Here Moses is attributed with giving circumcision (but not him but the fathers). I read this to mean that Moses is used as a general term to include the specific. Though he didn't receive the law, he wrote about it in Genesis.

I think this is enough for me to conclude that Moses is the author. If not him ... the scriptures speak of non other. Have any other ideas?

daniel