Books of the Bible: The Pentateuch The Pentateuch The first five books of the Bible. The word Pentateuch comes from a Greek term meaning "the five (penta) books." The Pentateuch includes the first five books of the Bible Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers , and Deuteronomy . These books are often called the Law, but in addition to legal materials they include poems, songs, and epic narratives about the people of God. The Hebrew term used for these books is Torah, which means instruction. These books have sometimes been called the five books of Moses, although most modern scholars think that the Pentateuch includes materials that were written down by various people over a period of centuries. The Pentateuch tells a story that extends from the Creation (Genesis 1) to the time when the people of Israel are encamped on the edge of the promised land (Deuteronomy 34). What is the Pentateuch? What is the Pentateuch?

Subscribe to our Question of the Week : Question: "What is the Pentateuch?" Answer: The Pentateuch is the first five books of the Bible that conservative Bible scholars believe were mostly written by Moses. Even though the books of the Pentateuch themselves do not clearly identify the author, there are many passages that attribute them to Moses or as being his words (Exodus 17:14, 24:4–7;Numbers 33:1–2; Deuteronomy 31:9–22). While there are some verses in the Pentateuch that would appear to have been added by someone later than Moses, for example, Deuteronomy 34:5–8, which describes the death and burial of Moses, most if not all scholars attribute the majority of these books to Moses. Even if Joshua or someone else actually wrote the original manuscripts, the teaching and revelation can be traced from God through Moses. No matter who actually wrote the words that make up the books of the Pentateuch, the author of those words was God through His prophet Moses, and the inspiration of these five books of the Bible is still true.

One of the most important evidences for Moses being the author of the Pentateuch is that Jesus Himself refers this section of the Old Testament as the “Law of Moses” (Luke 24:44). The word Pentateuch comes from a combination of the Greek word penta, meaning “five” and teuchos, which can be translated “scroll.” Therefore, it simply refers to the five scrolls that make up the first of three divisions of the Jewish canon. The name Pentateuch can be traced at least as far back as AD 200, when Tertullian referred to the first five books of the Bible by that name. Also known as the Torah, which is the Hebrew word meaning “Law,” these five books of the Bible are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Jews generally divided the Old Testament into three different sections, The Law, The Prophets, and The Writings. The Law or Torah consists of the first five books of Scripture that contain the historical background of creation and God’s choosing of Abraham and the Jewish nation as His chosen people. They also contain the instructions and law given to Israel at Mount Sinai.

Scripture refers to these five books by various names. In Joshua 1:7 they said to be the “law (Torah) which Moses My servant commanded you” and “the law of Moses” in 1 Kings 2:3. The five books of the Bible that make up the Pentateuch are the beginning of God’s progressive revelation to man. In Genesis we find the beginning of creation, the fall of man, the promise of redemption, the beginning of human civilization, and the beginning of God’s covenant relationship with His chosen nation, Israel. Following Genesis we have Exodus, which records God’s deliverance of His covenant people from the bondage of slavery and the preparation for their possession of the Promised Land that He had set aside for them. Exodus records the deliverance of Israel from Egypt after 400 years of slavery as promised by God to Abraham (Genesis 15:13). In it we find the covenant God makes with Israel at Mount Sinai, instructions for building the tabernacle, the giving of the Ten Commandments, and other instructions on how Israel was to worship God. Leviticus follows Exodus and expands on the instructions for how a covenant people (Israel) were to worship God and govern themselves.

It lays forth the requirements of the sacrificial system that would allow God to overlook the sins of His people until the perfect and ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ would provide redemption and completely atone for the sins of all of God’s elect. Following Leviticus is Numbers, which covers key events during the 40 years that Israel wandered in the wilderness as well as additional instructions for worshiping God and living as His covenant people. The last of the five books that make up the Pentateuch is Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is sometimes referred to as the “second law” or “repetition of the law.” It records the final words of Moses before the nation of Israel crosses over into the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 1:1). In Deuteronomy we find God’s Law and standards that were given to Israel at Mount Sinai repeated and expounded upon by Moses. As Israel was to move into a new chapter of their history as God’s chosen nation, Moses is reminding them not only of God’s commandments and their responsibilities but of the blessings that would be theirs by obeying God and the curses that would come from disobedience.

The five books that make up the Pentateuch are generally considered to be historical books because they record historical events. While they are often called the Torah or the Law, in reality they contain much more than laws. They provide an overview to God’s plan of redemption and provide a backdrop to everything in Scripture that would follow. Like all of the Old Testament, the promises, types, and prophecies contained in the first five books of Scripture have their ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. They provide the important historical background needed to set the stage for the coming Kinsmen Redeemer. An Introduction to the Pentateuch | Bible.org An Introduction to the Pentateuch Related Media I. Identification: A. The Pentateuch consists of the first five books of the OT: Genesis, Exodus Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy B. The term “Pentateuch” comes from the Greek term pentáteuchos meaning “five-volumed (book) after the Jewish designation, “the five-fifths of the law” 1 C.

The Jews called it “Torah” (instruction) which is often rendered in English by “Law” (Matt 5:17; Luke 16:17; Acts 7:53; 1 Cor 9:8) D. Although each book is a unit, together they form a larger unit and unity II. Unity: A. These five books form a backbone for the rest of the OT and NT theologically (Deut 26:5-10; Josh 24:2-13; Acts 13:17-41) B. The books contain a chronological and theological progression: 2 The Pentateuch: The founding of the Theocracy--the re-establishment of God’s rule on earth through man over evil and over all creation 1. Genesis: The origins behind the founding of the theocracy--the promised blessing of the seed in the land and of all peoples through the seed 2. Exodus: The redemptions of the seed of Abraham out of bondage and the formation of this people to be a nation with a constitution a. The redemption of the people 1) Their bondage 1--10 b.

The formation of a people with a constitution: 1) Moral judgments 19-20 2) Social judgments 21--24 3) Cultic judgments 25ff 3. Leviticus: Israel’s culture is established by providing a manual of ordinances to help with their needs when approaching God who is going to live among His people in holiness (Lev 26:11-12) 4. Numbers: YHWH orders Israel’s walk (the military arrangement, census of the tribes, transport of the sacred palladium), but Israel disrupts YHWH’s order; Nevertheless, the promised blessing cannot be frustrated from within or from without 5. Deuteronomy: The reconstitution of the nation under YHWH to enter the land through a covenant renewal in legal-prophetic form C. The Pentateuch is also tied around the two-fold narrative character of narrative interspersed with blocks of legal material. La Sor et al consider this to be connected with the genre of the suzerain-vassal treaty form which combines history (the historical prologue) and law (in the stipulations) 3 III. Authorship: Moses 4 A.

The Pentateuch is an anonymous work 5 B. The Books do give indications of Moses as its writer:He was ordered to write historical facts (Ex 17:14; Num 33:1-2), laws (Ex 24:4, 7; 34:27ff) and one poem (Deut 31:9, 22) C. Moses is affirmed as author in the rest of the OT: (Joshua 1:7-8; 8:32, 34; 22:5; 1 Ki 2:3; 2 Ki 14:6; 21:8; Ezra 6:18; Dan 9:11-13; Mal 4:4) D.

The NT referred to Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (Matt 19:18; Mark 12:26; Luke 2:22; 16:29; 24:27; John 5:46-47; 7:19; Acts 13:39; Rom 10:5) E. Moses is testified to be the author of the whole Pentateuch in a unanimous way in the Talmud and the Church Fathers! IV. Documentary Hypothesis: A. “The aim of higher criticism is to determine the date, authorship, composition and/or unity of the literary works in the Old Testament” 6 B. Philosophically higher criticism developed out of the Rationalism of Spinoza (1670) 1. All truth must stand before the bar of reason since only reason is universal in time and common to all humanity 2. Therefore the Bible’s claim of special revelation and inspiration is repudiated 3. Therefore, not all of the Bible can measure up to the demands of reason. C.

This was an attempt to identify the main documents which were sources behind the Pentateuch (assuming that Moses was not the author [under reason]) D. Elements employed to identify these blocks were: 1. Subject matter 2. The use of divine names (YHWH, Elohim) 3. Duplications in material (doublets and triplets) 7 4. Similarity of vocabulary and style 5. Uniformity of theological outlook 6. Priestly Concerns E. In 1875 Wellhausen (building upon earlier scholars such as Graf) identified four sources behind Genesis which were called J, E, D, P. This became known as the Graf-Wellhausen Hypothesis: 1. The Yahwist’s narrative (“J” from the German Jahweh) 8 2. The Elohist’s narrative (“E”) 9 3. The Deuteronomist’s document 10 4. The priestly document (P) dealings with priestly issues (portions of narrative, genealogies, ritual, cult) in Genesis through Numbers (supposedly this comes from 586-516 BC) F.

A major difficult with this approach is that it overlooks literary styles and techniques used in narration (e.g., the use of duplications to communicate sovereignty, the use of divine names to teach theology et cetera) 11 1 La Sor, Hubbard, Bush, Old Testament Survey,54. 2 This material is modified from Allen P. Ross’ “An Outline for The Theology of the Hebrew Psalter,” 3-4, and class notes from Elliott E. Johnson. La Sor et al make a good observation when they write, “The Pentateuch thus has two major divisions: Gen. 1-11 and Gen. 12-Deut. 34. The relation between them is one of question and answer, problem and solution; the clue is Gen. 12:3” (OTS, 57). 3 La Sor et al, OTS, 59 n. 7. 4 When one affirms Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch, this does not mean that there was no editorial redaction in the final canonical form. Certainly Moses was not able to write about his own death at the end of Deuteronomy (Deut 34:5ff).

In addition Moses was obviously not an eyewitness to the Genesis events. No doubt these were preserved through oral tradition until the time of the Exodus when finally Moses put them down in writing. However, it is not necessary to follow La Sor et al’s evolutionary explanation for the formation of the rest of the Pentateuch (OTS, 63). 5 This is in keeping with the OT practice in general and with ancient literary works in general (cf. Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah (La Sor et al, OTS, 61 n. 14). 6 Allen P. Ross, “Lecture One: The Literary Analytical Approach,” 1.

7 Two creation accounts (J and P), two flood accounts (P and J), endangering Sarah (12:10--13:1; 20:1-18), Abraham’s treaty with Abimelech (21:22-34), God’s covenant with Abraham (12; 15; 17), Hagar and Ishmael (16:4-14; 21:8-21; birth of Isaac (21:1-7); wooing of Rebekah (24); Jacob’s deception of Esau and flight from him (25--27:8; 27); theophany in Bethel (28:13-16, 19; 28:1-12, 17-18; 20-22), Jacob’s meeting with Esau (32--33), Joseph and his brothers (37, 39--50); Theophany at Sinai (Ex 19; 20:18-21; Moses’ ascent into the mountain (24:1-4; 24:12

-18); Decalogue (34:5-26; 20:1-17); Decalogue tablets (34:24-28; 31:18); Balak’s embassy to Balaam (22:2-19); Balaam sets out on the road (22:22-35; 22:20-21); Meeting of Balaam and Balak (32:36-40); Balaam blesses Israel (23:28--24:9; 22:41--23:10); Balaam’s second blessing (24:10-19; 23:11-24) 8 Driver affirmed that this was written in 850 BC in the southern kingdom.

That it was personal, biographical, anthropomorphic, included prophetic-like ethics and theological reflection. 9 Driver affirmed that this was written in 750 BC in the northern kingdom and was more objective, less consciously tinged with ethical and theological reflection and with concrete particulars running from Genesis through Numbers. There also was a source considered to be JE which an unknown redactor combined. 10 Driver affirmed that this was composed under Hilkiah for reform and that it unified the place of worship in Jerusalem, that it was written under prophetic influence (Jeremiah) and that the Deuteronomic school also reworked Joshua to Kings. See the appendix to Deuteronomy for a fuller discussion of this. 11 La Sor et al write, The danger is rather that, when such analysis becomes the concern of biblical scholarship to the exclusion of more comprehensive, overall considerations, it tends to reduce the Pentateuch to unrelated fragments and hence to result in the loss of any real grasp of the unity really present in it” (OTS,65). I would add, however, that a movement toward canonical interpretation does not necessarily need to be at the expense of historical, critical studies.

We do not need to be “post-critical.” This approach was antisupernatural (did not presume direct divine communication), evolutionary (animism, polytheism, monotheism was an assumed development of religion), lacking in logic and argumentation (circular in reasoning, e.g., passages are J because they have yalad, therefore, yalad is peculiar to J), inconsistent (mixture of J and E elements, e.g., Gen 3:1-5 is J, but Elohim is there), proof texting (Ex 6:2-3 does not mean they had never heard of YHWH but that they had never experienced him [yada] as YHWH [cf. 6:7; 14:4]), Definition of Pentateuch - The Five Books of Moses Updated November 02, 2016. Pentateuch Definition The Pentateuch refers to the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). For the most part, both Jewish and Christian tradition credit Moses with primary authorship of the Pentateuch. These five books form the theological foundation of the Bible.

The word pentateuch means "five vessels," "five containers," or "five-volume book." In Hebrew the Pentateuch is Torah, meaning "the law" or "instruction." The five books, written almost entirely in Hebrew, are the Bible's books of the law, given to us by God through Moses. Another name for the Pentateuch is "the five books of Moses." Written more than 3,000 years ago, the books of the Pentateuch introduce Bible readers to God's divine purposes and plans and explain how sin entered the world. In the Pentateuch we also see God's response to sin, his relationship with mankind, and we gain insight into the character and nature of God . Introductions to the Books of the Pentateuch The Pentateuch contains God’s dealings with humankind from the creation of the world to the death of Moses. It combines poetry, prose, and law in a chronological drama spanning thousands of years. Genesis - Genesis is the book of beginnings. It chronicles the creation of the world—the universe and the earth. It reveals the plan within God's heart to have a people of his very own, set apart to worship him.

Exodus - In Exodus God reveals himself to the world by setting his people free from bondage in Egypt through a series of spectacular miracles. To his people, God makes himself known through extraordinary revelations and through their leader, Moses. God also makes an everlasting covenant with his people. Leviticus - In Leviticus we find God's guidebook for teaching his people about holy living and worship. Everything from sexual conduct, to the handling of food, to instructions for worship and religious celebrations are covered in detail in the book of Leviticus. Numbers - Numbers records Israel's experiences while journeying through the wilderness. The people's disobedience and lack of faith caused God to make them wander in the desert until all the people of that generation had died—with a few important exceptions. Numbers would be a bleak account of the Israelites' stubbornness, if it were not outweighed by God's faithfulness and protection. Deuteronomy - Written as God's people are about to enter the Promised Land, Deuteronomy gives a stern reminder that God is worthy of worship and obedience . It also retells the covenant between God and his people Israel, presented in three addresses or sermons by Moses .

Pronunciation of Pentateuch scripture scripture Please check the reference to make sure it is correct. The book you have entered was not recognized. View all books of the Bible THE PENTATEUCH The Pentateuch (Greek for “five books”) designates the first five books of the Jewish and Christian Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Jewish tradition calls the five books Torah (Teaching, Law) because of the centrality of the Sinai covenant and legislation mediated through Moses. The unity of the Pentateuch comes from the single story it tells. God creates the world and destines human beings for the blessings of progeny and land possession ( Gn 1 – 3 ). As the human race expands, its evil conduct provokes God to send the flood to wipe out all but righteous Noah’s family. After the flood, the world is repopulated from his three sons, Ham, Shem, and Japheth ( Gn 4 – 9 ). From them are descended the seventy nations of the civilized world whose offense this time (building a city rather than taking their assigned lands, Gn 10 – 11 ) provokes God to elect one family from the rest.

Abraham and his wife, Sarah, landless and childless, are promised a child and the land of Canaan. Amid trials and fresh promises, a son (Isaac) is born to them and Abraham takes title to a sliver of Canaanite land, a kind of down payment for later possession ( Gn 12 – 25 ). Gn 25 – 36 tells how their descendant Jacob becomes the father of twelve sons (because of which he is called “Israel”), and Gn 37 – 50 tells how the rejected brother Joseph saves the family from famine and brings them to Egypt. In Egypt, a pharaoh who knew not Joseph subjects “the seventy sons of Jacob” (“the Hebrews”) to hard labor, keeping them from their land and destroying their male progeny ( Ex 1 ). Moses is commissioned to lead the people out of Egypt to their own land ( Ex 2 – 6 ). In ten plagues, the Lord defeats Pharaoh.

Free at last, the Hebrews leave Egypt and journey to Mount Sinai ( Ex 7 – 18 ), where they enter into a covenant to be the people of the Lord and be shaped by the Ten Commandments and other laws ( Ex 19 – 24 ). Though the people commit apostasy when Moses goes back to the mountain for the plans of the dwelling (tabernacle), Moses’ intercession prevents the abrogation of the covenant by God ( Ex 32 – 34 ). A principle has been established, however: even the people’s apostasy need not end their relationship with God. The book ends with the cloud and the glory taking possession of the tent of meeting ( Ex 36:34 – 38 ). “The sons of Israel” in Ex 1:1 are the actual sons of Jacob/Israel the patriarch, but at the end of the book they are the nation Israel, for all the elements of nationhood in antiquity have been granted: a god (and temple), a leader, a land, and an authoritative tradition. Israel remains at the holy mountain for almost a year.

The entire block of material from Ex 19:1 to Nm 10:11 is situated at Sinai. The rituals of Leviticus and Numbers are delivered to Moses at the holy mountain, showing that Israel’s worship was instituted by God and part of the very fabric of the people’s life. Priestly material in the Book of Exodus (chaps. 25 – 31 , 35 – 40 ) describes the basic institutions of Israelite worship (the tabernacle, its furniture, and priestly vestments). Leviticus, aptly called in rabbinic tradition the Priests’ Manual, lays down the role of priests to teach Israel the distinction between clean and unclean and to see to their holiness. In Nm 10:11 – 22:1 , the journey is resumed, this time from Sinai through the wilderness to Transjordan; Nm 22:2 – 36:13 tells of events and laws in the plains of Moab.

The final book of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy, consists of four speeches by Moses to the people who have arrived at the plains of Moab, ready to conquer the land: 1:1 – 4:43 ; 4:44 – 28:68 ; 29:1 – 32:52 ; 33:1 – 34:12 . Each speech is introduced by the formula “This is the law/words/blessing.” The Priestly editor used literary formulas. The formula “These are the generations (the wording can vary) of…” occurs five times in the primordial history ( Gn 2:4a ; 5:1 ; 6:9 ; 10:1 ; 11:10 ) and five times in the ancestral history ( 11:27 ; 25:12 ; 25:19 ; 36:1 [v. 9 is secondary]; 37:2 ). In Exodus and Numbers the formula (with slight variations) “They departed from (place name) and encamped at (place name)” occurs in two groups of six: A.

Ex 12:37a ; 13:20 ; 14:1 – 2 ; 15:22a ; 16:1 ; 17:1a ; and B. 19:2 ; Nm 10:12 ; 20:1a ; 20:22 ; 21:10 – 11 ; 22:1 . Who wrote the Pentateuch, and when? Up to the seventeenth century, the virtually unanimous answer of Jews and Christians was “Moses.” Moses wrote the Pentateuch as David wrote the Psalter and Solomon wrote the wisdom literature. Though scholars had noted inconsistencies (compare Ishmael’s age in Gn 16:16 and 21:5 , 14 ) and duplications ( Gn 12 , 20 , and 26 ), they assumed Mosaic authorship because of the prevalent theory of inspiration: God inspired authors while they wrote. With the rise of historical criticism, scholars began to use the doublets and inconsistencies as clues to different authors and traditions.

By the late nineteenth century, one theory of the sources of the Pentateuch had been worked out that proved acceptable in its main lines to the majority of scholars (apart from Christian and Jewish conservatives) then and now. It can be quickly sketched. In the premonarchic period of the Judges (ca. 1220–1020 B.C.), the twelve tribes had an oral form of their story from creation to the taking of the land. With the beginnings of monarchy in the late eleventh and tenth centuries, the oral material was written down, being known as the Yahwist account (from its use of the divine name Yhwh). Its abbreviation, “J,” comes from the German spelling of the divine name. In the following century, another account took shape in the Northern Kingdom (called E after its use of Elohim as a divine name); some believe the E source is simply a supplement to J. After the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722/721 B.C., the E version was taken to Jerusalem where it was combined with the J version to produce J-E.

During the exile (conventionally dated 587–539 B.C.) or thereafter, an editor recast J-E to make it relevant for the exiled population. This editor is conventionally known as P (= Priestly) because of the chronological and ritual interests apparent in the work. P can also designate archival material and chronological notices. The audience for the Priestly edition no longer lived in the land and was deeply concerned about its survival and its claim on the land. Deuteronomy (= D) stands alone in style, genre (preaching rather than narrative), and content. How did it come to be the fifth book of the Pentateuch? The J-E narrative actually ends in Numbers, when Israel arrives at the plains of Moab. Many scholars believe that Deuteronomy was secondarily attached to Numbers by moving the account of Moses’ death from its original place in the J-E version in Numbers to the end of Deuteronomy (chap. 34 ). Deuteronomy was attached to Genesis–Numbers to link it to another great work, the Deuteronomistic History (Joshua to Kings). Deuteronomy is now the fifth book of the Pentateuch and the first book of the Deuteronomistic History.

In the last three decades, the above consensus on the composition of the Pentateuch has come under attack. Some critics are extremely skeptical about the historical value of the so-called early traditions, and a few doubt there ever was a preexilic monarchy of any substance. For such scholars, the Pentateuch is a retrojection from the fourth or third centuries B.C. Other scholars postulate a different sequence of sources, or understand the sources differently. How should a modern religiously minded person read the Pentateuch? First, readers have before them the most significant thing, the text of the Pentateuch. It is accurately preserved, reasonably well understood, and capable of touching audiences of every age. Take and read! Second, the controversies are about the sources of the Pentateuch, especially their antiquity and character. Many details will never be known, for the evidence is scanty. Indeed, the origin of many great literary works is obscure. The Pentateuch witnesses to a coherent story that begins with the creation of the world and ends with Israel taking its land.

The same story is in the historical Ps 44 , 77 , 78 , 80 , 105 , 114 , and 149 , and in the confessions Dt 26:5 – 9 , Jos 24:2 – 13 , and 1 Sm 12:7 – 13 . Though the narrative enthralls and entertains, as all great literature does, it is well to remember that it is a theopolitical charter as well, meant to establish how and why descendants of the patriarchs are a uniquely holy people among the world’s nations. The destruction of the Jerusalem Temple and deportation of Israelites in the sixth century B.C. seemed to invalidate the charter, for Israel no longer possessed its land in any real sense. The last chapter of the ancient narrative—Israel dwelling securely in its land—no longer held true. The story had to be reinterpreted, and the Priestly editor is often credited with doing so. A preface ( Gn 1 ) was added, emphasizing God’s intent that human beings continue in existence through their progeny and possess their own land.

Good news, surely, to a devastated people wondering whether they would survive and repossess their ancestral land. The ending of the old story was changed to depict Israel at the threshold of the promised land (the plains of Moab) rather than in it. Henceforth, Israel would be a people oriented toward the land rather than possessing it. The revised ending could not be more suitable for Jews and Christians alike. Both peoples can imagine themselves on the threshold of the promised land, listening to the word of God in order to be able to enter it in the future. For Christians particularly, the Pentateuch portrays the pilgrim people waiting for the full realization of the kingdom of God. The Pentateuch -- the first five books of the Bible The Hebrew Scriptures a.k.a. Old Testament Who wrote the Pentateuch, a.k.a. the Five Books of Moses? Sponsored link. The five books of Moses are a.k.a. The Pentateuch, the Books of the Law, the Law, and the Torah Conflicting quotations: "...despite all the arguments made against Mosaic authorship/editorship, the traditional view [that Moses wrote the Pentateuch] is still as critically tenable as any of the others." J.D.

Douglas et al. 1 "..there is hardly a biblical scholar in the world actively working on the [authorship] problem who would claim that the Five Books of Moses were written by Moses." R.E. Friedman. 2 "...it has long been recognized that...[Moses] cannot have been the author, and that the Pentateuch is in fact anonymous." D.J.A. Clines. 3 Biblical Terms: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are sometimes referred to as: the "Five Books of Moses," because the writings themselves identify the author as Moses, or the "Pentateuch," a Greek term meaning "pente (5) teuchos (volumes)," or the "Books of the Law", or the "Torah" (a Hebrew word meaning "instruction") These books were originally written as a single unbroken scroll. Sometime before the 2nd Century BCE , it was divided into the 5 books that we see today. What does the Bible itself say about authorship of the Pentateuch? There are about two dozen verses in the Hebrew Scriptures and one dozen in the Christian Scriptures which state or strongly imply that Moses was the author.

Consider the following passages from the New Living Translation (NLT): Passages in the Pentateuch itself: Exodus 17:14 "Then the Lord instructed Moses, 'Write this down as a permanent record...'" Exodus 24:4 "Then Moses carefully wrote down all the Lord's instructions." Exodus 34:27 "And the Lord said to Moses, 'Write down all these instructions, for they represents the terms of my covenant with you and with Israel.'" Leviticus 1:1 "The Lord called to Moses from the Tabernacle and said to him, 'Give the following instructions to the Israelites...'" Leviticus 6:8 "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Give Aaron and his sons the following instructions...'" Deuteronomy 31:9 "So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests." Deuteronomy 31:24-26 "When Moses had finished writing down this entire body of law in a book..." Passages elsewhere in the Hebrew Scriptures: Joshua 1:7-8 "...Obey all the laws Moses gave you." Joshua 8:31-34 "He followed the instructions that Moses the Lord's servant had

 written in the Book of the Law..." Joshua 22:5 "...obey all the commands and the laws that Moses gave to you." 2 Chronicles 34:14 "...Hilkiah the high priest...found the book of the Law of the Lord as it had been given through Moses." Passages in the Gospels which show that Jesus and John the Baptizer believed Moses to be the author: Matthew 19:7-8 "...why did Moses say a man could merely write an official letter of divorce and send her away?", they asked.

Jesus replied, 'Moses permitted divorce...'" Matthew 22:24 "Moses said, 'If a man dies without children...'" Mark 7:10 "For instance, Moses gave you this law from God..." Mark 12:24 "...haven't you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush..." Luke 24:44 "...I told you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true." John 1:17 "For the law was given through Moses..." John 5:46 "But if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me because he wrote about me. And since you don't believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?" John 7:23 "...do it, so as not to break the law of Moses..." Passages elsewhere in the Christian Scriptures: Acts 26:22 "...I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen..." Romans 10:5 "For Moses wrote..." But nowhere in the Bible is it specifically stated that Moses wrote the entire Pentateuch.

Even if one believes in the inerrancy of the Bible, a case can be made that he authored only parts of the Torah, and that other writers added sections of their own and/or edited the resultant text. Beliefs of conservative theologians: Ancient Jewish and Christian writers, such as Ecclesiasticus, Josephus, Philo, and Origen were essentially in full agreement that the Pentateuch was written solely by Moses. The Mishnah and the Talmud also confirm this. Tradition during the first millennium of Christian history agrees with this belief. 4 Many present-day Fundamentalists and other Evangelical Christians continue to believe that Moses wrote the entire Pentateuch: P.N. Benware states that "Moses was the human author of Genesis and the other books of the Pentateuch ...These five 'books of the law' were written by Moses alone, with the exception of Deuteronomy 34, which records the death of Moses...

The Pentateuch, therefore, is an inspired, inerrant, authoritative document written by the man Moses." 5 The authors of the New Commentary on the Whole Bible state that "The education Moses would have received as the adopted grandson of Pharoh specially qualified him for the task of compiling and writing the Pentateuch." 1 Larry Richards states: "Moses wrote or supervised the writing of the bulk of the Pentateuch and ...these books are rightly viewed as both a divine revelation and an accurate, eyewitness account of events described as happening in Moses' lifetime." 6 J.W. Hayford writes: "Jewish tradition lists Moses as the author of Genesis and of the next four books....we notice a number of loanwords from Egyptian that are found in Genesis, a fact which suggests that the original author had his roots in Egypt, as did Moses." 7 Since conservative Christians believe in the inerrancy (freedom from error) of the Bible, the matter of authorship is settled and is not open to debate. Moses wrote at least the vast majority of the Pentateuch. Some suggest that he authored all five books, and that the account of his death and burial was a prophecy by Moses.

However, some Fundamentalist and other Evangelical Christians have deviated from traditional Christian teachings. They believe that selected passages were written by persons other than Moses. Some of these writings are referred to as "post-Mosaica" (material that was added after Moses' death). Others are called "a-Mosaica" (material that could have been written at the time of Moses but which could not reasonably be attributed to him). Fundamentalists and other Evangelical Christians generally believe that Moses wrote all or most of the five books after the Israelite's exodus from Egypt, but before they entered Canaan. This would date the writing to the 40 year period when the Israelites were wandering through the desert, circa 1450 BCE. Sponsored link: Beliefs of mainline and liberal theologians: They generally accept the " Documentary Hypothesis " which asserts that the Pentateuch was written by a group of four authors, from various locations in Palestine, over a period of centuries. 8 Each wrote with the goal of promoting his/her own religious views: J: a writer who used JHWH as the "unpronounceable name of God." It is often translated as Jehovah.

E: a writer who used Elohim as the divine name. D: the author of the book of Deuteronomy. P: a writer who added material of major interest to the priesthood. Finally, a fifth individual was involved : R: a redactor who shaped the contributions of J, E, P and D together into the present Pentateuch. However, individual clergy in mainline denominations are frequently more traditionally minded than are their theologians. Also, individual members are often much more conservative in their beliefs about the Bible than are their clergy. Some clues that Moses didn't write the Pentateuch, according to liberal theologians: As mentioned elsewhere in this website, many Christian and Jewish conservatives believe that Moses is the sole author of the Pentateuch and that he was inspired directly by God to write text that is free of error . Other theologians have claimed that there is some internal evidences in the Bible that these conclusions are invalid: Theologians were prompted to develop the Documentary Hypothesis as a result of observing the presence of doublets in the Pentateuch. These are pairs of stories which occur in two separate locations in the text. The doublets generally do not agree fully; there are usually minor differences between the stories. R.E.

Friedman, in his 1997 book "Who Wrote the Bible?" lists a number of them: Two creation stories in Genesis. Two descriptions of the Abrahamic covenant. Two stories of the naming of Isaac. Two instances where Abraham deceived a king by introducing his wife Sarah as his sister. Two stories of Jacob traveling to Mesopotamia Two stories of a revelation at Beth-el to Jacob. Two accounts of God changing Jacob's name to Israel Two instances where Moses extracted water from two different rocks at two different locations called Meribah. It is difficult to account for so many doublets -- most containing slight discrepancies -- if all five books were written over a short interval of time by Moses or by any other single individual. Liberal theologians reasoned that a much more logical explanation is that the books were written by multiple authors who lived long after the events described. That would have allowed the oral tradition to be passed from generation to generation in different areas of the land so that they had a chance to deviate from each other before being written down. In a few cases, triplets have been found in the Pentateuch where the same accounts appears three times.

10 Genesis 7:15: In the story of the Flood, these verses have Noah collecting two of each species of animals -- one male and one female . Genesis 7:2-3 specifies 7 pairs of clean animals and birds and 1 pair of unclean animals. Genesis 7:11 describes water coming from the heavens and from below the ground to generate the worldwide flood. However, Genesis 7:4 describes all of the water falling as rain. Genesis 7:11, 7:17, 7:24 and 8:3 specify different intervals for the flood duration which have no apparent resolution. 11 Genesis 11:31 This describes Abraham as living in the city Ur, and associates that location with the Chaldeans. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Chaldeans did not exist as a tribe at the time of Abraham; they rose to power much later, during the 1st millennium BCE . Genesis 14:14: This verse refers to Abram pursuing some surviving kings of Sodom and Gomorrah to the city of Dan. However, that place name did not exist until a long time after Moses' death.

Other locations are also identified in the Pentateuch by names that were invented long after the death of Moses. Genesis 22:14: The verse states: "And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day..." There are many verses in the Torah that state that something has lasted "to this day". That appears to have been written by a writer who composed the passages long after the events described, and long after Moses' death. Genesis 36 contained a list of Edomite kings which included some monarchs who were in power after Moses' death. R.E. Friedman wrote: "In the eleventh century, Isaac ibn Yashush, a Jewish court physician of a ruler in Muslim Spain, pointed out that a list of Edomite kings that appears in Genesis 36 named kings who lived long after Moses was dead. Ibn Yashush suggested that the list was written by someone who lived after Moses. The response to his conclusion was that he was called "Isaac the blunderer." History has proven him to be correct, at least as viewed by most mainline and liberal theologians. 9 Exodus 33:7 describes Moses entering the Tabernacle.

Yet, the Tabernacle had not yet been built; its subsequent construction is described in Exodus 35. Numbers 12:3: This verse states "Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth." (NKJ) If Moses were that humble, it is unlikely that he would have described himself in these glowing terms. Numbers 25:1 which describes the rebellion at Peor referred to Moabite women; Numbers 25:6 14 refers to Midianites. Deuteronomy 34:5-9: These verses describe the death, burial, age at death, physical condition at death, and mourning period for Moses. It is difficult for an individual to describe events at and after his or her death. Some have suggested that this portion of the Pentateuch (and only this portion) was written later by Joshua. However, R.E. Friedman wrote: "...in the sixteenth century, Carlstadt, a contemporary of Luther, commented that the account of Moses' death is written in the same style as texts that precede it.

This makes it difficult to claim that Joshua or anyone else merely added a few lines to an otherwise Mosaic manuscript." 9 Deuteronomy 34:10 This states "There has never been another prophet like Moses..." (NLT) This sounds like a passage written long after Moses' death. Enough time would have had to pass for many other prophets to have arisen, to passed from the scene, and to have been evaluated. Related essays on this web site: Archaeology and the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) References used: J.D. Douglas et al, "Old Testament Volume: New Commentary on the Whole Bible," Tyndale, Wheaton, IL, (1990), Page 2 R.E. Friedman, "Who Wrote the Bible?" Harper Collins, San Francisco, CA, (1997), Page 28. D.J.A. Clines, "Pentateuch," [an essay in B.M. Metzger et al, "The Oxford Companion to the Bible," Oxford University Press, New York, NY (1993), Page 579 to 582]. R.K.

Harrison, "Introduction to the Old Testament," Page 497 [cited in R.B. Dillard & T. Longman III, "An Introduction to the Old Testament," Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, (1994) Page 39] P.N. Benware, "Survey of the Old Testament", Moody Press, Chicago IL, (1993) Larry Richards, "Bible Difficulties Solved," Revell, Grand Rapids, MI, (1993), Pages 13 to 15. J.W. Hayford, "Hayford's Bible Handbook," Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN, (1995). C.M. Laymon, Editor, The Interpreter's One-Volume Commentary on the Bible, Abingdon Press, Nashville TN (1971), P. 122. Op Cit, Friedman, Page 19. Op Cit, Friedman, Page 22. Ethical Atheist, "How Long was Noah's Flood?

(Examination of Biblical Accounts of the Great Deluge)," at: Copyright © 1997 to 2014 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance Latest update: 2014-FEB-08 Introduction to the Pentateuch Introduction to the Pentateuch A brief overview of the first five books of the Bible Photo source: NASA. Any good book needs to have a strong opening line, and the Bible is no exception: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 Like any good opening sentence, this verse introduces both the major theme and major character of the Scriptures -- which is God. The Bible is the story of God's work in the world, beginning with creation and ending with our future redemption and glorification in heaven. Speaking of openings, my purpose for this article is to offer a brief overview of the Pentateuch (pronounced pen-ta-took), which is the fancy name for the first five books of the Bible.

(The word Pentateuch means "five vessels" or "five-volume book.") The Bible is organized by its different genres of literature : the books of the law (the Pentateuch), the histories, the wisdom literature, the prophets, the gospels, the epistles, and apocalyptic prophecy. So, the Pentateuch serves as the opening segment, or chapter, of God's Word. The Basics The books that make up the Pentateuch are as follows: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. That's almost 200 chapters of God's Word -- chapters that contain everything from the story of creation to establishment of the Israelites as a people group and their divinely orchestrated exodus from Egypt. In addition, the stories and major themes contained in the Pentateuch set the stage for the major narrative arc of the Bible: creation, fall, redemption, restoration, and glorification. In other words, the Pentateuch is a vitally important division of God's Word. One of the more interesting aspects of the Pentateuch is that it came directly from God's mouth. Now, all of the Bible was inspired by God through the Holy Spirit.

However, the Pentateuch came about when God spoke His Word directly to Moses on Mount Sinai: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, 2 but Moses alone is to approach the Lord; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.” 3 When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” 4 Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said. Exodus 24:1-4 So, Moses was the primary author of the entire Pentateuch -- all five books. In addition, most scholars believe that one or more editors adapted certain portions of the Pentateuch later in history, such as the description of Moses' death and burial in Deuteronomy 34 . Overview Okay, so the books of the Pentateuch are large and important. But what can we learn from them? Without further ado, here is a brief overview of each of the five books in the Pentateuch of Moses.

The Book of Genesis : The word genesis means "beginning," and so it's fitting that the Book of Genesis details the beginning of many primary themes carried throughout the Bible. In addition to the creation of the universe, Genesis records the origins of sin ( Genesis 3 ), the origins of the Jews as God's chosen people ( Genesis 12:1-5 ), the 10 Commandments ( Exodus 20 ), and the codification of God's Law in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Not only that, but these important themes are connected with the stories of major Bible characters such as Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Joshua. The Book of Exodus : The Book of Exodus is an interesting mix of narrative story, history, and law. The narrative elements largely center on Moses' efforts as God's chosen leader of His people, including the exodus from Egypt and the Israelites' experiences while wandering in the wilderness. The law portion includes the 10 Commandments and other selected instructions God wanted Moses to emphasize to His people at the beginning of their life as a nation -- such as the dimensions and operating instructions for the Tabernacle.

The Book of Leviticus : From a narrative standpoint, Leviticus picks up where the Book of Exodus ended -- with the Israelites in the wilderness, having just completed construction of the tabernacle. However, Leviticus is a different book than Genesis and Exodus in that if offers very little stories or narrative arc. Instead, Leviticus features several components of the Law that were vital to the Israelites' spiritual lives, including specific instructions for sacrifices, clean and unclean foods, and annual feasts. The Book of Numbers : Like Exodus, the Book of Numbers picks up the history of Israel after the exodus from Egypt, yet before the entrance into the promised land. Specifically, Numbers records the Israelites' experiences while wandering in the wilderness. This was not a pleasant time for God's people. The Israelites did a lot of complaining, experienced hardship, and fought battles with many different enemies. Through it all, however, God remained faithful to His promises -- which is why Numbers ends with God's plan for dividing up the geography of the promised land among His people.

The Book of Deuteronomy : Like Leviticus, the Book of Deuteronomy contains a lot of references to the Law, regulations for sacrifices, and instructions for annual feasts and other ceremonies. The circumstances of this book are important. At the end of his life, Moses wanted to reiterate and reinforce God's Law to the Israelites before they entered the promised land. Thus, Deuteronomy serves to review the history of God's faithfulness and prepare God's people for the future.

Question: In the Bible, what are the five books that make up the Pentateuch?
Answer: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy