February 18, 2010
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Question 222 - Did Moses Write the Pentateuch?
Allen wrote:
Moses is the author of the Pentateuch, but who's to say he didn't have Divine help?
JS: Moses is the traditional, but not the actual author. For one thing, he recounts his own funeral,
R. Sungenis: Deut 34 does not say Moses recounts his own funeral. Joshua would be the one to do so, especially since Joshua is the next author in sequence. The last record of Moses speaking in the first person is in Deut 33. In Deut 34, Moses is addressed in the third person.
JS: and for another, the composition spans several centuries at least.
R. Sungenis: Says who and on what basis? The JEPD theorists who claim that Genesis 2 was written earlier than Genesis 1 by claiming that Genesis 1 was written after the Babylonian captivity in 500 BC so as to invigorate Israel after having been held captive for 70 years (actually, the JEPD theorists believe Israel was in Babylon for only 50 years, despite the fact that Scripture is clear it was 70 years)? I guess if you think Genesis 2 was written in 1500 BC and Genesis 1 was written in 500 BC, one would be predisposed to claim that there were "several centuries" in the Pentateuch. The fact is, there is not a shred of proof for this. The JEPD theory is dead. Please read my commentary The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-11 under subtitle: The JEPD Documentary Hypothesis, pages 364-371.
JS: If there was one author, why was he so repetitive and inconsistent?
R. Sungenis: Are the four gospels repetitive because they record the same event four times? No. The repetition serves a purpose. As for "inconsistent" I don't know of any. The same kinds of accusations from historical critical scholars are made of the four Gospels, but none of them have been proven.
JS: As a traditionalist- -that is, as a Catholic--I have no problem with the divine message being spread over many different authors and ages, even if we know few of the authors and little of the ages.
R. Sungenis: As a "traditionalist Catholic" you should accept God's testimony through Jesus that Moses was the only author of the Pentateuch, including Deuteronomy (John 5:46; Matt 19:1-8)
