Who Wrote the Book of Genesis?
by Owen Borville
December 13, 2018
Bible
The Book of Genesis is believed to have been written by Moses, in addition to the first five books of the Bible, including Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, which are also known as the Pentateuch. The Pentateuch could be made into one book but are divided into five books for convenience. Most Jewish and Christian scholars believe that Moses wrote the these five books as the "inspired word of God." Being the adopted son of the Egyptian Pharaoh's daughter, Moses would have access to the best training for knowledge at the time and would have been able to accumulate a large amount of knowledge. In addition, in Acts 7:22, Stephen says that Moses "was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds." Since Moses led his people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, he would have experienced many of the events of the Israelites first hand. Since Moses was the leader of his people, who else could have written these books, or who else would be qualified to write these five books? Many of the stories were passed down orally over the generations and were eventually written down. Moses could have written each book or portions of each book at different times instead of writing all at once. It is more likely that Moses kept a collection of writings or some sort of journal during his life that recorded the events that he was associated with. The events occurring before his birth were likely passed down orally over the generations or could have been recorded or written down by the Israelite leaders of the time. Moses was also commanded several times by God to write words down including:
Then the Lord said to Moses, Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words, I have made a covenant with you and with Israel (Exodus 34:27).
Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the Lord. And these are their journeys according to their starting points (Numbers 33:2).
So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book when they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying: Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against you (Deuteronomy 31: 24-26).
by Owen Borville
December 13, 2018
Bible
The Book of Genesis is believed to have been written by Moses, in addition to the first five books of the Bible, including Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, which are also known as the Pentateuch. The Pentateuch could be made into one book but are divided into five books for convenience. Most Jewish and Christian scholars believe that Moses wrote the these five books as the "inspired word of God." Being the adopted son of the Egyptian Pharaoh's daughter, Moses would have access to the best training for knowledge at the time and would have been able to accumulate a large amount of knowledge. In addition, in Acts 7:22, Stephen says that Moses "was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds." Since Moses led his people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, he would have experienced many of the events of the Israelites first hand. Since Moses was the leader of his people, who else could have written these books, or who else would be qualified to write these five books? Many of the stories were passed down orally over the generations and were eventually written down. Moses could have written each book or portions of each book at different times instead of writing all at once. It is more likely that Moses kept a collection of writings or some sort of journal during his life that recorded the events that he was associated with. The events occurring before his birth were likely passed down orally over the generations or could have been recorded or written down by the Israelite leaders of the time. Moses was also commanded several times by God to write words down including:
Then the Lord said to Moses, Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words, I have made a covenant with you and with Israel (Exodus 34:27).
Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the Lord. And these are their journeys according to their starting points (Numbers 33:2).
So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book when they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying: Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against you (Deuteronomy 31: 24-26).
