Pictures show:
* Torah scroll
* The 5 Books of Moses
* Enuma Elish (EE)
Yesterday we dispelled the late date of Genesis proposed by liberal scholars. Today we continue to trace Genesis’ date of writing. Although Genesis does not directly name Moses as its author, the whole of Scripture and church history are unified in their adherence to the Mosaic authorship of Genesis. The OT is replete with both direct and indirect testimonies to the Mosaic authorship of the entire Pentateuch e.g.
* Ex. 17:14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll …”
* Num. 33:2 At the LORD’s command Moses recorded the stages in their journey.
* 1 Kings 2:3 …his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses,
* 2 Kings 14:6 … in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses
* Ezra 6:18 … according to what is written in the Book of Moses.
* Neh. 13:1 On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people
* Dan 9:11, 13 Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, … Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, …
The NT also contains numerous testimonies, e.g.
* Mk. 12:26 Now about the dead rising–have you not read in the book of Moses, …
* 1 Co. 9:9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: …
* 2 Co. 3:15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
The Early Church openly held to the Mosaic authorship, as does the first century Jewish historian Josephus. The Jerusalem Talmud also supports Moses as author. So the next question is, “When did Moses write his books?”
1 Kings 6:1 gives us a clue, “In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the LORD.” The 4th year of Solomon’s reign is the same as the 480th year after the Exodus. Since the former was 966 BC, the Exodus must be 1446 BC. The 40 year period of Israel’s wanderings in the desert, which lasted from 1446 to 1406 BC, would have been the most likely time for Moses to write the bulk of the Pentateuch. So Genesis predates the generally accepted date of EE by about 300 years.
But what about some critics’ claim that EE dates all the way back to the Kassite era (16th century BCE) or even to Hammurabi (18th century BCE)? First of all, to claim is one thing, to prove is another. The authorship of EE is unknown, so its date of writing cannot be determined definitively. But regardless of who the author might be, he could not have been there at the beginning. So neither Moses nor the unknown author of EE could be an eye-witness and had to rely on secondary sources. In the case of Moses, God revealed the beginning to him, and God was there as the primary source. So the Bible is accurate and reliable. In EE’s case, in the absence of claims and proofs to divine inspiration, the most likely source in ancient days is oral tradition, which is subject to embellishment as time progresses. What we need to do is to examine the text itself as to who borrowed from whom. Let’s see what’s on the 7 clay tablets.
(To be continued)
RayKLiu 