This has led biblical scholars to come up with various hypotheses concerning its composition, the common denominator of them being recognition that the Torah is the product of complex, protracted processes of creation, transmission, writing and editing. According to the most comprehensive of these theories, the Documentary Hypothesis, the Torah was created from four intertwined textual sources. It turns out that not only is Genesis part of the Torah and that, as with its other parts, it derives from different sources.
But none of those sources as created in a single day, ex nihilo; each is a literary expression of traditions, customs and stories transmitted orally from generation to generation. Each of these traditions also has a history, which sometimes precedes Israelite history. Without such knowledge, many details in these tales cannot be understood.
It is reasonable to assume that the Torah in general and Genesis in particular were written and were meant to be read by Israelites already securely settled in their land, long after the occurrence — real or mythological — of the events depicted therein. As Schwartz notes, however, the most reasonable possibility is that this is neither a slip nor a later addition, rather that the author had been living in the Land of Israel for many years and was not trying to conceal that fact.
In this myth, the patriarchs represent the Twelve Tribes, and the covenant between them and God is a literary expression and a theological explanation of the unique way of life led by those who consider themselves their descendants. Everything that has been said here about Genesis, which now draws to a close, is also the key to understanding the meaning of what happens to the Israelites later, after their journey to Egypt, as will be seen in the coming weeks.
Ariel Seri-Levi Jan. Join us to receive the latest articles, podcasts, videos, and more, and help us show how science and faith work hand in hand. Part Six in the Uniquely Unique mini-series. We take stock of one more distinguishing feature of humans—the image of God. In the final part of his four-part series, J. In the third part of a four-part series, J. In this excerpt from their new book, geologist Gregg Davidson and theologian Ken Turner shine a spotlight on Genesis One as theologically rich literature first and foremost.
What is BioLogos? Subscribe Now What is BioLogos? Podcast Episode. Article Advanced. Moses is traditionally considered the author of Genesis. Genesis is the first book of the Bible, and one of the five books of the Pentateuch.
Several other books of the Pentateuch include passages that mention Moses recording events and writing down what God says. The authors of the New Testament—and even Jesus himself—appear to credit Moses as the author of Genesis. There are passages in Genesis that Moses could not have written, because they describe events that happened after his death, known as postmosaica passages. And there are others that would simply be awkward for Moses to write, which are referred to as amosaica such as Numbers The following post is adapted from his course.
For many, the answer to this question is a matter of orthodoxy, and debates quickly become passionate. For some, orthodoxy simply suggests that Moses wrote the whole Pentateuch , perhaps with the exception of postmosaica passages such as Genesis and and amosaica passage such as Numbers On the other extreme are those who say that Moses wrote none of the Pentateuch , but rather the Pentateuch was composed much later than the time the Bible purported that he lived if, in the minds of some, he lived at all.
In the following discussion, whatever we say about the Pentateuch pertains to the book of Genesis, though we will also on occasion refer specifically to the book of Genesis. Right from the start it is important to note that the Pentateuch is anonymous.
Nowhere in the Pentateuch is an author named, not Moses or any other person. However, that said, a number of passages in the Pentateuch mention that Moses wrote things down. And these references are just a sample of a number of other passages that could be cited see also Exodus ; ; Deuteronomy , 8; Certainly the passages that speak of Moses writing things down do not claim that Moses wrote the entirety of the Pentateuch , but they do imply that Moses wrote material that was incorporated into the Pentateuch.
Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
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