If moses wrote the five books of the OT then why does he describe his own funeral?

Answer 1

Let's suppose a great scholar has been working on his "magnum opus" for some years.... but he dies before he finishes it. It may still need some editing and fleshing out, perhaps even a LOT. Perhaps, as he is dying, he calls a close colleague or one or more of his best students alongside and asks them to make sure it is finished and published. They do so.

Whose name is listed as the author? Or at least whose name is listed first? Whose material and argument is it considered to be?

There are many different views about what form Moses' writings were left in, and how much work was done subsequently to put them in their present form. Some think he wrote all but an "epilogue". I think the editors likely did quite a bit more than this. There is no precise record of how it was done and no explanation in the book itself (including NO statement that Moses WROTE the last chapter).

But does this uncertainty mean the work was NOT substantially that of Moses? Does it make it inappropriate to CALL them "the books of Moses" or to introduce citations from it as "Moses told us" and the like?

Answer 2

The first five books are accreditted to Moses, but it is highly doubtful that he wrote the books we have today. There is a good possibility that he wrote parts of Deuteronomy. The first five books were probably transcribed between 1000-500BC and established around 300-200BC when the Tanakh was compiled. They were probably transcribed from earlier texts, one of which was probably Moses personal account of the Exodus. Another was the book of the Law, which is partially transcribed in the books we have but was a separate book that was lost on more than one occasion and remains lost today.

Only some modern Jews consider the Torah to be the actual words of the law, patriarchs, and Exodus as written by Moses and spoken from God. There is little doubt that the first five books are the written Word of God but it is unlikely that what we have today is even close to the full text.

In like manner, the following historical books from Joshua to Kings and then Chronicles were probably originally transcribed by Samuel, Ezra, and other important people who did Temple work. Once again, what we have is certainly the Word of God as originally transcribed, but we are clearly missing information, specially since Kings and Chronicles reference more complete texts in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. The temple was raided on multiple occasions each contributing to the loss of information. This is most likely why we have no copies of the other lost texts mentioned in the Bible, such as the Book of Jasher and the book of the wars of the Lord.

Answer 3

Its all made up - there is no proof that anyone named Moses ever lived. So, since its fiction which is meant to teach a moral, you can do anything you want, including describing your own funeral. Either that - or he was taken up in a UFO after he died.

If you can find one historical reference other than in the bible to Moses as a real, living character - you will have accomplished the scientific find of the century!!

Answer 4

Moses didn't write the first five books. Nobody wrote any of that down until the time of King David. It was a memorized oral tradition prior to King David's time. The stories were attributed to Moses, but never written by him.

It was considered a sin to WRITE the words of god.

Answer 5

Obviuosly someone added this as an addendum to his work. I don't have the original documents in front of me, but logic would dictate that.

Deu 34:1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which faces Jericho, and the LORD showed him all the land: Gilead as far as Dan,
Deu 34:2 all of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea,
Deu 34:3 the Negev, and the region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar.
Deu 34:4 The LORD then said to him, "This is the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you will not cross into it."
Deu 34:5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, as the LORD had said.
Deu 34:6 He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab facing Beth-peor, and no one to this day knows where his grave is.
Deu 34:7 Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not left him.
Deu 34:8 The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab 30 days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.
Deu 34:9 Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Deu 34:10 No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.
Deu 34:11 He was unparalleled for all the signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do against the land of Egypt--to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to all his land,
Deu 34:12 and for all the mighty acts of power and terrifying deeds that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

That does not take away from his work any more than a modern publisher adding footnotes to a book before it is published. The same story is told, God was, God is, God will be.

Answer 6

that's what maximum human beings concept, however the previous testomony replace into written with the aid of many distinctive writers like the hot testomony. First thoughts have been orally handed down from technology then somebody ultimately wrote them down jointly over many some years.

Answer 7

Moses (PBUH) did not write the books. The messsage was a revelation from God.

Answer 8

The entire Bible as we know it is stitched together from lots of parts that weren't written by whom they were supposed to be. The book of Matthew, for example, has been proven not to have been written by Matthew.

Answer 9

the last part of Deuteronomy was written by Joshua. after moses death.

Answer 10

I think Joshua wrote that part.