How could Moses have written the last chapter of Exodus when he had died previously?

Question

Moses was dead when he wrote the last chapter of Exodus. He is also credited with writing the other first 5 books of the bible.

Answer 1

Exodus was written in 1512 B.C.E., a year after the Israelites departed from Egypt and camped in the wilderness of Sinai. The book covers a period of 145 years, from Joseph’s death in 1657 B.C.E. to the construction of the tabernacle in 1512 B.C.E.

Answer 2

Moses is credited with compiling the majority of the first five books of the Old Testament. Obviously some of the material (creation, the flood, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph) came from earlier sources. Moses acted as the "editor" for that material.

Some of the material was written separately of the five books, such as the commandments written on tablet by God, and the speech given by Moses before his death. They were then supplimented with accounts of when and how the law and speech were given. Those supplimented pages would become the first five books of the Bible.

Notice that while the Bible does claim that Moses received the tablets, make (write) his speeches, etc., nowhere does the Bible claim that Moses was the final "editor" of all the material. Since the final material includes the death burial of Moses, and other events after his death, those have to have been added by Joshua or someone else who completed the compiling of the material after Moses' death.

How long after the death of Moses the "final draft" of the material was completed is still a question that Bible scholars argue. There is internal evidence within the material that argues for a very early date for much of it. It refers to customs, places and traditions that would have been unknows if the material was written hundreds of years later. But there are also phrase and grammar in the bridging text that was not common under later in history.

So the most common belief today amoung scholars is that very old material, traditions, and documents was edited together to give them the form that we know today. The editors appear to have taken several accounts and "harmonized" them to produce the work we know today.

Answer 3

Interesting question.

I just saw a show on the history channel last night entitled "Who Wrote the Bible". They touched on this very topic.

Based on the style of writing and the form of the world "God" or "Lord" that was used they believe that the books were written by at least 3 distinct authors. One of these authors is believed to be Moses' scribe.

Answer 4

Moses did not write any books! Not Genesis. Not any of the Biblical books attributed to him. There's a lot of internal evidence in those books to show that Moses could not have written them. Even Bible scholars now admit that the writers of most of the old testamental books are unknown, as ancient writers hardly append names to the oral traditions and fables they penned down. Thus Bible compilers simply fathered those books upon the most outstanding characters in them, perhaps for credibility.

Thomas Paine, in his classic: "Age of Reason" has refuted the absurd notion that Moses wrote any of the Biblical books attributed to him.

Answer 5

FYI: The question arises as to who wrote the last 8 verses of Deuteronomy...not Exodus.

One answer is that Joshua wrote it. The other is that Moses transcribed what God told him to write and only after completing it ascended Mt. Nebo.

Who the scribe was who held the quill is of little importance. The message contained is what must be preserved for all.

Answer 6

Sorry to burst your bubble, Moses Never wrote any of the pentateuc, How could he have know all that before him this precise, and how can he continue to write even after his death.

None of any Book of the Old testament is written by his author. no evident proof on Jushua either.

Answer 7

Moses didn't die in Exodus. He died in Deuteronomy--the last book he had written.

Deuteronomy 34:5 - So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the
land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.


Deuteronomy 34:6 - And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab,
over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.

Answer 8

what year did moses die according to the bible?

the books of genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers and deuteronomy were completed by 1473 B.C.E. and Moses' death isnt mentioned until the book of Joshua which was completed by 1450 B.C.E. and we all know that 1473 is 23 years prior to 1450 sooo whats the problem again?

Answer 9

The Koran is Gods word in many peoples opinion (as it seems to be in yours). It's not my place to say yes or no. Many think the Jewish and Christian bibles are the divine word of God. There are many other holy writings as well.

Answer 10

I think that he had allready written them and then someone else just put them in the Bible.