¶ … Nelson's Complete book of Bible Maps and Charts, the authorship of the first 5 books of the bible is attributed to Moses. This is a common view held by modern, conservative Jews and Christians alike, and is the view, according to Nelson's "There was general agreement regarding Moses' authorship until the 18th century. In the modern period, however, it has often been asserted that behind the Pentateuch... are five separate documents, known as J, E, D, P, and R. that each stem from a variety of periods of Israel's history and which were pieced together late in the Old Testament era into what we know today as the Pentateuch. This theory is known as the Documentary Hypothesis" (p. 4)
While it may seem to be a small doctrinal issue to instigate a debate over the authorship which is widely recognized for its historical value, and the establishment of the foundations for the Jewish people's identity, this subject is more important than the casual debate because of the implications which it holds. The biblical writings are considered to be inspired, and a revelation of God's personal dealings with his people. As such the biblical writings hold a unique place in the religious traditions of the Jewish and Christian faiths. If the authorship of these writings is in doubt, then the foundations of the Jewish traditions and the Christian roots which are based in Judaism are also similarly on the shifting sand of socio-political evolution. This perspective is unacceptable to conservative Jews and Christians, thus the authorship of these books is of tremendous scholarly and religious significance.
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