Evidence within the Book of Genesis that Moses is the writer

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livingwordunity

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It’s always been in Jewish tradition that the author of Genesis was Moses, but modern theories have suggested other authors. I believe that the Jewish tradition is correct that Moses is the author of this book. And recently, while reading Genesis, the following verse jumped out at me.

“There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah” - Genesis 49:31

This is the only place in Genesis where the author leaves his narration and speaks in the first person, placing himself in it. I don’t think it’s just a coincidence that this is right at the end of the book of Genesis and just before Exodus and the story of the life of Moses. Leah is Moses’ great-great grandmother. At first glance, one would probably assume with our modern thinking that this would not be possible. But we have to consider that back then girls got married and started having children soon after puberty, and families were typically large. Plus, Leah probably lived to a very old age and probably lived right there in Egypt with Moses so that he could have gotten to know her as soon as he realized that he was a Hebrew.
 
Which version of the Bible are you reading? Starting with v.29, we are again hearing the words of Jacob as he speaks: “Then he gave them this charge: ‘Since I am about to be gathered to my people, bury me with my ancestors in the cave that lies in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah, facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan, the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial ground. There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there, too, I buried Leah’”.

So, as we see, this Jacob speaking here, and not a sudden interpolation by the author.
 
Gorgias said:
Which version of the Bible are you reading? Starting with v.29, we are again hearing the words of Jacob as he speaks: “Then he gave them this charge: ‘Since I am about to be gathered to my people, bury me with my ancestors in the cave that lies in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah, facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan, the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial ground. There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there, too, I buried Leah’”.

So, as we see, this Jacob speaking here, and not a sudden interpolation by the author.
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You’re right. I stand corrected. So, never mind. :o
 
Gorgias said:
No problems… Merry Christmas!
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Merry Christmas to you, too!

By the way, the mistake I made with that bible verse demonstrates an example of how we can’t rely on our own personal interpretation of the Bible. It’s a good thing I’m a Catholic and have more than just the bible alone.
 
livingwordunity said:
It’s always been in Jewish tradition that the author of Genesis was Moses, but modern theories have suggested other authors. I believe that the Jewish tradition is correct that Moses is the author of this book. And recently, while reading Genesis, the following verse jumped out at me.

“There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah” - Genesis 49:31

This is the only place in Genesis where the author leaves his narration and speaks in the first person, placing himself in it. I don’t think it’s just a coincidence that this is right at the end of the book of Genesis and just before Exodus and the story of the life of Moses. Leah is Moses’ great-great grandmother. At first glance, one would probably assume with our modern thinking that this would not be possible. But we have to consider that back then girls got married and started having children soon after puberty, and families were typically large. Plus, Leah probably lived to a very old age and probably lived right there in Egypt with Moses so that he could have gotten to know her as soon as he realized that he was a Hebrew.
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Genesis might have been written by Moses, *probably *even, but Genesis 49:31 isn’t a
great piece of evidence of this. If you look at the beginning of the chapter, the speak–
er is obviously Jacob, no change in person, then at the very end of the chapter, Jacob
made an end of the charge to his sons, and he died. So it is Jacob who said “I,” NOT
Moses.

And personally now, the idea that Leah and Moses could have even been familiar with
each other in life is utterly ridiculous.
 
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