Moses and the Torah/Pentateuch

[LivingForJesus]

I really want to be faithful to tradition and judging by thousands of years of theology from both ancient (and modern) judaism aswell as centuries of Catholic saints/theologians/Church father etc. all agree that Moses wrote (or had a huge part in the development of) the first 5 books of the Bible. Of course the obvious problem is Moses dies around the end of the second book (Exodus), so umm the obvious question is how do we reconcile him writing the first 5 books wih his death in the 2nd one?

 

[LateranBasilica]

The Hebrew Bible, it is thought, began to be written out of the oral tradition, when the Jews were in Babylon in exile. This was after the destruction of the first Temple.
The oral tradition of the Hebrew Bible had been passed on for over 800 years.

 

[TK421]

??

Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy chronologically take place at more or less the same time. Exodus starts a bit earlier with Moses’ early life and the fleeing from Egypt until the building of God’s dwelling. A few of the stuff later on take place immediately after Moses’ death, but basically, when Moses dies, Joshua takes over and then you start with the conquest in the book of Joshua. It is generally agreed there is more than one author behind the actual writing of at least part of the books. Though how much further along it is hard to say, i.e. the book of Judges was probably written during the Davidic Kingdom much later.

 

[BartholomewB]

… all agree that Moses wrote (or had a huge part in the development of) the first 5 books of the Bible.

I think you’ve answered your own question. There’s a big difference between “wrote” and “had a huge part in the development of”.

 

[HOMM]

all agree that Moses wrote (or had a huge part in the development of)

“wrote” and “development” are two very different things. As pointed out by LateranBascilica, “wrote” often simply means guided by the oral traditions of the teacher…the same can be argued, without detracting from authority or reverence, of the Gospels…some scholars contend the “The Gospel According to” and the “Gospel of” indicate a difference of who actually put pen to paper, and who provided the information…either way, it does not discount the sanctity of the fact that the scripture was divinely inspired.