I think Quinn has expressed it well, but I think we get caught up on defining “authored” as “writing it down in its final form on paper” when authored by Moses may still mean he originated it in some way, It is difficult to argue with the scholarship that says what we have in final form was put together post-exile, given the borrowed words and the place names etc that simply did not exist in Moses’ time, as well as the phrasing of such things as “until this day” which implies a much later viewpoint.,
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I’m not saying that what Moses said wasn’t “modernized” at some point and that no insignificant fact was ever lost or changed. But it is now well-know that Moses knew how to write and had a well-rounded knowledge, having been “educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds.” (Acts 7:22). The great knowledge Jesus had of history came from studying–that doesn’t make His understanding of Adam wrong.
His understanding was what it had to be. It couldn’t have been anything else. That has nothing to do with our understandings apart from they couldn’t be anything else either.
While Moses did have an Egyptian education, only he and about maybe 5-6% of the Hebrews (most likely the Levites and why he chose them) probably knew how to read and write. The other 90 something percent probably didn’t know how to read or write, if lucky they could somewhat read and it was Egyptian hieroglyphs and whatever proto-Hebrew that was around at that time.
It is well-known that writing was common at the time of Moses, to say otherwise goes against KNOWLEDGE. “It was WRITTEN’” is a common NT argument used by Jesus and the Apostles. They did not go by fables!
Later on in time when Israel got established yes it became common to children’s, but at first upon release from slavery I doubt it (though I could be wrong). And what was probably written and kept over time in both written and oral tradition was the Law.
I suspect those numbers are way too high, in what little research brings to light. Scribes in Egypt were specially trained over years of study, and entrance to scribe school was usually a familial privilege. Even many well educated Egyptians would know little of writing as they delegated that to the scribes. I suspect they would be able to read the pictographic writings more so than write. One source stated that probably only 1% of Egyptians were literate.
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That was an assumption in thinking that they wrote them but they didn’t. It was for a long time until the exile oral and not written down at all.
The TOP Scholars do not think it was an assumption–only those with “little knowledge,” think Jesus was mistaken in anything He said!
He certainly wasn’t according to His epistemology. Neither are any of us according to ours. What’s the problem? There isn’t one I can see. Is that a problem?
There’s no problem at all in believing Jesus knew what He was talking about! We either believe or not! The FACTS make me BELIEVE.
Of course He did. He knew according to His divinely enlightened ancient Jewish human ignorance. I BELIEVE those FACTS too.
Both opinions are allowed here. There are those who think Jesus knew what He talking about and those who don’t! I believe the things He, His Prophets and His Apostles were right about these LAST DAYS–we’ll soon know!
What do you mean by “last days”? Are we really jumping from origins to eschatology? If so I don’t mind the mental gymnastics leap and will take the challenge head on. Just what are you trying to say by stating, “He, His Prophets and His Apostles were right about these LAST DAYS- we’ll soon know!”?
My obvious (I thought), point is that if they were right about the LAST DAYS, it means the chances are great that they were right about origins! So there’s a huge connection!!
While I can agree with you in that they spoke of the end times, the debate is how should we understand them. As for me, a partial Preterist and Postmillennialist, I will understand those prophecies much different from how you would understand them. We can agree Jesus spoke apocalyptical saying in Matt. 24-25 and Mark 16 but the issue is how do we understand what he said in what time frame and such.
By “last days,” I mean, “The days right before Christ’s return–‘The end of the age,’ ‘The end of this system of things that acts independently of God.’” By the way, in a sense, our only sin is to live independently of God. All of our other so-called ‘sins,’ are symptoms of living independently of God. It’s like C. S. Lewis said, “If we don’t tell God, ‘Thy will be done,’ He will tell us, 'thy will be done and see where that leads you.”
They certainly were right as Jewish civilization was annihilated in a century.
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And in what many think is the most incredible Bible Prophecy that so far came true, “Israel became a nation again and blossomed.” NOBODY in the secular world saw this coming or even thought it was possible!
Yeah, all very self fulfilling.