----- Original Message ----- From: "Daniel Grolin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Susan Maneck" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 10:50 AM Subject: Moses and the Pentateuch
> Dear Richard, > > <It is interesting to note that no one of note has ever questioned that Ezra > wrote the Bible around 400 B.C.> > > I certainly do question it and though I can think of some who would support > Ezra for that role, I don't think they are a majority. Deuteronomy may have > been composed (using older sources) around 400 BCE, but Genesis was probably > composed before. > > <For matters of brevity I thought it advisable to leave out of my initial > remarks the meagre attempt at exegeses that I could supply, as that is not > my area of expertise. Whether or not Genesis is "hardly likely to be > historically true" cannot easily be determined until we are certain that the > evidence points in that direction. At this point I don't see the evidence > that points away from its accuracy.> > > I was actually referring to whether or not Moses had composed the work. > There are very few (even amongst the moderately conservative Christians) > that actually think that Moses composed the five books attributed to Him. > > <It is equally interesting to note that what had to be done with regards to > the Qur'an, i.e. the copies were gathered, the most accurate was chosen and > published; was the same, over a shorter period of time;> > > The composition of the Qur'an and the Pentateuch were quite different as far > as history can determine. I don't know that this is the place to discuss a > complex issue like this, however. > > <as that which came about with the Torah. The Book which Moses set down> > > So you say, but my point is that there are actually few who think so. > > < was apparently destroyed by the Philistines when they carried away the Ark > of the Covenant. Afterwards those who had remembered it, had it set down. It > was lost or destroyed while the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were exiled in > Babylon. After their return to Jerusalem Ezra brought the three or four > main factions of the religion (which factions had developed between the time > of Moses and Ezra) together and had them set it down. The three or four > lines of narrative can be detected in the various books of the Bible.> > > An interesting reconstruction. Again I don't think this is the forum to > discuss such details. > > As usual I suggest that such discussion be moved to the Baha'i Biblical > Studies list. > > Regards, > > Daniel > __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web - http://list.jccc.net/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.net/bahai-st http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public) http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public)
