Originally it was written by Moses. However, we do not know how many iterations it has gone through since then. How often was it translated and retranslated by Jewish scribes. Which version was found by Josiah's people in the temple? There were different versions of ancient writings, depending on whether a person was from Judah or Israel, for example. We have what are now considered the written traditions of J and E (Jehovah and Elohim). Some LDS scholars suggest that the Brass Plates of Laban may have been the "E" source, as it would have come from the land of Israel and speaks of prophets that were concentrated there. Instead of pushing the law of Moses and the Yahwist/Jehovah-ist belief system, it tends toward the Elohim belief system: high places and altars for worship, personal revelations to individuals rather than a societal religion that imposes revelation on the individuals, etc.
Both Hezekiah and Josiah tried changing the Yahwist religion into one of centralized temple worship, removing all other places of worship. Meanwhile, the nation of Israel/Ephraim stayed loyal to the ancient tradition of high places and altars (like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob used), and building two specific altars with gold calves. I have surmised through my studies that these calves may have been representative of Elohim, who like Baal, was represented by a bull anciently (power, reproductive ability, etc). While much of ancient Israel believed Jehovah and Elohim had a consort (female wife), later Yahwists rejected this idea. So there were many ideas floating around. All of these beliefs found their way into the Bible, with only the Yahwist belief, modified by a later Priestly form, strongly surviving into the post-Babylonian exile period. After 500 BC, the prophets were based on a temple-centric religion and taught from that form. Christ and his apostles actually broke somewhat from the Yahwist format, returning to the ancient form (Christ praying in the wilderness, infrequent visits to the temple except for Passover, Mount of Transfiguration, etc). So, it is as complicated as Marc puts it. Interestingly, the BoM supports the idea of it being complicated. The Brass Plates show another version of the scriptures, with additional prophets (Zenos, Zenoc, etc) and a different viewpoint (Joseph vs Judah). Lehi and Jeremiah also preach against the Yahwist religion of the day. Jeremiah praises the Rekhabites, a tribe of Israelites that lived in the wilderness and worshiped as the ancients did, and condemns the way temple worship turned out. We see this same thing occur with the Dead Sea Scrolls, as their Teacher of Righteousness condemns the False/Wicked Priest for usurping the priesthood and temple authority. They go to the wilderness to worship in purity. I see a trend....that continues today. K'aya K'ama, Gerald/gary Smith gszion1 @juno.com http://www .geocities.com/rameumptom/index.html "No one is as hopelessly enslaved as the person who thinks he's free." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe JWR: Deuteronomy was written by Moses, just as the rest of the Pentateuch was. It was not part of a "strange and complex historical soup." --JWR ________________________________________________________________ Sign Up for Juno Platinum Internet Access Today Only $9.95 per month! Visit www.juno.com ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
