![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Dr-Marko-Marina-Staff-Writer.png\" "\\"Dr")
<\/span><\/p>\nWritten by Marko Marina, Ph.D.<\/a><\/p>\n Author | Historian | BE Contributor<\/p>\n Verified! See our guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n Verified! See our editorial guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n \nDate written: April 17th, 2024<\/p>\n\nDate written: April 17th, 2024\n Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. – Dr. Bart D. Ehrman<\/p>\n In 580 B.C.E., despite the collapse of their nation, the Israelites embarked on a journey that would weave their community and culture through the annals of history into the modern era. They harbored ideas and traditions that fostered their cultural resilience and laid the groundwork for the major Western religions. <\/p>\n Among these, a revolutionary concept emerged, distinguishing their worldview from the prevailing notions of divinity intertwined with the natural world. While ancient societies typically equated gods with natural forces, the Israelites gradually embraced the vision of a single deity transcending nature.<\/p>\n This transformative idea<\/strong>, suggesting a God beyond and above the natural world, played a pivotal role in the endurance and identity of the Israelite people. It was encapsulated within a collection of writings<\/strong> we now recognize as the Old Testament<\/strong>, a cornerstone of Western civilization.<\/p>\n But, amidst the backdrop of this enduring legacy, a question arises that piques both scholarly and lay interest alike: Who wrote the Old Testament?<\/strong> This query delves into the heart of biblical studies. <\/p>\n As we embark on this exploration, we aim to shed light on the authors of the Old Testament, navigating through traditional beliefs and scholarly analysis. Instead of going through each of the books separately, we decided to choose particular books from each section of the Old Testament that would serve as a case study.<\/p>\n But, don\u2019t worry! We\u2019ll also provide tables depicting the authors of every single Old Testament book. Finally, by adopting a scholarly yet accessible approach, this article intends to guide readers through the stories of the individuals who penned the Old Testament. <\/p>\n Before we can delve deeper into “Who wrote the Old Testament,” it’s essential to understand the linguistic foundation<\/a> upon which this monumental text was built. What language was the Old Testament written in? <\/p>\n The vast majority of the Old Testament’s content<\/strong>, encompassing the Torah (the initial five books), historical narratives, prophecies, and poetic compositions, was originally penned in Hebrew<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Recognized as one of the most ancient languages, Hebrew’s roots extend back to the second millennium BCE. It\u2019s a member of the Semitic language family<\/strong>, which also encompasses languages such as Aramaic, Akkadian, and Arabic. Characterized by its right-to-left script, the Hebrew language employs a distinctive alphabet comprising 22 letters.<\/p>\n Additionally, it’s crucial to acknowledge that parts of the Old Testament<\/strong>, notably sections of the Book of Daniel, incorporate Aramaic<\/strong>. Aramaic holds the distinction of being another Semitic language that later emerged as the lingua franca among Palestinian Jews, and notably, it was the language utilized by Jesus of Nazareth in his teachings.<\/p>\n Could Jesus have been bilingual? Did he know Greek and Hebrew? These questions raise debates among contemporary scholars. If you are interested in knowing more about it, take a look at our earlier article<\/span><\/a><\/span>! <\/p>\n In his Commentary on the book of Daniel, John J. Collins<\/a> notes that Daniel is bilingual, partly in Hebrew and partly in Aramaic. This phenomenon, according to Collins, has led to numerous theories that inevitably raise further questions about the book’s genesis.<\/p>\n Armed with this understanding of the linguistic intricacies of the Old Testament, let us now concentrate on unraveling the mysteries surrounding the authorship of the Pentateuch<\/strong>. This exploration will take us through the traditional narratives and scholarly debates that have shaped our understanding of these ancient texts.<\/p>\n Who Wrote the Old Testament books of the Bible<\/a>? This question opens a gateway into the depths of biblical scholarship, especially when we narrow our focus to the Pentateuch – the first five books<\/strong> considered the foundation of the Bible. <\/p>\n Historically, both Jewish and Christian traditions have held these texts in high esteem, attributing their authorship to Moses. Take, for instance, Lactantius (4th century C.E.) who was pronounced by Jerome as the most learned man of his age. In his Divine Institutes<\/a>, Lactantius notes: “Moses too in Numbers says as follows: \u2018A star shall arise from Jacob, and a man shall rise from Israel’.”<\/p>\n Jewish authors<\/a> were also in full agreement. The Talmud (b. Sanh. 21b\u201322a; b. B. Bat. 14b), the Mishnah (m. \u0309 Abot 1:1), Philo of Alexandria, and Josephus – they all assumed and\/or wrote enthusiastically in defense of Moses\u2019 authorship and his role as God\u2019s interpreter. <\/p>\n This attribution wasn\u2019t merely about acknowledging Moses as the scribe; it imbued the Pentateuch with a divine, cryptic, and transtemporal quality, asserting its perfection and eternal relevance.<\/p>\n However, the winds of inquiry began to shift in the 17th century<\/strong>, led by critical thinkers like Baruch Spinoza<\/a>. These pioneers dared to examine the Pentateuch<\/strong> not just as a divine manuscript but as a historical document<\/strong>, applying the same scrutiny they would to any other ancient text. <\/p>\n This marked a departure from tradition<\/strong>, where analysis was conducted within the confines of secular history, free from previously unquestioned beliefs. By the mid-19th century, this approach had blossomed into a full-blown discipline of Biblical criticism<\/strong>, initially taking root in Germany before spreading to England and the United States.<\/p>\n Critical examination of texts, such as the first chapters of Genesis, revealed startling insights, such as the presence of two distinct creation narratives, each with different names for God and a different order of creation events. These and other linguistic evidence pointed scholars toward the conclusion of multiple authors or schools of thought behind the Pentateuch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Today, it\u2019s widely accepted among contemporary scholars that the Pentateuch was the work of several independent authors, whose identities remain unknown. <\/p>\n As R. Norman Whybray articulately puts it in \u201cThe Introduction to the Pentateuch<\/a>\u201d, the exact origins, purposes, and processes by which the Pentateuch was compiled remain a matter of debate<\/strong>, with theories on the composition dates of its various parts diverging by centuries.<\/p>\n In light of these scholarly discussions, the following table<\/strong> presents a concise comparison of the traditional versus scholarly attribution of the Pentateuch’s authorship<\/strong>:<\/p>\n![\"Who](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Who-Wrote-the-Old-Testament_-List-of-All-29-Authors.png\" "\\"Who")
<\/span><\/p>\nThe Language of the Old Testament<\/h2>\n
Who Wrote the Pentateuch?<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Finding-Moses-PBS-4x3-1.jpg\" "\\"Finding")
<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n![\"what](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/what-language-was-the-old-testament-written-in_.png\" "\\"what")
<\/span><\/p>\n