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What is Deuteronomy?
A: Deuteronomy is the Christian name for the fifth book of the Pentateuch. It is derived from two Greek words, deuteros ('second') and nomos ('law') - the book is though…t of as a 'second giving of the Law'. The Hebrew name of this book is Devarim ('sayings' or 'words'). Tradition says that Moses not only wrote Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, but the Book of Deuteronomy as well, which raises the question of why he would write another book containing much of the same historical narrative and laws and even use a different authorship style in doing so. It appears that Deuteronomy was the book of law that 2 Kings 22:8 describes as 'found' by Hilkiah, the high priest, in the Temple, presumably to give the book the appearance of great antiquity. In case we feel that we should never doubt the religious authorities on these matters, this was not the only time that a scroll was first hidden, then found, so as to disguise its authorship. Jeremiah chapter 36 even tells how just a few years later, the scribes hid another scroll in the Temple, to be found and read to the king. The Book of Jeremiah demonstrates that the religious authorities were well aware of the practice. There are good reasons for believing that Deuteronomy was written during the seventh century BCE and given to the people of Judah as part of the Deuteronomistic reforms being undertaken by King Josiah. Answer: Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Torah. It is included in the Torah scroll which contains the five books of the Torah. It was written by Moses (Deuteronomy 31:24) at the word of God (Deuteronomy 1:3). It has many subjects not mentioned in the rest of the Torah, or which contain many further details. Its immediate purpose was to prepare the Israelites for entering into the land, which is why it contains such passages as that of the king (in ch.17) and of battle (in ch.20). Here are some further points: 1) Judaism is not based only on Deuteronomy. It includes the entire Torah, which was given by God to Moses (Exodus 24:12). King Josiah was several centuries later. 2 a) In the time of King Yoshiah (Josiah), there were hundreds - probably thousands - of Torah scrolls possessed by the Jewish people, just like today. b) King Amon had burned copies of the Torah (Talmud, Sanhedrin 103b), so it was understandable that King Yoshiah was thrilled when he found a scroll (see 2 Kings ch.22: the whole Torah, not just Deuteronomy) right there in the Temple grounds, which had escaped Amon's depredation. c) Yoshiah was agitated because the scroll was found rolled to the prophecy concerning the eventual exile (see Talmud, Yoma 52b); and because it was the very scroll which had been written by Moses himself (2 Chronicles 34:14). d) Deuteronomy, along with the rest of the Torah, existed long before the time of Yoshiah. Two centuries earlier, when King Amatziah killed the assassins of his father Joash, he spared their children "as is written that fathers shall not die because of their children and children shall not die because of their fathers" (II Kings 14:6), which is a quote from Deuteronomy (24:16). (MORE)
