When and by whom was the Book of Deuteronomy written?

Answer 1

One view from our community:

The books of the Pentateuch came into their final form probably during the latter part of the period 1441 through 1401 BC, with very minor alterations thereafter. This was the period of the Exodus wanderings during which they spent a good number of years at Kadesh-Barnea (as attested in the historical record and by pottery fragments found there).

Some have also suggested a strong possibility that Abraham may have written large portions of Genesis. This is certainly possible as writing was known to exist for centuries before his time. Moses then would have been the final editor. It is considered by many that Joshua wrote the epitaph on Moses life and death at the end of Deuteronomy, which would have been some time after Moses death in around 1401 BC.

Others hold that it was written much later, thus not written by Moses.

Answer 2

Moses had been long acknowledged as the author of Deuteronomy by all authoriies both Jewish and Christian until the 19th century. The book itself mentions Moses as the author at least 40 times and both internal and external evidence suggests nothing other than Mosaic authorship.

The book was written around 1405BC toward the end of Moses' life and is in some ways his 'handing on the baton' to the next generation. Joshua completed the book with an account of Moses' death.

Answer 3

The Book of Deuteronomy has traditionally been attributed to Moses, writing around 1400 BCE.

However, biblical scholars say the Book of Deuteronomy was really written during the seventh-century-BCE reign of King Josiah, by an unknown author now known as the Deuteronomist. It contains the same style and relatively modern Hebrew as the integrated series now known as the Deuteronomic History (Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Kings).

Answer 4

Deuteronomy states explicitly (31:24) that it, with the rest of the Torah, was written by Moses. This is part of Jewish tradition, and is supported by the testimony of other ancient writers.No physical evidence has ever been presented that would demonstrate otherwise.

There are secular scholars who theorized that the "book which was found" in Josiah's time (2 Kings ch.22) was Deuteronomy.

What actually happened?

King Josiah lived more than eight centuries after Moses. There were hundreds - probably thousands - of Torah scrolls possessed by the Jewish people, just like today. The wicked King Amon (Josiah's father) 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.
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).
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" (2 Kings 14:6), which is a quote from Deuteronomy (24:16).

Also, Joshua 22:5 quotes Deut.11:22, Joshua 23:16 quotes Deut.11:17, Judges 1:20 fulfills Deut.1:36, Judges 7:3 fulfills the command of Deut.20:8, 1 Kings 8:51 quotes Deut.4:20, and 1 Kings 9:8-9 quotes Deut.29:23-24.

The fact that Josiah "made reforms" is misinterpreted by some, as meaning that he started something new. Rather, he simply swept away the incursions that idolatrous misbehavior had made (2 Chronicles 34:3-7) into part of the populace, exactly as Samuel had done (1 Samuel 7:3-4), as well as Asa (2 Chronicles 15:8), Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:6), and Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:4).

See also the Related Links.

Link: Refuting Bible-criticism

Link: Archaeology and the Hebrew Bible

Answer 5

The Pentateuch, the first five books of The Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) is traditionally ascribed to Moses as having written it during the Exodus from Egypt. The Bible confidently states that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt 480 years before the fourth year of Solomon's reign, which would therefore be approximately 1444 BCE. Because archaeological evidence has made the traditional date of the Exodus untenable, some liberal Christians have suggested that the Exodus really took place shortly before 1200 BCE, when Israelites are known to have begun to arrive in the Palestinian hinterland. Modern Jews generally believe an intermediate date of around 1313 BCE.

However, nearly all biblical scholars say that Moses was not really the author of the Pentateuch. They say it was written by a number of authors or sources over a period of several centuries during the first millennium BCE. The main sources of the Pentateuch were:

• The J (Yahwist) source, who always used 'YHVH' as the name for God and presents tradition from the point of view of the southern kingdom, Judah, using archaic Hebrew. J was a gifted storyteller who was especially interested in the human side of things and had his own characteristic vocabulary. J referred to Moses' father-in-law as Reuel or Hobab.
• The E (Elohist) source, who always used 'Elohim' as the name for God and presents tradition from the point of view of the northern kingdom, Israel, using archaic Hebrew. E referred to Moses' father-in-law as Jethro.
• At some time around 650 BCE, J and E were combined by Judaean editors, producing a composite known to us as JE.
• The D (Deuteronomist) source, who emphasises centralisation of worship and governance in Jerusalem, as would be expected from political events that followed the defeat of Israel. Writing during the seventh-century-BCE reign of King Josiah, the Deuteronomist uses a more modern form of Hebrew.
• The P (Priestly) source uses both Elohim and El Shaddai as names of God and focusses on the formal relations between God and society. Writing during the Babylonian Exile, the Priestly Source also uses a late form of Hebrew, with a rather turgid style.
• The Redactor ('R Source') finalised the Pentateuch in more or less the form we know today, shortly after the Babylonian Exile.

Answer 6

Tradition states that the Books of the Pentateuch (the Torah) were spoken by God to Moses (Exodus 24:12) in 1312 BCE. Moses taught it to the people (Exodus ch.34), and put it in writing before his death (Deuteronomy 31:24) in 1272 BCE.The following paragraphs will point out a few of the many shortcomings of Biblical-Criticism and show the reliability of the Torah.

What is the Documentary Hypothesis?Basing itself on linguistics and usage, the Hypothesis splits the narrative of the Hebrew Bible and attributes it to various unknown authors (Priest, Deuteronomist, etc. [J,E,P and D]), despite (for example) the Torah's explicit statement as to its Divine provenance (Exodus 24:12) and having been written in its entirety by Moses (Deuteronomy 31:24), and despite the unbroken national tradition of the authorship of each of the Prophets (Talmud, Bava Bathra 14b).

The Hypothesis also post-dates many of the other books of the Hebrew Bible, ascribing them to unknown authors centuries later. This has the effect of minimizing the reliability of these books, causing them to be seen as not much different than any random ancient text.

See: Criticizing the critics

Who proposed the Documentary Hypothesis?In the mid-1800s, professor Julius Wellhausen (the father of modern Biblical-criticism, 1844-1918) and others, proposed this Hypothesis, concerning the origin of the Hebrew Bible. Like Darwin, Wellhausen was a former Divinity student who left the fold; and like Darwin, he decided to form a secular theory in his field of study. As with Evolution, Wellhausen's theory was accepted quickly by the academic world, undergoing later change but unchanged in its basic premise.

What do the JEPD theorists ignore?The intricate tapestry of the Hebrew Bible uses literary devices to enrich its text. The Jewish sages, based on ancient tradition, identified many of these devices, which include:

• Recapping earlier brief passages to elucidate,
  
• Employing different names of God to signify His various attributes,
  
• Using apparent changes or redundancies to allude to additional unstated details,
  
• Speaking in the vernacular that was current during each era,
  

and many more.
Instead of consulting the Jewish Oral Tradition and commentary which accompanies the Tanakh, the Bible-Critics have formed secular conclusions.

What are some problems with the JEPD (Documentary) Hypothesis and Biblical-Criticism?
1) Unlike the Bible-Critics who possess no early source, the Hebrew Bible has been handed down since its beginning, in an unbroken chain of tradition for which we possess the names, biography and dates of the leading sages in every single generation. Every verse is elucidated in the Talmud and midrashim.

2) No parchment, scroll, or inscription has ever been found that would support the Bible-critics' JEPD (different sources) hypothesis, which remains a set of postulates. And those ancient writers who mention, describe, summarize or translate the Torah (Josephus, Samaritans, Targum, Septuagint etc.), describe it in its complete form.

3) Archaeological finds, such as the Ugarit documents and those of Nuzu, Mari, Susa, Ebla, and Tel el-Amarna, have repeatedly caused the critics to retract specific claims. The entire social milieu portrayed in the Torah, once criticized as anachronistic, has been shown to be historically accurate, including customs of marriage, adoption, contracts, inheritance, purchases, utensils, modes of travel, people's names and titles, etc. Professor Gleason Archer Ph.D of Harvard University states: "In case after case where historical inaccuracy was alleged as proof of late and spurious authorship of the biblical documents, the Hebrew record has been vindicated by the results of excavations, and the condemnatory judgment of the Documentary theorists have been proved to be without foundation."

4) The theorists postulated a late date for Deuteronomy. This is refuted by the fact that all the early books quote Deuteronomy. Joshua 22:5 quotes Deut.11:22, Joshua 23:16 quotes Deut.11:17, Judges 1:20 fulfills Deut.1:36, Judges 7:3 fulfills the command of Deut.20:8, 1 Kings 8:51 quotes Deut.4:20, 1 Kings 9:8-9 quotes Deut.29:23-24, and 2 Kings 14:6 quotes Deut.24:16.

5) Because of its antiquity, only in the Torah is the female pronoun "hee" spelled with a letter vav; the word "asher" is used exclusively; Jerusalem and the kings are not mentioned, etc.

6) Unlike what the theorists claim, no Levite or Kohen ("priest-source") would have voluntarily invented the Torah in whole or in part. The Torah allows no portion of the land for the Levites (Numbers ch.8), it states that Leah (ancestress of the Levites) was less-favored (Genesis ch.29), it records the curse against Levi (Genesis ch.49), the rebellion of Korah the Levite (Numbers ch.16), and the role of Aaron the Kohen in the events of the Golden Calf (Exodus ch.32).

7) Some JEPD theorists question the very existence of Moses. In so doing, they not only ignore the continuous tradition of the entire Jewish nation, but also the statements of ancient writers including Hecataeus, Strabo, Alexander Polyhistor, Manetho, Apion, Chaeremon, Tacitus, Porphyry, Artapanus, Eupolemus, Ben Sira, the Greek Septuagint, the Samaritans, Josephus and Philo, all of whom testify that Moses was an actual person.

8) One Bible-theorist, Richard Elliott Friedman claims that "The author of the J document was more interested in the patriarchal period while the author of E was more focused on the Exodus and wilderness age."
- Neither Friedman nor any Bible critic ever interviewed the postulated J or E to hear their focus or interests, or saw a manuscript attributable to them. All that we hear about J and E derives from what the critics themselves believe.

Overstatements of this kind cited go far beyond the type of caution one might expect from a scholar.

9) The critics attempt to break down the continuity of the Torah based on style and vocabulary. Their breakdown often cuts verses into three or four parts, claiming a different writer for each part. But in dealing with so many different topics and eras, it stands to reason that the Torah would use different styles. The narrative of Genesis would not function in a style appropriate to the laws of Leviticus. Just as Shakespeare's plays and sonnets differ yet had one author, (and the same goes for your own resume and shopping lists), so the Torah employs styles depending on the subject matter.
Also, those familiar with Torah-commentators recognize that every question asked by the bible critics was asked, and answered, centuries ago.

10) "Whoever wrote the narrative of Joseph was quite familiar with Egyptian life, Egyptian literature and culture. In particular he was expertly informed concerning the Egyptian royal court" (Prof. Alan Sherman).

Some specific examples:1) It was claimed that the camel hadn't been domesticated in Abraham's time. But the Canophorin tablet, dating from 18th century BCE gives a list of fodder for camels and other household animals. And a cylinder seal from Mesopotamia, dating from the patriarchal era, shows riders sitting on camels.

2) The term "achol et kaspeinu" ("our money was eaten," Genesis 31:15) is spoken by Rachel and Leah concerning an inheritance from their father Laban. This term is found nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible. Five documents have been unearthed in which 18th century BCE Akkadian marriage contracts use this exact terminology, in the same context. We thus verify again that no postulated late redactor could possibly be credited with such specific knowledge of an era centuries before his own.

3) The names Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Laban, Balaam and Joseph were used in the Patriarchal period and dropped out of usage thereafter. These names appear in archaeological inscriptions from that period and no later period. How did those verses get appropriate names for that period of time (if they were created centuries later)?

4) Joseph is sold for twenty pieces of silver. That was the accurate price of a slave in Joseph's time, and at no other time. Slaves were cheaper beforehand, and they got increasingly expensive later. How would a later redactor know the right price?

Some indications of the Divine origin of the Torah1) No other religion claims a national revelation, because that is something that cannot be fabricated.

2) Moses was no zoologist, yet he knew all the species named in Deuteronomy ch.14 and the nature of their digestion (verses 7-8).

3) No Israelite of any tribe, had the Torah been a human invention, would have made Abraham the father of Ishmael, his firstborn (Genesis ch.16). No Israelite would have written that Isaac fathered Esau (Gen.ch.25). Nor would he have admitted the stigma that the Israelites had been slaves (Exodus ch.1). No Israelite would have penned the prohibition against warring with Ammon and Moab (Deut.2:4,9,19), who became enemies; nor would he have ascribed one of our important national institutions to a foreigner (Exodus ch.18).

4) In no other religious text can one find such criticism of its own protagonists. No one is immune to having his faults exposed: Abraham (Genesis 16:5), Reuben (Gen.ch.35), Simeon and Levi (Gen.ch.34 and 49), Judah (Gen.ch.38), Joseph's brothers (Gen.ch.37), Moses (Numbers ch.20), Aaron (Exodus 32:2-4), Samson (Judges 14:1-3), Eli's sons (1 Samuel 2:12), Samuel's sons (1 Samuel 8:1-3), Saul (1 Samuel ch.15), David (2 Samuel ch.11-12), Solomon (1 Kings ch.11), and many others.

5) No human would have forbidden farming for a whole year every seven years (Leviticus ch.25).

6) No other ancient record has such a coherent and detailed account of the genealogy of nations (Genesis ch.10).

7) A few examples of fulfilled prophecies:

The Torah predicts the settling of the Holy Land (Deuteronomy ch.12), the construction of the Sanctuary (ibid), the later Destruction and complete scattering of the Jews (ibid. ch.28), and the later Return (ibid ch.30, and Isaiah 43:5-6). All these have been fulfilled. It also predicts that the Jews would never be completely wiped out (Leviticus 26:44), which is itself a historical miracle.

Noah's blessing of "God will enlarge Japheth" (Genesis ch.9) has been fulfilled through the empires of Persia, Greece, Rome, Russia and America.

God's promise to make Ishmael into a great nation (Genesis ch.17) has been fulfilled through the wide band of Arab and Muslim countries stretching from western Africa to Indonesia, well over 1.5 billion people.

God's warning that "you shall go lost among the nations" (Leviticus 26:38) was fulfilled through the loss, to this day, of ten of the Israelite Tribes.

Moses' blessing to the Levites that God would "smite the loins of those that rise against him" (Deuteronomy 33:11) was fulfilled through the miraculous victories of the Hasmonean kohanim over the Seleucids.

The prophecy that "Edom will be inherited by Israel" (Numbers 24:18) was fulfilled when the Hasmonean king Hyrcanus subdued the Edumeans and converted them (Josephus, Antiquities 13:9:1).

The prophecy that the Torah would never die out (see Gen.32:33, Deut.31:21, Esther 9:28, Isaiah 59:21) has been fulfilled, against all odds.

The prophecy that enemies of the Jews would reside in Israel (Leviticus 26:32) was fulfilled from the time of Nehemiah until today.

Answer 7

The Book of Deuteronomy is traditionally attributed to Moses, believed to have been written around the 7th century BCE. However, many scholars suggest that it might have been composed during the late 7th or 6th century BCE by multiple authors or editors.