Quote:
Originally Posted by NotforSale
I'm a little surprised no one has brought this up. Moses, who is the presumed author of Genesis, lived in Egypt and Pharaoh’s household for 40 years. He was apparently engrained by this culture and their ideals, which would include any religious beliefs of that Nation.
Is it a valid observation, that stories such as a Great Flood were told to Moses by the Egyptian forefathers and that Biblical writings contain such stories because the writer had been influenced by the myths of that time?
History reveals that Egypt did have belief in a Great Flood, with very similar connections to our Biblical account.
I think this needs consideration, especially since the story of Noah and the Ark is an impossible feat.
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A lot of the Pentateuch can be better understood (IMHO) if we recognize Moses as the source of the Law (from God) and not the source of everything written in the first five books of the Bible. There is of course a discernible lack of the writer(s) ever calling himself "Moses" nor any place where the narrator ever says "I" when speaking of Moses.
Try this: Read from Deuteronomy through to the end of 2 Kings. Notice especially the transitions between the books.
Deuteronomy ends with:
"So Moses the servant of Jehovah died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of Jehovah.
And he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.
And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.
And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping in the mourning for Moses were ended.
And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as Jehovah commanded Moses.
And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom Jehovah knew face to face,
in all the signs and the wonders, which Jehovah sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land,
and in all the mighty hand, and in all the great terror, which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel."
and then the Book of Joshua picks right up with:
"Now it came to pass after the death of Moses the servant of Jehovah, that Jehovah spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel."
and then Joshua ends with:
"And Israel served Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of Jehovah, that he had wrought for Israel.
And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money: and they became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in the hill of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill-country of Ephraim."
and then Judges begins:
"And it came to pass after the death of Joshua, that the children of Israel asked of Jehovah, saying, Who shall go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?"
... and so it goes all the way to the end of 2 Kings. It as if the same hand was at work in the books from Deuteronomy through 2 Kings.
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