We know that Moses the prophet

We know that Moses the prophet is considered the author of the first five books of the Bible (the Torah). But what is the evidence for this?

The first five books of the Bible are called the Torah, also known as the Pentateuch. It is clear from the text itself that Moses wrote these books. Moses authored all five books except for the account of his death, naturally (Deut. 34:5-12). This final portion of Deuteronomy was written by his disciple and successor, Joshua. This passage could have been included at the beginning of the Book of Joshua, which starts with the words, “After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord…” (Josh. 1:1). However, it was deemed more appropriate to include the account of Moses’ death and burial at the end of the five books to complete the historical narrative of the period that encompassed Moses’ life and work, as he is the most prominent prophet in the history of the Old Testament.

The evidence that Moses wrote the Torah is clear and supported by numerous references in both the Old and New Testaments:

1. God Commanded Moses to Write the Laws and Events:
   God instructed Moses to write down the events and laws as they occurred. For example:
   • After the defeat of Amalek, the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua” (Ex. 17:14).
   • After giving Moses the law, God commanded him to write it: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel'” (Ex. 34:27).
   • Frequently, God commanded Moses to write the commandments of the law, as in Deuteronomy 27:8.
2. Moses Obeyed and Wrote:
   • In Numbers, it is written: “And Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by command of the Lord” (Num. 33:2).
   • In Deuteronomy, it is stated: “Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel” (Deut. 31:9).
   • Also: “When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end, Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, ‘Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God…'” (Deut. 31:24-26).
3. Jesus Testified That Moses Wrote the Torah:
   • In a discussion with the Jews, Jesus said: “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” (John 5:46-47).
   • When addressing the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, Jesus referred to the Torah, saying: “As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?” (Mark 12:26).
   • After His resurrection, Jesus explained to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).
4. The Apostles and Prophets Confirmed Moses’ Authorship:
   • Philip said to Nathanael: “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth” (John 1:45).
   • The Apostle Paul wrote: “For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law…” (Rom. 10:5).
   • In 2 Corinthians, Paul referred to the Torah as “Moses”: “To this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts” (2 Cor. 3:15).
   • James the Apostle stated: “For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues” (Acts 15:21).
5. The Jews Themselves Testified to This:
   • Some Sadducees told Jesus: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother” (Mark 12:19).
6. The Torah Is Called the Law of Moses:
   • Jesus said to the Jews: “If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath?” (John 7:23).
   • It is written about Mary: “When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord” (Luke 2:22).
   • Paul said in Hebrews: “Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses” (Heb. 10:28).
7. Moses Was the Most Suitable Person to Write the Torah:
   • Moses had the closest connection to the events described, including the appearance of the Lord in the burning bush, God’s direct communication with him on Mount Sinai, and the detailed instructions regarding the tabernacle.
   • Moses spent forty days on the mountain receiving instructions from God, during which he wrote everything God commanded.
   • Furthermore, the Lord frequently spoke to Moses from the tent of meeting, as written: “The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say to them…'” (Lev. 1:1-2).

Finally, it is worth noting that Moses, educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians (Acts 7:22), was fully capable of reading and writing, making him the ideal author of the Torah.

نحن نعلم أن موسى النبي هو كاتب الأسفار الخمسة الأولى (التوراة). ولكن ما إثبات هذا؟

١. الأسفار الخمسة من الكتاب المقدس

• تُسمى التوراة وأيضاً Pentateuch.
• واضح من الكتاب نفسه أن موسى النبي قد كتبها، باستثناء خبر وفاته (تث ٥:٣٤-١٢).
• الفقرة الأخيرة من سفر التثنية كتبها تلميذه وخليفته يشوع.
• كان يمكن أن ترد في أول سفر يشوع، لكنه أُضيف في نهاية التوراة لاستكمال تاريخ حياة موسى وعمله.

٢. أدلة على كتابة موسى للتوراة

أ) الله أمر موسى بكتابة الشريعة والأحداث

١. بعد هزيمة عماليق:

“وقال الرب لموسى: اكتب هذا تذكاراً في الكتاب، وضعه في مسامع يشوع” (خر ٤:١٧).

٢. عندما أعطاه الله الشريعة:

“وقال الرب لموسى: أكتب لنفسك هذه الكلمات، قطعت عهداً معك ومع إسرائيل” (خر ٧:٣٤).

٣. تكررت أوامر الله لموسى بكتابة الوصايا (تث ٨:٢٧).

ب) موسى نفذ أوامر الله وكتب

١. عن تحركات بني إسرائيل:

“وكتب موسى مخارجهم برحلاتهم بحسب قول الرب” (عد ٢:٣٣).

٢. عن كتابة الشريعة:

“وكتب موسى هذه التوراة، وسلمها للكهنة بني لاوي حاملي تابوت عهد الرب ولجميع شيوخ إسرائيل” (تث ٩:٣١).

٣. أكمل كتابة التوراة:

“فعندما كمل موسى كتابة كلمات هذه التوراة في كتاب إلى تمامها…” (تث ٢٤:٣١-٢٦).

٣. شهادة المسيح أن موسى كتب التوراة

١. قال المسيح لليهود:

“لأنكم لو كنتم تصدقون موسى لكنتم تصدقونني، لأنه هو كتب عني…” (يو ٤٦:٥).

٢. في نقاشه مع الصدوقيين:

“أما من جهة الأموات أنهم يقومون، أفما قرأتم في كتاب موسى في أمر العليقة كيف كلمه الله؟” (مر ٢٦:١٢).

٣. مع تلميذي عمواس:

“ثم ابتدى من موسى ومن جميع الأنبياء يفسر لهما الأمور المختصة به” (لو ٢٧:٢٤).

٤. شهادة الرسل والأنبياء

١. قال فيلبس لنثنائيل:

“وجدنا الذي كتب عنه موسى في الناموس والأنبياء” (يو ٤٥:١).

٢. بولس الرسول:

“لأن موسى يكتب في البر الذي بالناموس…” (رو ٥:١٠).

٣. يعقوب الرسول:

“لأن موسى منذ أجيال قديمة له في كل مدينة من يكرز به، إذ يقرأ في المجامع كل سبت” (أع ٢١:١٥).

٥. شهادة اليهود أمام المسيح

١. قال الصدوقيون للمسيح:

“يا معلم، كتب لنا موسى إن مات لأحد أخ وترك امرأة…” (مر ١٩:١٢).

٦. التوراة تسمى شريعة موسى

١. قال المسيح لليهود:

“فإن كان الإنسان يقبل الختان في السبت لئلا ينقض ناموس موسى…” (يو ٢٣:٧).

٢. عن تطهير السيدة العذراء:

“ولما تمت أيام تطهيرها حسب شريعة موسى صعدوا به إلى أورشليم” (لو ٢٢:٢).

٣. بولس الرسول:

“من خالف ناموس موسى فعلى شاهدين أو ثلاثة شهود يموت بلا رأفة” (عب ٢٨:١٠).

٧. موسى هو الأنسب لكتابة التوراة

١. موسى كان الأكثر اتصالاً بالأحداث مثل:

• ظهور الرب له في العليقة.
• تسلمه الوصايا على جبل سيناء.
• تفاصيل خيمة الاجتماع.
  
  ٢. موسى قضى أربعين يوماً على الجبل يسمع من الرب.
  ٣. الرب كان يكلمه باستمرار:

“ودعا الرب موسى وكلمه من خيمة الاجتماع قائلاً…” (لا ١:١-٢).

٤. موسى تعلم كل حكمة المصريين وكان متمكناً من القراءة والكتابة (أع ٢٢:٧).