2. The Pentateuch.

Introduction.

The first five books of the Bible, generally referred to as the Pentateuch (from the Greek word

pente, .five,. and teuchos, .a tool. or .implement.), were written by the Prophet Moses during

the forty years journey through the Sinai desert. Originally these books constituted a single col-

lection of God.s revelations and were designated as the .Torah. which means .the Law. in He-

brew (Josh. 1:7). Sometimes these books were also called the .Books of Moses. (1 Ezra 6:18),

.the Book of the Law. (Gal. 3:10); .the Law of Moses. (Luke 2:22) or .the Law of the Lord.

(Luke 2:23, 10:26; Matt. 5:17).

  The  word  .book.  in  reference  to  them  should not be understood in its modern sense, for

several  different writing materials were  used  by  Old  Testament  scribes,  including  papyrus  and

leather scrolls or sheets, pieces of broken pottery, clay tablets, and stone. The term .book. rather

indicates that its content was in a written form as opposed to the oral tradition. The combination

of divine authorship and human transmission gave the Law its supreme authority and made it The

Book for the ancient Hebrews.

  Because the books of Pentateuch were the first ever written, originally they had no unique

titles like all subsequent books of the Bible. To distinguish in The Low one book from another

the ancient Jews referred to them by their opening words of each of them, for example: .in the

beginning,. .these are the names,. etc.. It was much later that each book of Pentateuch received

its title in concordance with its context: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Apparently this naming convention appeared first in the Septuagint — a third-century BC Greek

translation of Old Testament, and also in the Samaritan Pentateuch, which is even earlier. This

convention was retained ever since.

The Penteteuchal account of the creation of the world and man stands unique in all ancient litera-

ture. All non-biblical creation legends by their polytheistic crudity stand in striking contrast to the

majestic account documented in Gen. 1:1-2:3. The unifying principle of the universe in one om-

nipresent and omniscient God is revealed through inspiration in the majestic  Genesis  account.

Ancient Mesopotamian writers blindly groped after this principle. The Pentateuch is all the more

striking against the background of a world grossly ignorant of the first principles of causation.

The discovery of secondary causes and the explanation of the how of creation in its ongoing op-

eration is the achievement of science. Revelation alone can sense the .why. of creation. The Bi-

ble  alone discloses  that  the universe exists because God made it and has a definite redemptive

purpose in it. Regarding its account of creation as outlined in Gen. 1, the sequence of phases of

creation that it lists is amazing in that it is in basic agreement with what the modern science has

discovered . several millennia after the writing down of the Genesis account (see in the appen-

dix .the Days of creation.). 

  In its account of the Flood the Pentateuch is also incomparably superior to the crudities and

inconsistencies  of  the  polytheistic account preserved in the eleventh book of the As-

syro-Babylonian classic The Epic of Gilgamesh. See in the appendix some thoughts on this topic.

  The Pentateuch also records the most ancient history of humanity with particular attention to

the development of the Hebrew people. Israel was not formed in a vacuum, but amid the age old

civilization of Mesopotamia and the Nile. God providentially lead the Hebrews into Egypt, then

prepared them for their high calling . to be the people of God, the prototype of Christ.s Church.

The crying out of oppressed Israelites in Egypt provoked a striking intervention of God. God re-

vealed himself to Moses as a savior, and the epic story of deliverance was recorded in the book

of Exodus. This book also tells of the Sinai covenant, which is rightfully regarded as the key to

the Old Testament. Through the covenant Israel becomes God's people, and God becomes Israel's

Lord. This act marked the fulfillment of the first promise that Abraham will become the father of

a great nation. Thus the sacred history was formed within the bosom of early Israel, guided by the

spirit  of  God.  It was sung beside the desert campfires, it was commemorated in the liturgical

feasts, such as Passover, and it was transmitted by word of mouth from generation to generation.

  The activity of God is revealed with a great emphasis throughout the Pentateuch, and tells a

great deal about His nature and His purposes for mankind. Because of this, the Pentateuch is not

just a historical book. It is rather an account of creation and redemption. It has an all-pervading

purpose to include only such historical background as is essential for introducing and preparing

the stage for the Redeemer. In other words, the Pentateuch is much more than history. It is history

wedded to prophecy,  a Messiah-centered history combining with a Messiah-centered prophecy.

To consummate the redemptive plan it initiates, it has been called the philosophy of Israel's his-

tory.

  In such a character, the Pentateuch catalogs the events concerning the origin of the Israelite

people and many other nations. Archaeology has shed abundant light on many accounts of the

Pentateuch. Babylonian cuneiform tablets illustrate the creation and particularly the Flood, yield-

ing amazing parallels of detail. The longevity of the patriarchs is illustrated by the Sumerian king

list. The Table of the Nations (Gen. 10) is shown by archaeological discoveries to be an amazing

document. The patriarchal age is set in the framework of authentic history and the Egyptian so-

journ, the Exodus, and the conquest are now much better understood as the result of the triumphs

of scientific archaeology since 1800.

  The Pentateuch is of great religious, historical, and cosmic importance. It is the foundation

of all subsequent divine revelation. Both Christianity and Judaism rest on its inspired revelations.

The primary names of Deity . Jehovah, Elohim, and Adonai . and five of the most important

compound names occur in the opening book of the Pentateuch. Its content initiates the program

of progressive self-revelation of God culminating in the Messiah-Christ Who is at the center of

all subsequent revelations.

  Next a brief description of the content of each book of Pentateuch follows.