Chapter 8. Of The Authorship Of The Pentateuch
(1) In the former chapter we treated of the foundations and principles of Scriptural
knowledge, and showed that it consists solely in a trustworthy history of the sacred
writings; such a history, in spite of its indispensability, the ancients neglected, or at any
rate, whatever they may have written or handed down has perished in the lapse of time,
consequently the groundwork for such an investigation is to a great extent, cut from
under us. (2) This might be put up with if succeeding generations had confined
themselves within the limits of truth, and had handed down conscientiously what few
particulars they had received or discovered without any additions from their own brains:
as it is, the history of the Bible is not so much imperfect as untrustworthy: the
foundations are not only too scanty for building upon, but are also unsound. (3) It is part
of my purpose to remedy these defects, and to remove common theological prejudices.
(4) But I fear that I am attempting my task too late, for men have arrived at the pitch of
not suffering contradiction, but defending obstinately whatever they have adopted under
the name of religion. (5) So widely have these prejudices taken possession of men's
minds, that very few, comparatively speaking, will listen to reason. (6) However, I will
make the attempt, and spare no efforts, for there is no positive reason for despairing of
success.
(7) In order to treat the subject methodically, I will begin with the received opinions
concerning the true authors of the sacred books, and in the first place, speak of the author
of the Pentateuch, who is almost universally supposed to have been Moses. (8) The
Pharisees are so firmly convinced of his identity, that they account as a heretic anyone
who differs from them on the subject. (9) Wherefore, Aben Ezra, a man of enlightened
intelligence, and no small learning, who was the first, so far as I know, to treat of this
opinion, dared not express his meaning openly, but confined himself to dark hints which I
shall not scruple to elucidate, thus throwing, full light on the subject.
(10) The words of Aben Ezra which occur in his commentary on Deuteronomy are as
follows: "Beyond Jordan, &c . . . If so be that thou understandest the mystery of the
twelve . . . moreover Moses wrote the law . . . The Canaanite was then in the land . . . . it
shall be revealed on the mount of God . . . . then also behold his bed, his iron bed, then
shalt thou know the truth." (11) In these few words he hints, and also shows that it was
not Moses who wrote the Pentateuch, but someone who lived long after him, and further,
that the book which Moses wrote was something different from any now extant.
(12) To prove this, I say, he draws attention to the facts:
(13) 1. That the preface to Deuteronomy could not have been written by Moses, inasmuch
as he ad never crossed the Jordan.
(14) II. That the whole book of Moses was written at full length on the circumference of a
single altar (Deut. xxvii, and Josh. viii:37), which altar, according to the Rabbis,
consisted of only twelve stones: therefore the book of Moses must have been of far less
