留学生Essay写作—关于马赛克作者的传统分析

http:/www.amazessay.com/ 留学生论文专业定制代写网站留学生Essay写作关于马赛克作者的传统分析IntroductionThe Christian Holy Bible is not one book,but a library of sixty six books recorded over many centuries.Within its pages are literary genres that include Law,History,Wisdom,Poetry,Gospel,Epistles,Prophecy,and Apocalyptic Literature.The Bible can be likened to other literature in that it is made up of many types or kinds of language,however it can distinguish itself from other books known to man,in that it claims to be a written revelation of mans creator.1The Bible as used in Christianity is made up of the Old and New Testaments,these are combined and intended to compliment each other and form the canon of the Christian church.It is the first five books of the Bible and their authorship that will be of concern to this thesis.The first five books of the Bible include Genesis,Exodus,Numbers, Leviticus,and Deuteronomy.These volumes narrate the story of Israel from the creation of the world through the period of the flood and the patriarchs,to the Exodus from Egypt,wanderings in the desert,and the giving of the law at Sinai.The books conclude with Mosesfarewell to the people of Israel.2McDowell and Stewart(1980)assert that, Christianity believes and teaches that the Bible alone is the revealedword of God”, it is an anthology composed of His words and deeds;and as a result views itself asGods word'3.McDowell emphasises that evidence for this claim can be found within the Bible itself,he quotes directly from scriptures such as;2 Peter 1:214and uses clauses like,“And God spoke to Moses”,as suggested evidence to back up the Bibles claim.5The first five books are known by several pseudonyms,some more common than others and often dependent on the religion one follows.Expressions include;the Pentateuch,the Five Books of Moses,the Torah and the Book of the Lawfor the purpose of this thesis the scriptures will be referred to asThe Pentateuch.The contents of the Pentateuch can be seen as a partly historical,legal and narrative portrayal;the five books cover the history of thechosen peoplefrom chronicles concerning the creation of the world to the death of Moses and also enlighten us with the civil and religious legislation of the Israelites during the life of their great lawgiver.6This literary account is also a storya story that conveys the history of Israel. Pfeiffer(1957)describes the Old Testament as,the meagre surviving portion of the literature of the Israelites.7Therefore the authorship of these works,the time and manner of their origin and historicity are of great importance;the belief of Mosaic authorship or lack of it can affect the building blocks on which religion itself is structured.The books are not just of fundamental importance to one religion but have recognition in othersChristians put their faith in both the Old and New Testaments;whilst Judaism holds the first five books of the Old Testament as the most important division of their Hebrew canon.8Although Islam believes the Quran is Gods last word to the world;it considers the Old and New testaments to also be divinely inspired.9The aim,therefore of this dissertation is to provide a critical analysis of traditions that surround Mosaic authorship.It will discuss the debate from its infancy and will pass through,albeit briefly,three centuries, culminating in its relevance and status in the modern world.This work is not an attempt toproveor indeeddisproveMosaic authorship,it is however an endeavour to take a glimpse into the dispute whilst attempting to understand its relevance in an historical,biblical and theological context.This work does not intend to uncover or discover new knowledge per se,but intends to discuss contemporary contributions and hypothesis.Sources to be used and accessed will include primary and secondary sources such as the Bible,journal articles and a myriad of published works scholarly, religious and secular in nature.A historical survey will include a review of relevant literature,some of which is dated,but still relevant in placing the debate in an historical setting.Much of the literature and indeed the hypotheses surrounding Mosaic authorship tend to remain in scholarly and academic distribution,it is within these circles that the primary interest has remained.As we shall see,scriptural translations have been proven to be less than exact and it is this that provides the background for the continuing debate.Abreakthroughin authorship identity was put forward in the eighteenth century and came to be known as the Documentary Hypothesis.This hypothesis was and is however,simply a theory of evolution not of man,but of mans recorded dealings with God.10Chapter 1Mosaic Authorship called into questionHistorical SurveyHistory recognizes that there were a few problems with the traditional view of Moses as author.Walton and Hill(2000)explain that although the early church fathers ch