Expert: Sal - 12/12/2006

Question
There are a couple theories on how the first books like Genesis etc were written (and where it came from) What's the general Catholic outlook on where these stories came from? Was the message from God to Moses, or just campfire type stories found by Moses or some other theory?

About the theory that God spoke to Moses.. I wanted to ask, does that imply not face to face, but just God's voice or a message through an Angel of God?

What about God inscribing the Ten Commandments on the tablets, Did Moses according to tradition, see them written by God?

Answer
Dear Jenn:

There are two major theories concerning who wrote the first 5 books of the Bible. The first one is that Moses wrote them. The second is that 4 different authors wrote them and they were put together. This is the JEDP theory (aka the Documentary theory). This theory holds that passages can be seen to have been written by different people because of the words they use. The J is for Yahewist (this is a German theory and their Y is a J). This author uses YHWH for the name of God. The E is for Elohimist. He uses El or Elohim for God. The P is for priestly source. He is very concerned with sacrifices and genealogies. The D is for Deuteronomist. He wrote differently then the others. He wrote of a slightly different version of the exodus and giving of the Ten Commandments.

Moses did not actually see God face to face. After speaking with God Moses asked to see His face and God does not allow it (Exodus 33:20-23). God spoke to Moses out of a cloud. Both Exodus 33:11 & Deuteronomy 34:10 speak of Moses meeting with God “face to face”. This means that they were meeting as close friends not that Moses actually saw God’s face.

The stories of God writing on the tablets of stone do not indicate that Moses saw God write the Ten Commandments. Rather it seems that God gave Moses the already written commandments (see Exodus 31:18 & Deuteronomy 9:10).

God Bless You,
Sal