Study Description: In Judeo-Christian tradition, Moses is believed to have authored the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. This is supported by over two-dozen passages in both the Old and New Testament that explicitly speak of Moses writing, as well as numerous references to the book of the Law of Moses. But many scholars from the religious and archaeological worlds disagree through their interpretation of the available evidence. Inspired by Thinking Man Films The Moses Controversy, this seven-day study offers a unique glimpse into the origins of the written Word of God. See Patterns of Evidence: The Moses Controversy, a special Fathom Event in theaters March 14, 16, and 19. Get your tickets today at PatternsOfEvidence.com/Moses.
Day 1 Within filmmaker Timothy Mahoney s second decade of exhaustive research regarding Moses and the Book of Exodus in the Bible, he has discovered yet another incredible connection between the archaeological and the theological world. Scholars in both arenas have strong disagreements about the origin and authenticity of Moses writing to the point that many refute him as the author. Here s the key question: If God had Moses write down His words and the Israelites could read and comprehend the message, what language did they use and where did it come from? And then two even broader questions arise: Who was the originator of the alphabet we still use today and was there an even greater motive for why it was developed and distributed among the nations? Read Exodus 34:27-29. Communication in our world has always been predominantly from two sources: verbal and written. Of course, the ability to speak and listen came first, but once the capacity to write and read a common language was available, the inscribed word forever became a part of mankind s way of life. Information could be documented in the present to allow the past to impact the future. Writing forever altered history. Whether a message was etched on a cave wall or penned on a parchment, vital communication could pass from one generation to the next. The Bible is full of recorded eyewitness accounts of God s interaction with humankind. In today s passage, God was speaking verbally to Moses while also instructing him to write down these words in accordance with these words, referring to His spoken words being inscribed on a tablet for the people to read as evidence of His presence. If we are going to accept that the Bible s accounts are actual reality and history, then we must also believe Moses was able to use a written language that God gave and the people could understand. Throughout Scripture, we see God prompt writers to record: Moments in a chronological timeline of actual people (Ex.: Genesis 17:1-2) Specific geographical locations (Ex.: Genesis 18:1) Recorded cycles of the calendar connected directly to events (Ex.: Exodus 19:1-3) Remembrances of known experiences and personal evidence (Ex.: Deuteronomy 4:9) These four aspects of the Bible s language differentiate Scripture from all other religions and belief systems throughout history. All are intended to provide evidence of a direct connection from God to human events and consistent engagement with the world s timeline. Just as Isaiah stated: Immanuel God with us. Therefore, our personal view of God s Word is crucial to our spiritual lives. We clearly see how those who distance themselves from Scripture after questioning its authenticity also often begin to lose faith in God. While those who decide to trust that God has indeed spoken in His Word seem to grow in relationship with Him as well as mature in their faith. When you pray, are you honest with God about your doubts and questions regarding your own belief? He already knows your struggles, so simply tell Him.
Day 2 Throughout history, all known Torah scrolls were written in Hebrew, the language of the Israelites. One reason mainstream scholars doubt that Moses could write the Torah is that they say there was no form of writing like Hebrew in existence at the time of the Exodus. So to establish the possibility that Moses could have written the first books of the Bible, Tim Mahoney would have to identify a writing system that the Old Testament patriarch could have used that had these components: Exist by the time of the Exodus when the Bible says Moses was alive and writing the early books Available in the region where the Bible places Moses and the Israelites in the centuries before the Exodus Need to be a form of writing like Hebrew that Moses could have used to write the Torah as the language of the early Israelites Establishing patterns is a powerful tool in research because they demonstrate a sequence of information and a sequence is much stronger than random, unrelated pieces of data. Tim Mahoney had learned that to find a pattern in history, you need all the pieces to fit together. Read Deuteronomy 6:5-9. In our culture today the word Bible brings a variety of images and ideas to people s minds. From personal condemnation to public controversy, from accusations of fairytales to certainty of facts, from a history book to Heaven-sent promises, people tend to have preconceived opinions based on everything from family background to personal experiences. But the overriding question is why does one single book consistently create such a stir among humanity over thousands of years, generation after generation? One obvious answer is that no other book claims to tell us Who God is and how to get to Heaven while also giving advice on living wisely as well as personal promises, all in His own words. Yet for centuries, people have declared the Bible to be only a book of: Questionable recorded history Myths and spiritual fables passed down Traditional teachings by clergy Archaic and out-dated laws and commands from the religious, for the religious So, does what anyone else says about the Bible really matter for your life? If others, even experts, claim that Scripture is all lies or one hundred percent true, the real question that remains is what do you personally believe about this book? Is Scripture true to you and for you? In every generation, there are those who simply care nothing about the Bible and would never even consider reading its pages, much less apply the words to their lives. Then there are those who make their life mission to loudly declare the Bible to be a book of lies and deception. There are also many people that believe the Bible is not the Word of God, but still respect it as a sacred text with valuable counsel for life. Last, there are people that believe, read, understand, and live according to its Words. Today s passage is God telling His people to daily integrate His words into every aspect of their lives. These verses encourage us to allow Him to influence and impact our actions from morning to night, from our homes to our influence in the community. But of course, our personal level of belief in His Word will directly impact our choice of whether to take action in what God tells us to do in passages like Deuteronomy 6. What aspects of today s verses describe your personal commitment to Scripture and which ones are challenging?
Day 3 The hieroglyphics used in Egypt had symbols for entire words, syllables, sounds, and even cues determining categories of meaning, such as whether a symbol was referring to a city or a waterway. Tim Mahoney could see how these would be hard to learn and use. In contrast, the alphabet was based entirely on the sounds for which each letter stood and writing became simple enough for common people to learn. This greatly simplified things by being entirely phonetic and also providing the ability to write out thoughts and ideas. Hieroglyphs were specially designed to be artistically used on grandiose monuments, not on scrolls. Writing the Book of Exodus or the Book of Genesis would take far less room to write using an alphabet. This would revolutionize history because, with only a handful of letters, it was powerful enough to express an infinite number of words for any idea on every page of every book in every library. And when Tim examined the relationship between the Bible and the alphabet through history, he found that no other book in the world was translated into more languages or printed into more copies than the Bible. Read Joshua 8:30-35. Today s passage is quite clear that what Moses had written from God was read aloud by Joshua and understood by all the people. In only six verses, we have an account of a common language written, read, and comprehended, all for the purpose of educating and encouraging God s people to follow His instructions for their blessing, favor, provision, and protection. This same Word is available to us today for the very same purpose. Here are four facts to consider about Scripture: Over 1500 years, forty authors are responsible for the sixty-six books of the Bible. Scribes originally penned the words onto large parchments contained in heavy scrolls. To maintain accuracy in the copies that were originally created, when a page was completed the copy was placed onto an original and if the center word on the page did not match up exactly, the copy page was burned and the scribe would begin again. Only four hundred words in the New Testament are in question regarding their original composition, which creates a 99.9% accuracy rate. But none of those words relate to actual doctrine. Twenty-four thousand known copies of the original New Testament are still in existence today, with the oldest copy being only one hundred years from the original. Many other known ancient texts span up to five hundred years from the original to the oldest copy, allowing for more potential deviation. Wycliffe Bible Translators provide these facts about the current availability of Scripture around the world: Approximately 550 languages have the complete translated Bible. Approximately 1,300 languages have access to the New Testament and some portions of Scripture in their language. Approximately 2,300 languages across 130 countries have active translation and linguistic development work being done today. If the Bible was just a humanly inspired book, then why do you suppose in its formative years, it was so meticulously handled with such careful oversight and artistry? Even today, what other book is under constant translation in multiple languages with people dedicating many years of their lives to this painstaking work? With the understanding that the original authors and scribes took such great care for the perfection of the text to be passed on accurately, how then might you better respect and revere your own Bible?
Day 4 For many years a popular claim in school textbooks has been that the Phoenicians invented the alphabet. Some scholars that Tim Mahoney interviewed believe that these people only standardized the early alphabetic writing system and that Semites actually invented it centuries earlier. The potential of this writing being in existence by the time of the Exodus and in the region of Egypt could have provided the tool needed for Moses to write the early books of the Bible. Others point to evidence that this Semitic writing might actually be Hebrew. If that were true, it would mean that Moses would have written directly in Hebrew, the language of all known Torah scrolls. And not only that, if it was Hebrew, this would show that the source of the script, the first alphabet, was the Israelites. Read Deuteronomy 32:45-48. So what if the Bible is actually God s life-giving Word provided to humanity, through humanity, and for humanity. Over the next two days, we will look at four alliterate words that encompass much of the Bible s focus in communicating to us. Prophecy The Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy states there are 1,239 prophecies in the Old Testament and 578 in the New Testament encompassing 8,352 verses. While we find theologians differing on the actual number of prophecies that Christ fulfilled, all agree there are direct and exact connections to a majority. Two great examples are those foretelling Jesus birth, Isaiah 7:14, and His death, Psalm 22:14-18. Most theologians believe the Isaiah prophecy was about 700 years before Christ s birth. Verses such as this explain why people were watching and waiting for the Messiah. The Psalms verses were written approximately 1,000 years prior to Christ s birth, before crucifixion was even practiced. The details of Jesus on the cross are very clear. God used His Word through these many connections throughout history to prove to us He is not only real but that His Son is Who He said He is. Precepts If God created us, then He would also know the best way to live life. His Word is filled with precepts, commands, and laws to instruct and protect us. In Matthew 22:35-39, when Jesus was questioned by a religious official about God s precepts, knowing the Pharisees were trying to trap him by His own words, He simply summed up all of God s laws (paraphrasing): Love God first, then love others as yourself. When we look deeper into God s precepts, we can also see His values. We find His heart for us in His laws. For example, if we value Him above all else in life, we will never want anything else to take His place. If we value life the way He does, we will not murder. If we believe in the sanctity of marriage, we will never harm anyone else s and focus on our own. If we are grateful for all God gives us, we will not want what our neighbors have. Considering God s prophecies and precepts, what are some ways you have seen His love and care for you through your interaction with His Word?
Day 5 The detailed connection between Egyptian hieroglyphs and the oldest alphabet appears to be that the letters were formed from twenty-two of the hieroglyphic signs. One example is the hieroglyph showing a wave of water. For Hebrews, water was mayim so they saw the wave of water, pronounced mayim, and sounded like muh, our modern pronunciation for the letter M. The family tree for the beginning of the alphabet starts with the Proto-Sinaitic script, which when found in Canaan is called Proto-Canaanite. Then the alphabet was believed to have developed into Phoenician hundreds of years later. Tim Mahoney s pattern for the potential that Moses used the first alphabet in his original writings for the Torah was slowly emerging. Read Psalm 1:1-3. Today s passage provides a powerful promise to the life of one who walks in, delights in, and meditates on God s Word to abide by His principles. We continue with the other two P s related to specific ways God s Word communicates to us. Principles Because God is perfect, then His laws have foundational principles as the catalyst for their purpose. While we often get hung up on rules because of our desire to control, God has commandments to govern our lives and offer us the best life possible. Let s look at two of God s ten laws one about Him and one about us to find the principle. Exodus 20:3 states, You shall have no other gods before me. Many read this verse and believe God to be power-hungry and self-centered, but when we take today s focal passage into consideration of what He promises to provide us when we are obedient, having no other gods makes total sense. God knows anyone or anything we try to follow will lead us down the wrong path. We were created by Him and for Him, so therefore He is our only true God. Next, Exodus 20:13 states You shall not murder. The act of murder is to hate someone to the point of death. Murder is permanently taking over the authority of someone s life, which we were never meant to have. Obviously, killing a person is the ultimate de-valuing of life. We know God created us to love each other. A perfect God has perfect principles solid and wise reasons behind every precept. Promises From prophecy to precepts to principles, we get to the one we tend to like the most God s promises for us. While there are literally hundreds found throughout Scripture, Isaiah 40:31, Isaiah 41:13, Jeremiah 29:11, and Matthew 28:20 are a few well-quoted and familiar examples. As Creator and Sustainer of life, as well as being a perfect Father, God makes us promises of what He will accomplish in us and for us. At the same time, because of allowing free will, He also gives us the choice to deny or ignore His promises and our obedience to Him. What are some ways that God s principles interact and impact His promises? What is your favorite promise found in Scripture from God?
Day 6 One of the earliest Jewish historians around 150 BC, Eupolemus, in his book titled On the Kings of Judea wrote: Moses was the first wise man, and the first that imparted grammar to the Jews, the Phoenicians received it from the Jews, and the Greeks from the Phoenicians. So the larger question became: Could Moses have been the wise man that wrote the Book of Exodus as an eyewitness account? Is the Proto-Sinaitic script the earliest form of Hebrew? After interviewing a number of scholars, Tim Mahoney saw the possibility that the Proto-Siniatic script was merely Hebrew 1.0 that was later picked up by their neighbors, the Phoenicians, as Hebrew 2.0 before spreading throughout the region to later become Hebrew 3.0. The final challenge would be to see if the history of this first alphabet matched the history of the Israelites. Read Hebrews 4:12. There was a day when the idea of every family, let alone every Christian, owning their own Bible would have been unthinkable. In the mid-1400s, Johann Gutenberg had developed the first method of mass-produced printing. He printed the Bible on six presses with 42 lines per page. Approximately 200 copies were completed with the letters resembling the style of the scribes who had always created copies in the past. By the late 1400s, every European country had at least one printing press. This soon allowed the Bible to be the most printed book and copies were made available for the first time to people outside of just scholars and monks. Over time, the Bible became available to all English-speaking people. Fast-forward to today where Bibles sit on shelves in countless western culture homes, especially in America. In 2010, Religion Today reported that if you stacked all the Bibles in American homes on top of each other, they would rise to 29 million feet nearly 1,000 times the height of Mount Everest. According to the Barna Group, more than 90 percent of American households own a Bible and the average family owns three. Today, 1.5 billion Gideon Bibles are in hotel rooms. Year after year, the Bible outsells any other title, regardless of the state of the economy. But we all know that simply owning a book or having it sit in our homes does not change anything. What might happen if everyone in America agreed to just live by the principles of the Bible, even if they didn t believe in God, Jesus, or Heaven? Could things be changed in our nation? Simply by people applying the truth of Scripture? But if God s Word is alive and active as today s passage states; if it is truly God s Word to mankind able to judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart, this could revolutionize anyone who reads and applies its truth. Even if everyone in the nation, your city, community, and neighborhood adjusted their lives to the Bible, this would still not change you. The only way you will transform is to decide for yourself that His Word is the foundation for your own life and future. Then you can impact anyone and everyone by the life you lead. What is one way you can commit to allowing God s Word to be more alive in your own heart?
Day 7 One hypothesis that began to arise in Tim Mahoney s investigation was the possibility that Joseph may have been the original creator of the alphabet, taking the familiar hieroglyphs and creating a simple, transferable writing system. As the Vizier of Egypt, he was the most important man after the Pharaoh. With the credentials the Bible makes clear he had, what better person to invent the Hebrew alphabet than the one who was familiar with the hieroglyphics, knew the Semitic people, and was administrator of a nation that affected the known world. And if Joseph did invent this method of writing the Semitic language as a script, Moses would have easily learned it, becoming the form of writing he would use for the narrative of the Exodus journey. Some experts also note that these types of inscriptions end in Egypt around the time of the Exodus, and are never seen there again. However, inscriptions in the Proto-Sinaitic style do show up afterwards in Canaan. This matches the Bible s account of the Israelites, who grew into a nation in Egypt and later moved to Canaan, conquering the Promised Land. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The idea that God s Spirit is forever connected to His Word to teach, correct, prepare, and equip us in this life makes the Bible the most unique book in history, from the first words written by Moses to today. Imagine for a moment walking through a library and being drawn to a specific book among the thousands there. After you take it from the shelf and open the pages, a man appears beside you and asks, Are you interested in this book? You nod yes. He then asks, Well, what if you could read it with the author sitting beside you to answer every question and explain each truth found inside? Again, you agree. He then offers, I m the author, so each time you open the pages, I will be there to guide and help you. If you believe the Bible tells the story of God connecting with humanity, then your story can be found in the pages as well. Not your actual name, but in the we s, ours, and yours, and terms like children of God. Consider this: Every day, our mailboxes have junk mail; Advertisements and offers trying to sell us something. The words are not personal, not written just to us, but to anyone who opens the envelope. So we toss them out because they aren t meaningful or personal. This is how a lot of people see the Bible, like reading junk mail. But what if you get an envelope in the mail, hand addressed to you? You open it to find a love letter. The words are deeply personal about only you, telling what you mean to the author and how much the person loves you. That s exactly why most people read and re-read love letters. If the Bible is from God about your life, then that s how you can see the Bible God s love letter to you, about you, and for you. But love letters are only meaningful if you truly believe the words written by the sender. And they re the most special when you return the love to whoever wrote you. So what do you believe about the Bible? Just stories or your story? Junk mail or love letter? God in His great grace allows you to decide if the words of today s verses apply to your life or not.