Milgrom-Then YHWH spoke to Moses

Posted on February 24, 2014 by jamesbradfordpate

theoutwardquest

I have begun reading Jacob Milgrom’s Leviticus (Continental Commentary).

Over and over again throughout Leviticus, the statement that YHWH spoke to Moses recurs. Now there are overwhelming arguments that the historical figure, Moses, did not personally compose Leviticus.  Yet the book repeatedly claims to be revelation:  God spoke.  Additionally this relates to a historical revelation to Moses.

This gives Milgrom the opportunity to set out what revelation means.  There are those who seem to find it obvious that for the Bible to be revelation, God must have dictated every word. Yet, when you read the Bible, that does not seem to be what happened.  So Milgrom has an introduction where he asks “Can critical scholarship believe in the Mosaic origins of the Torah?”

His answer is yes.  He claims that Leviticus is about values and that the values are based on a revelation to Moses.  This allows him to admit…

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About jamesbradfordpate

My name is James Pate. This blog is about my journey. I read books. I watch movies and TV shows. I go to church. I try to find meaning. And, when I can’t do that, I just talk about stuff that I find interesting. I have degrees in fields of religious studies. I have an M.Phil. in the History of Biblical Interpretation from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio. I also have an M.A. in Hebrew Bible from Jewish Theological Seminary, an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School, and a B.A. from DePauw University.
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