Publisher's Synopsis
This book is a presentation of modern Biblical scholarship from both Christian sources and Hebrew University of Jerusalem sources, combined with some unique ideas from the author. The historical Moses is revealed as the author of most of the book of Deuteronomy. He led the newly formed nation of Israel out of Egypt to receive the Ten Commandments and continued on to the climax of his life: the making of the Covenant of Nebo, a covenant between God and Israel. The covenant appears today as some six chapters in the extant book of Deuteronomy and stresses: [1] the love of God that should be felt by Israel in its new homeland and [2] pure monotheism, the belief in one God without myths, miracles, magic, angels, or animal sacrifice. There was no animal sacrifice under the leadership of Moses. Following the death of Moses and Joshua, the religious behaviour of Israel changed significantly, with the new nation adopting two animal sacrificial cults: the Popular Cult and the Aaronite Cult. The scribes of these cults wrote the first four books of the Hebrew Bible. An isolated tribe of Levi preserved the writings [Torah] of Moses and they are found today in a somewhat edited form, in the extant book of Deuteronomy. The Levites, during the Judges period were not, generally, involved in the surrounding animal sacrificial activity. The religion of Israel did not evolve over the Biblical era, but degenerated after the death of Moses and Joshua. The first four books in the Hebrew Bible include significant expressions of this degeneration. A book like this has not been written in the last 2000 years. For the Jewish people who read this book, they will be stunned as to how they have been misled. For the Christians who read this book, they will begin to understand the roots of monotheism.
