The Pentateuch, also known as the Torah and the Book of the Law of God (or the Laws for short), are the grouping of the first five books of the Old Testament in the Bible. This first division of the Bible contains a historical analysis of the origin of the world and of the Israel and the laws which God has set for them. All five books were written by Moses in Hebrew,[1] which were divinely inspired by God. The Pentateuch contains the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Pentateuch tells the origins of history starting with the Creation, and ending with Moses' death.
The word Pentateuch means "five scrolls," and since ancient times has been used for the first five books of the Bible. The word Torah means "Law." Jesus himself affirms the division used by the ancient Jews: The Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.[2]
A majority of these fives books are regulatory laws and commands, hence the name laws. The books (primarily Genesis and Exodus) also contain large amounts [...]
Authorship[]
The flow of Genesis into Exodus demonstrates that both had the same author. Moses is told to write down God's word in Exodus.[3] Since it is clear that Moses wrote Exodus and all but the account of his own death (which was possible written by Joshua, though Moses could even have written that in advance), all five books were written by him. Also, the usage from Joshua's day on refers to all five books as "from Moses."[4]