'When Abrahman heard that his brother was taken captive {by the army of a coalition of nations including Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar) he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.' Genesis 14:14.
The city of Dan was called Laish in the time of Abraham, long before the man Dan and his tribe existed. Dan was the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham.
The tribe of Dan conquered the city of Laish and called it Dan. The same question goes for the city of Ramasses (Gen 47:11) and in Ex 1:11. It is a later name for Avaris in the land of Goshen. Pi-Ramesses was a later city built by Ramasses II on the site. What is the explanation?
The city of Dan was called Laish in the time of Abraham, long before the man Dan and his tribe existed. Dan was the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham.
The tribe of Dan conquered the city of Laish and called it Dan. The same question goes for the city of Ramasses (Gen 47:11) and in Ex 1:11. It is a later name for Avaris in the land of Goshen. Pi-Ramesses was a later city built by Ramasses II on the site. What is the explanation?
It is the same as saying that the Romans in Britain had a legion in York. York did not exist then. It was known as Eboracum.
All the question is asking is who changed the names and updated the geography to modern recognisable names? The updates do not imply, and far less prove, that Moses did not write the Pentateuch or that the Romans did not invade Britain and have a fortress there because "York" did not exist at the time.
Who edited Moses and why? And under whose authority? Can anyone alter the texts? The answer to the last question is NO. There is a line of authority where responsibility for preserving the texts is passed on from generation to generation. New books are added to the canon under the supervision and imprimatur of the canon authority usually under the headship of a designated person.
It is often correctly pointed out that the last lines of Deut were probably added by Joshua who wrote the next book and was given authority as leader by Moses. How do we know?
It is often correctly pointed out that the last lines of Deut were probably added by Joshua who wrote the next book and was given authority as leader by Moses. How do we know?
Firstly the Pentateuch says so. The Hebrew Bible mentions later editors and canonisers.
There is also a document written by Hippolytus the Syriac Targumist who lists all the Canon Supervisors from Moses to Christ. The law, it says, was delivered by Moses son of Amram to Joshua son of Nun.
Fifty six Canon Supervisors are listed up to Joseph the Teacher. It includes Simeon the high priest 'who carried the Messiah in his arms' (Luke 2:25, known elsewhere as Simon Boethus). Simeon delivered it to Jehuda and Jehuda delivered it to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Zechariah delivered it to 'Joseph the Teacher of his tribe'.
Fifty six Canon Supervisors are listed up to Joseph the Teacher. It includes Simeon the high priest 'who carried the Messiah in his arms' (Luke 2:25, known elsewhere as Simon Boethus). Simeon delivered it to Jehuda and Jehuda delivered it to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Zechariah delivered it to 'Joseph the Teacher of his tribe'.
Technically the term Teacher refers to the Cohen haRosh (chief priest) who supervised the high priest (cohen haGadol) in his work and catechised the high priests. The NT uses the terms Tekton which is badly translated in Vulgate and Protestant version such as KJV as 'carpenter'! That is through the millennium-long influence of the RCC. (Geobbels and Soviet disinformation department of the KGB would have loved that amount of time to manage information!)
Tekton means technical expert. The NT also uses the term Master of the Holy House (Temple) oikodespotis. Jesus is called a Temple Teacher and so this Joseph the Teacher is most likely his father, Joseph. (Joseph of Heli or Elem in the Talmud, the Tosefta and Josephus).
As well as adding books to bring it up to the requisite 22 books corresponding to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, the Canon Supervisors could with their editorial council bring geographical terms up to date. For more on this see Ernest L Martin's Restoring the Original Bible.
For the answer to the question:
Who finalized the Hebrew Scriptures and then the Greek ones see my article at
Who finalized the Hebrew Scriptures and then the Greek ones see my article at
and Rome's fraud about the Bible canon at