Canonical Version
For many centuries it has been believed that the first five books of the Old Testament were written by the prophet Moses. However, only one of them (the fifth book, Deuteronomy) is written in the first person. Most likely, the canonical claim of Mosaic authorship of all five books developed gradually. Initially, it referred only to Deuteronomy, and then it was extended to all five books, despite the fact that the first four are written in the third person and contain no direct claim that they were written by Moses.
Today, the hypothesis of Mosaic authorship of the entire Pentateuch is supported by believers, theologians, and those for whom the Bible is not merely a book but the direct word of God.
Scholarly Hypotheses
Since the Middle Ages, biblical commentators have criticized the idea of Mosaic authorship. They noticed numerous problematic passages in the books, which indicated that:
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The Pentateuch could not have been written by one person, because it contains too many contradictions, duplicate stories, and variations in phraseology.
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It could not have been written in the desert, but rather in Palestine, where the Israelites had already lived for some time.
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It could not have been written during the time of Moses, since it contains hints that a long period had passed between Moses’ era and the time of writing.
