Did Moses Exist? The Myth of the Israelite Lawgiver

637 Pages·2014·13.294 MB·English

by  D. M. Murdock, Acharya S

Did Moses Exist?
The Myth of the Israelite Lawgiver
D.M. Murdock
Stellar House Publishing
Seattle, Washington
StellarHousePublishing.com
ALSO BY D.M. MURDOCK a.k.a. ACHARYA S
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DID MOSES EXIST? THE MYTH OF THE ISRAELITE LAWGIVER
Copyright © 2014 by D.M. Murdock a.k.a. Acharya S
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever—electronic, mechanical,
photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without written permission except for brief quotations in
articles and reviews. For information, address Stellar House Publishing, LLC, 93 S. Jackson St., Ste.
57463, Seattle, WA 98104; www.stellarhousepublishing.com
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Murdock, D.M./Acharya S
Did Moses Exist? The Myth of the Israelite Lawgiver.
1. Moses—Historicity 2. Judaism—Origin
Includes bibliographical references and index
ISBN: 0-9799631-8-4
ISBN13: 978-0-9799631-8-6
Design and layout by D.M. Murdock; cover by Mark Chiacchira and D.M. Murdock; Kindle and EPUB
editions formatted by David Deley. Cover images (clockwise from upper left): Moses mosaic in the
Cathedral Basilica of St Louis; Michelangelo, Moses with horns, San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome;
cuneiform muš, Sumerian for “snake” or “serpent”; Hebrew text of Exodus verses; Hero
(Gilgamesh?) holding lion, palace of Sargon II at Khorsabad, 713-706 BCE; Epic of Gilgamesh in
cuneiform; Dionysus coin; Moses and the Burning Bush by Mark Chiacchira; Moses holding tablets
by José de Ribera (1591–1652).
Biblical quotes herein are from the Revised Standard Version or “RSV,” except where otherwise
noted. Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of
Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
The Book of Enoch and Talmud
Comparative Religion Suppressed
Meaningful Mythology
Primary Sources and Translations
Pioneering Scholarship
Modern Discoveries
Space Consideration
Unprecedented Access
Introduction
Greek Scriptural Knowledge?
Philo Judaeus of Alexandria
Mythological, Not Historical
The Mysterious Milieu of the Day
Many Lawgivers and Law Codes
Jewish and Pagan Syncretism
Major Crossing
Egypt and the Levant
Byblos
Osiris in Jerusalem
Differences Irrelevant
Biblical Special Pleading
Who Wrote the Pentateuch?
Mosaic Attribution
Anachronisms and Contradictions
Book of the Wars of the Lord
Moses’s Era
No Moses Before the Exile?
Divine Revelation and Authority
No Archaeological Evidence
Wellhausen and the Documentary Hypothesis
Exodus Composition
Earlier Folklore
The Book of the Law
Found or Fabricated?
Josiah’s Yahwism
Ezra’s Memories
Ancient Egyptian Words
Hebrew Emergence
Conclusion
Was Moses an Egyptian Pharaoh or Priest?
Exodus Date
Akhenaten the Monotheist?
Atenism
Hebrew Henotheism
Yahweh Supremacy
Great Hymn to Aten and Psalm 104
Thutmose II
Etymology of Moses
Pharaoh Thutmose III
King Tut
Ramesses I
Seti I
Ramesses II
Nectanebo II
A Priest of Aten?
Historical Fiction
Conclusion
The Exodus as History?
Nonbiblical References
Logistic Implausibility
Modern Gatherings Irrelevant
Geography and Archaeology
The Burning Bush
Rods to Serpents
Bricks without Straw
Elderly Leaders
The 10 Plagues
Unleavened Bread
Mass Communication
The Route of the Exodus
The Philistines
Pillars of Cloud and Fire
Parting the Red Sea?
Exodus Encampments?
Mt. Horeb and Mt. Sinai
Serabit el-Khadim
Gulf of Aqaba
Baal Zephon and Migdol
Water Sources
Heavenly Manna
29 Trillion Quails?
Tents or Booths?
Striking the Rock
The Amalekites and the Magic Rod
Judging According to What Statutes?
Priests before Priests?
The Ten Commandments
The Ark of the Covenant
Golden Calf
Magical Wood?
Cannibalism
Disposition of the Dead
Giants in the Promised Land
No Edomites
Holy Genocide
Time Compression
Canaanites and Amorites
Magical Clothes
Conquest of Canaan
Jericho
Apologies
Conclusion
The Exodus in Ancient Literature
Circular Reasoning
Song of the Sea
The Baal Cycle
The Deep and Other Allegories
Song of Moses
The Song of Deborah
Exodus in the Prophets
Absent Egyptian Record
The Ipuwer Papyrus
Amarna Letters
Conclusion
Hyksos and Lepers
Conquerors or Captives?
Religious Conflict?
History or Fiction?
Ahmose I
Jerusalem Founding
Hyksos as Greeks of Argos
Proto-Israelite Amorites
Osarseph and the Lepers
Syrians from Palestine
Antiochus IV
Lysimachus and Chaeremon
Tacitus on Jewish Origins
Flight of Saturn
Thieving Son of Joseph?
Conclusion
Who Were the Israelites?
El Prevails
Merneptah Stele
Hapiru
Shasu of Yhw
Yhw is Yahweh?
Early Israelite Religion
Conclusion
The Exodus as Myth
The Slaughter of Innocents
The Flight Archetype
The Great Mendes Stele
The Exodus from Egypt of Osiris
The Exodus of Jesus
Pagan Exoduses
Exodus as Midrash
Magical Rod
The 10 Plagues?
600,000 as a Mystical Number
Mythical Pillars
Parting and Crossing the Sea
Controlling the Waters
Storm and Sun God
Wandering the Wilderness
12 Wells and 70 Palms
Manna and Heavenly Bread
Water from a Rock
Forty Days, Nights and Years
The Many Arks
Covenants and Testaments
The Golden Calf Redux
Mythical Giants
Conclusion
The Lawgiver Archetype
The Hero’s Birth
Divine Legislators
Ur-Nammu
Menes/Manes, Manis and Mannus
Menu/Manu
Minos
Law Code/Tablets of Law
Pygmy Lawgiver
Conclusion
The Dionysus Connection
Early History
Sumerian Dionysus?
Dionysus in Literature
Homer
Hesiod
Homeric Hymns
Anacreon
Pindar
Herodotus
Orphic Hymns
Euripides
Aristophanes
Plato
Megasthenes
Artapanus
Apollodorus
Maccabees
Varro
Cicero
Diodorus
Horace
Ovid
Seneca
Pliny the Elder
Plutarch
Pausanias
Arrian
Justin Martyr
Lucian of Samosata
Clement of Alexandria
Polyaenus
Philostratus
Porphyry
Eusebius
Sepphoris Mosaics
Macrobius
Hermias
Nonnus
Sanford
Vossius
Bochart
Gale
Thomassin
Patrick
Danet
Huet
Voltaire
Edwards
Bell
Dupuis
Hort
Le Brun
Bellamy
Clarke
Higgins
Darlington
Taylor
Massey
Conclusion
The Life of Dionysus
Bacchic Attributes
God of Nysa
Drawn from the Nile
Mises
Twice-Born Grapevines
Marriage to Zipporah
Burning ‘Bush’
Land Flowing with Milk and Honey
Smiting Unbelievers
Passover, Vernal Equinox and Wilderness
Exodus into the Sea
Food of the Gods
Women Celebrating
Water Manifestation
Jehovahnissi
Dian-nisi, Great Judge of Heaven and Earth
‘Dog’ as Companion
Sun Standing Still
Conclusion
The Vine and Wine
Early History
Egypt’s Vineyards
Wine Goddesses
Greek Viniculture
Blood and Resurrection
Wine Epithets and Roles
Elixir of Love
Baal’s Cup
Sacred Drinking Banquet
Biblical Grape Reverence
Water to Wine
Ass and Foal
The Shoot of Jesse
Sacred Serpents
Conclusion
The Great God Sun
Shamash, Lord of the World
Semitic Sun Goddess
King, Shepherd and Raiser of the Dead
El the Canaanite High God
The God of Exodus?
Holy Mount of Elohim
Yahweh as El’s Son
El’s Wives Asherat and Anat