The Pentateuch, or what came to be known as the Torah or the Book of the Law, is regarded as the most authoritative and highly inspired of all the Old Testament writings, in large part because these books contain the laws given to the Israelites by Yahweh. These laws, like the source from which they are derived, were eternal and would forever remain the standard by which people's conduct would be judged. Because Moses has long been recognized as the great lawgiver who transmitted the words of Yahweh to the people of Israel, it seemed appropriate to attribute the writing of all the law books to him. Actually, we know from the contents of the Old Testament itself that the concept of divine law and its application to the problems and situations that occurred in Hebrew history was a developmental process that took place over a long period of time. Attributing all of these laws to Moses was not meant to deceive the people but rather was a device used to indicate the eternal character of the laws and a continuation of the spirit and purpose of Moses' work. Then, too, the laws constitute the basis upon which the covenant relationship between Yahweh and the Hebrew people was established. The significance of the covenant idea in the Old Testament can scarcely be overestimated. The prophets constantly make reference to it by insisting that the fate of Israel will always be determined by the extent to which its people are faithful or unfaithful to the obligations placed upon them by the covenant.
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