Book Review:

The Book: Origin and Character of the Bible, 6e,The Beacon Press (1924).

The Author: Jabez Thomas Sunderland (1842-1936) was a Unitarian minister and
reformer.

The book is composed of twenty-seven chapters, and it discusses a multitude of

topics related to the origin and character of the Bible.

Chapter V carries this title: “The Pentateuch: Was It Written by Moses?”

The Author’s answer is a firm “No”. He further asserts that the idea that ‘Moses was
the author of the Pentateuch’ is simply a tradition, and a late one at that, having no
historic basis.

Next, the Author analyzes each book in the Old Testament and in the New
Testament examining the book’s character and its origin. On the Pentateuch’s
character and real origin, the Author summarizes the issues that are now settled: that
the work is composite, and that it is made up in large part of different "documents"
(the J, E, D, and P documents.)

The Pentateuch contains the history of the Israelite people. But as we go back in time,
historical data starts to mingle with legends and myth until all the stories about
ancient times become pure myths and legends.

The Author discusses the formation of the Canon: the Old Testament Canon and the
New Testament Canon. The formation of the Hebrew Canon was a slow and gradual
process, but it was a relatively straightforward.

The process of the formation of the New Testament Canon, however, was cruel and
painful. The age which produced the New Testament Canon was an imperfect age
that was bound to produce an imperfect outcome. The attempt to develop a New
Testament Canon started early at the Council of Laodicea (363 C.E.) but this process
was not finalized until the relatively modern Council of Trent that was held from
1545 to 1563.

Finally, we come to the important question: “Is the Bible infallible?”

The Author’s conclusion is that the Bible is not infallible because it contains several
things that are impossible to reconcile with the theory of Infallibility:

1. The Doctrine of Infallibility not Found in the Bible. The Bible itself does not
claim to be free from error.
2. Contradictions in the Bible. Both Testaments contain numerous
contradictions.
3. Different Forms of the Ten Commandments. Every careful student of the
Bible knows that the Ten Commandments are given not only in three
different places in the Old Testament, but in two different forms so different,
that one cannot possibly be identified with the other.
4. Things Absurd. The Bible contains many things intrinsically absurd.
5. Historical Mistakes. The Bible contains accounts and statements not
historically correct.
6. Scientific Errors.
7. Exaggerations. The Bible contains evident exaggerations.
8. Childish Representations of God. The Bible contains representations of God
which, in the light of such teachings as those of Jesus, we cannot do otherwise
than regard as childish.
9. Morally Degrading Representations of God. No candid reader of the Bible
can deny that it contains representations of God according to which he is not
a morally perfect being.
10. Inculcation of what is Wrong. There are many places where the Old
Testament both directly and indirectly not only sanctions but inculcates what
is wrong.