Question

True or False

While the time of writing for the book of Job is uncertain, internal evidence points to a time before the Mosaic law.

Answer 1

The Book of Job is considered to have been written before the Mosaic law based on internal evidence such as the lack of references to the Law of Moses, ancient idioms, and personal names typical of the second millennium BCE.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that internal evidence points to the Book of Job being written before the Mosaic law is considered true. The lack of direct references to the Law of Moses, the priestly rituals, and the centralization of worship in Jerusalem, which were all prominent after the Mosaic law was given, suggests that the Book of Job may have been written in an earlier time period. Additionally, the Book of Job contains numerous ancient idioms and personal names that are typical of the second millennium BCE, further pointing to its antiquity. The exact date of authorship is uncertain, but the internal characteristics of the text suggest a composition date that precedes the codification of the Mosaic law as documented in later biblical texts such as Deuteronomy, which was compiled around 621 BCE during King Josiah's reforms.