Who wrote the Bible? AI uncovers 'fingerprints' that thwart a common belief

The Bible could have been written by multiple people, according to an analysis of the Old Testament. Using artificial intelligence, scientists have discovered various "fingerprints" in the Old Testament text, which suggests that more than one person contributed to it. The ancient religious text is full of stories and parables that are believed to have been written by Moses. Christians and Jews believe that the first five books of the Old Testament, including the most famous stories of Noah's flood and the Ark of the Covenant, were penned by Moses. However, scientists have now used AI to reveal that it does not seem likely that only one person wrote them. An analysis revealed different writing styles and a distinct vocabulary throughout the books. The tone changes over the course of the books, with several stories being repeated, hinting that multiple writers and sources contributed to the Bible. AI was used to analyse 50 chapters across five books, and it threw up various inconsistencies throughout the texts. Also Read: NASA discovery points to the exact date Jesus Christ was likely crucified

Did the Old Testament have multiple writers?

This is not the first time that the theory of multiple authors has been floated for the Old Testament. The idea was first put forward more than 200 years ago, but at that time, there was no way to cross-check the authenticity of the claims. Besides, it could have triggered religious debate, and hence, the multiple author theory was put in a box. Now, AI has brought back those theories, pushing ahead with the idea that Moses could not have solely written the Old Testament. Thomas Römer, a biblical expert from the Collège de France and co-author of the study, told The Times of Israel, "There are no authors of the Bible in the modern sense. The original versions of the scrolls were continuously reworked and rewritten by redactors who added, altered, and sometimes also omitted parts of the former texts." Also Read: Jesus Christ's body found? Scientist claims it is lying in a secret chamber under Great Pyramid

Story of Noah's flood was analysed

AI also studied patterns in word usage, word frequency, phrases and sentence structures. The study states that these characteristics carry subtle linguistic “fingerprints” which can reveal how many scribes could have been involved in penning the books. At least nine other biblical sections with disputed authorship were also analysed using AI. This includes Noah's flood, creation theory and the Ark of the Covenant. According to the Bible, the Ark of the Covenant was built by the Israelites after they fled Egypt around the 13th century BC. The Ten Commandments were then placed inside by Moses. The word usage in these chapters was analysed and broken down into three known styles, suggesting multiple authors were involved.

Moses is a central character in the 39 books of the Old Testament. It was written over 1000 years, starting roughly around 1400 BC and ending around 400 BC. They talk about the Messiah and his plans for salvation and the redemption of humanity. Several of the books carry passages pointing to Moses as the writer. Exodus 24:4 reads: "Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord". A passage in Deuteronomy 31:9 states, "Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests..." Moses is often mentioned in the books, which has led Jewish and Christian traditions to assume that he received word from God and wrote the books.