Here I posit that a group of corrupt priests in the bible known as the “Deuteronomists” falsified the scriptures in a self-serving way to fit into their own theology. The theory starts in 2 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 34, where we learn about how the priests discover a forgotten book of law which they use to restore the gospel. King Josiah – who was raised by the priests since the age of 8 and is 21 in the chapter – and so probably was never taught the trope of how the king’s advisors can deceive young and gullible monarchs – eagerly accepts this new book as scripture. Therefore, he implements the policies of the book (which conveniently help the cause of the priests): since the book forbids sacrifices outside of Jerusalem, king Josiah goes out and kills all Jewish priests outside Jerusalem (who would have been the competitors to the Jerusalem priests who “discovered”/made up the book) and defiles their sanctuaries with dead bodies (2 Kings 23:8–24). Many scholars believe that this book which was discovered is in fact the book of Deuteronomy – thus implying that much of Deuteronomy is has been faked or changed by these dishonest priests, and further implying that the Deuteronomists may have also altered many other Old Testament books.
Indeed, this theory is supported by recent scholarship which uses statistical methods to compare the book of Deuteronomy to other scriptures, showing that Deuteronomy appears to be more similar to later scriptures than older scriptures (Critical biblical studies via word frequency analysis: Unveiling text authorship (Golovin, Kipnis, et al.). This research is discussed more in Dead Sea Scroll Stylometry Proves The Bible Was Forged and the Book of Mormon is True.
Moreover, the ending of Deuteronomy sort of proves that it has been faked: According to Deuteronomy, Moses died and was buried (Deuteronomy 34:5–6). However, according to the Book of Mormon, Moses never died or was buried, since he was translated (Alma 45:19). This would therefore align with the Deuteronomistic world view that there is no afterlife. This all makes sense in light of the story of Moses and Elijah appearing on the mount of transfiguration – as a translated being, it makes sense for Elijah to be there – and accordingly, it would make sense for Moses to also be there if he was also translated.
According to the theory as described in this video, the original book of Deuteronomy was actually the Assumption of Moses. Interestingly, as shown in the video at 19:53, the Assumption of Moses is very similar to 1 Nephi 22 (saying several of the same things, despite both texts being short), thus implying that 1 Nephi 22 is actually just a quote from the original book of Deuteronomy (just like many chapters of Nephi are quotes from Isaiah).
Indeed, the content of the Assumption of Moses makes more sense as the last book of Moses: firstly, the Assumption of Moses is messianic (unlike Deuteronomy). And secondly, since Moses already wrote three books of law (Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers), it makes sense that his last book would not be just another book of law (as is the case for Deuteronomy) but would rather contain prophecies and his testimony – which is exactly what we see in the Assumption of Moses (and to note: why would the Deuteronomists reemphasize already discussed laws in Deuteronomy? Because they would have loved the idea of making the most important message from Moses be the importance of giving offerings to the priests). Finally, the other thing about the assumption of Moses is that it contains many prophecies about how the priests and leaders of the Jews would become corrupt, something I’m sure the priests would have wanted to keep secret from the people. Moreover, if we assume that 1 Nephi 22 completes the Assumption of Moses (the only manuscript that we have of the Assumption of Moses is missing the end), then the Assumption of Moses also discusses God’s covenant will move to the gentiles – again something the nationalistic Deuteronomists would have wanted to keep secret.
So, here is a list of the ways I believe the Deuteronomists altered the scriptures:
Forbidding Prophecy
Deuteronomy 13:1–5 tells us to put to death prophets and dreamers of dreams (like me), even if their prophecies come true. This scripture likely directly played a causal role in the Jews stoning the prophets.
- 2 Chronicles 24:20–22 – the Jews stoned the prophet Zechariah.
- Jeremiah 26:20–23 – the Jews killed the prophet Urijah.
- 1 Nephi 1:19-20, 1 Nephi 2:13 – the Jews tried to kill Lehi for being a prophet (note: Lehi would have lived at the same time as the Deuteronomists).
- Matthew 23:34–37 / Luke 11:49–51 — Jesus refers to “all the prophets slain from Abel to Zechariah” (likely including Zechariah in 2 Chronicles), highlighting a tradition of prophets being killed for speaking truth.
And just to note the obvious: the Deuteronomists would have wanted the people to kill the prophets because the prophets were often adversaries and competition with the priests.
Forbidding Further Scriptures
The book of Deuteronomy appears to say that there will not be any scriptures after Moses (Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32). Ironically, these scriptures also warn against changing the scriptures, which is presumably exactly what the Deuteronomists were doing. Again, the Deuteronomists would have wanted this because they didn’t like the idea of any prophets gaining spiritual authority to add new scriptures.
Forbidding Worship Outside of Jerusalem
According to Deut. 12:5-6, 11-14, 18-19, sacrifices can only be offered in Jerusalem, thus excluding offering animals on high places as had been tradition (because, as said, the Deuteronomists competed with sons of Levi in other cities). The outcome as seen in 2 Kings 23:8–24 was the following:
- King Josiah burns priests of Baal and other false gods and destroyed their holy places – perhaps a good thing.
- It also appears that he burnt true priests who resided outside of Jerusalem, defiled their altars by burning human bones upon them, and destroyed these high places – terrible.
- The chapter says that Josiah was the greatest king Israel ever had (verse 25) for his service to the lord. However, if this was such a revival, then why did Pharoah kill king Josiah and take over Israel afterwards, and then in the next chapter Israel goes into the Babylonian captivity?
And of course, this all appears false, given Lehi (from the Book of Mormon) immediately builds his own altar for sacrifices once he leaves Jerusalem, thus rejecting the priests’ exclusive right to offer sacrifices in the temple in Jerusalem (1 Nephi 2:7).
Material Blessings over Blessings in Heaven
The Book of Deuteronomy never mentions any sort of afterlife – rather it only speaks of the gospel in material terms: if we follow the law, we will be materially blessed (Deuteronomy 28:1–6), and if we break it, we will be materially cursed (Deuteronomy 28:15–68). Moreover, when we are told that the Lord is our life, it then also says that he is the “length of our days” (Deut. 30:19–20) – taking out our inheriting God’s kingdom in the afterlife and implying that our souls are not immortal. This is all because, as said, the Deuteronomists didn’t believe in an afterlife.
The Messiah as a Material Savior
Deut. 18:15–19 appears to be the only scripture in Deuteronomy to my knowledge that is about the Messiah. This verse supports the narrative that the Messiah will be a political leader who will save Israel materially, in that it A) speaks of him as a commander who people will be forced to obey, B) compares him to Moses – another material savior of Israel, C) doesn’t mention any sort of atonement, and D) speaks of him as only a prophet, rather than the son of God.
This goes against the book of Isaiah and the Book of Mormon – which both are very messianic texts – the implication being that the original Old Testament used to have many more prophecies of Christ before the Deuteronomists altered the texts.
Rule by Kings
The book of Deuteronomy implies that Israel should be ruled by kings (Deuteronomy 17:14–20, Deuteronomy 28:36) – which goes against what we are taught in the book of Mormon (Mosiah 23:7–8, Ether 6:22–27).
Other
People criticize Deuteronomy for overly focusing on monotheism to the exclusion of the messiah. They also say Deuteronomy forbids watching the stars too much (Deuteronomy 4:19), since other scriptures say we can get signs from God through the heavens (Genesis 1:14, Psalm 19:1–4, Joel 2:30–31, Luke 21:25–26, Isaiah 13:9–10, Abraham 3). I haven’t made up my mind about these criticisms yet – I understand the problem, but also can see why it would have been important in the context of ancient Israel to prevent polygamy/idol worship and the worshiping of the sun.
Moreover people have noted how Deuteronomy 4:6 defines following the law as wisdom – which seems to be topic on which Jesus Christ disagreed as seen in the following:
- Jesus’s many interactions where He angers the Pharisees by eating on the Sabbath.
- When He angered the Pharisees by plucking grain on the sabbath.
- Jesus’s discussion on how that which proceeds out of the mouth defiles a man rather than that which goes in the mouth.
- How He forgave the woman caught in adultery, rather than stoning her as per the law.
The Day of Atonement
In the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), one goat is cast out, while the other goat is sacrificed to atone for the people’s sins (Leviticus 16:5–10). This symbolizes how Satan was cast out of heaven, while Christ atones for our sins. The book of Deuteronomy doesn’t include the Day of Atonement in its great feasts – likely as part of the attempt to remove the messianic elements of Judaism.
Sacrifice of Isaac
One important element in the Bible that likely was forged by the Deuteronomists was the story of the sacrifice of Isaac – According to many apocryphal sources, the story of Isaac’s sacrifice was completely different: These sources say that when the Lord asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, this came with the promise that Isaac would be resurrected afterwards. This then proceeded to occur – Abraham really did sacrifice Isaac, and Isaac really did die, and then he later was resurrected. And just to note: according to apocryphal sources, Isaac knew he would be sacrificed the whole time and wanted to do it because he trusted he would be resurrected (which would have been important to him in his competition with his older brother Ishmael for the birthright), and at this time Isaac would have been in his 30s – so easily able to resist if that was his desire. However, the Deuteronomists removed all of this because they didn’t believe in any sort of afterlife or resurrection.
Indeed, to me this theory rings true, given how Genesis 22 contains inconsistencies which imply tampering: Firstly, the story reads as though Isaac never returns down from the mountain – thus implying that he really did die. Secondly, in the chapter the Lord says he will provide a lamb for sacrifice, however they end up actually discovering a Ram (which aligns with the Deuteronomist theology – Deuteronomists like rams over lambs, because rams were for trespass offerings rather than sin offerings – which aligned with their views since they didn’t accept the idea of a Messiah offering himself up for the sins of the world). And thirdly, at the beginning of the chapter Abraham is talking to God, while at the end he is talking to Lord, which is just a weird inconsistency.
Philosophically, to me it makes sense that God would have literally allowed Isaac to die. After all – God does have the power to resurrect people – having an angel stop the ritual only serves to imply that God can’t resurrect people, which would seem antithetical to God’s goals in teaching people the gospel, especially considering the future would hold a strong sect of Jews who don’t believe in the afterlife. This also aligns with James 2:21–23, which speaks of Abraham justifying himself through his work of sacrificing his son – it doesn’t say he justified himself by his willingness to sacrifice his son, but of his actual work in doing so.
The actual resurrection of Isaac also seems to complete the purpose of the story – which is that Isaac died in similitude to Christ dying for our sins, and Abraham took the role of God in that he was willing to offer his son up to be sacrificed (and as said, Isaac would have been in his early thirties, a similar age to Jesus). On a sidenote, Isaac fulfills parallels with Christ other ways too – for example Isaac’s birth was miraculous (since his mother was 90 years old at his birth) and prophesied by an angel, mirroring Christ’s birth. Moreover, the next reference to Isaac after his sacrifice happens in Genesis 24, when he marries Rebekah: Here Rebekah represents the saints who will be married to Christ in the wedding feast, and Isaac again represents Christ. Accordingly, Rebekah must act on faith when she chooses to marry Isaac despite never meeting him – just as we must act on faith in Christ despite never meeting him. And the story of Rebekah removing her veil when she marries Isaac represents how the veil will be lifted from us when we join the wedding supper of Christ – meaning our memories of the premortal life will return to us (these similarities between Isaac and Abraham are discussed more in The Secret Symbols of the Second Coming).
Overall, the above ideas largely come from Biggest Cover Up in the Bible (and How Joseph Smith Fixed It) – so see that video for a more in depth covering and substantiation of this theory.
Death
Many of the most violent scriptures in the Bible about utterly destroying or enslaving other peoples are found in the book of Deuteronomy. I suspect that many of these verses were snuck into the text by the Deuteronomists. This is not to say that God never commanded the Israelites to kill the Palestinians to make space for the Israelites, but rather to say that the way God commanded this could have been exaggerated by the Deuteronomists (perhaps I am wrong). Particularly, the book of Deuteronomy says Israelites should enslave all inhabitants of cities “very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.” (meaning not the nations in Palestine), and if they resist, kill all males and then enslave all the women (Deuteronomy 20:10–15) – which strikes me as pretty extreme, leaving one to wonder if this permits Jews to enslave any gentile they want.
Deuteronomy 7:1–2, 16 – the Israelites are instructed to utterly destroy and show no mercy or pity unto tribes in Palestine.
Deuteronomy 20:16–18 – the Israelites are again instructed to kill every single person originally in Palestine.
Further scriptures: (Deuteronomy 2:34–35, Deuteronomy 3:6, Deuteronomy 9:3).
If an Israelite city worships other Gods, it shall be utterly destroyed: Deuteronomy 13:12–18.
More Research to be Done
This is just the start of my research in all of the ways the Bible has been altered nefariously.
Soon I hope to write an article about how the Alexandrian texts of the New Testament are false, and the Byzantine ones are correct – meaning the KJV (which is based on the Textus Receptus, which comes from Byzantine texts) is much better than newer versions of the bible (like the NIV or NLT) since they come from Alexandrian texts. In lieu of my coming essay, this website family35nt.org discusses this topic fairly well.
I also hope to also write an essay discussing how the Septuagint is better than the Masoretic text – meaning eastern orthodox old testaments are better than western old testaments (fun fact, in the Septuagint, Jesus is the 77th generation, as is the case for the New Testament, unlike the Masoretic text, which places Jesus at the 76th generation. In summary, the Masoretic text was written by Jews in the centuries after Christ in an attempt to remove aspects of the Bible that might lead Jews to convert to Christianity – thus, for example, one of the main things they changed was the timeline of the Old Testament to make it seem like Jesus was born too soon (a fact which many ancient historians even complained about). This paper discusses the matter of the dating of the Septuagint vs the Masoretic text more, and this article and this paper discuss how Messianic scriptures were removed from the Masoretic text. And if I may add my two cents: I have observed that the Masoretic text seems to have removed many of the prophecies about how the gospel is also offered to the gentiles.
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