The finding of the Pentateuch during Josiah's reign, which had been lost
in the rubbish of the temple during the wicked reign of Manasseh and
Ammon, is evidently referred to in 2 Chron. xxxiv. 14, 15; "Hilkiah the
priest found the book of the law of Jehovah by the hand of Moses.
(Margin, R.V.) And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan, I have found
The Book of the law of the house of the Lord." Four times within seven
verses it is called "_The Book_." It was read before the King, who
humbled himself, and prepared himself and the people to observe the
Passover as it had been prescribed in "the law of Moses." Josiah
commanded them to "kill the Passover, and sanctify yourselves and
prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the
Lord _by the hand of Moses_" (2 Chron. xxxv. 6). This took place long
before the exile, which the critics insist was the beginning of Israel's
literature, and after which they say the Pentateuch was written.

Ezra testifies to the existence of the Mosaic law before his time. His
testimony establishes the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch. Ezra vii.
6: "This Ezra ... was a ready scribe _in the law of Moses_."

After the return from captivity Ezra describes the building of the altar
in these definite terms: "Then stood up Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and
his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his
brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt
offerings thereon, _as it is written in the law of Moses_, the man of
God" (Ezra iii. 2). Was Ezra deceiving the people?

There are several things to be noted here:

1. _There was a written law of Moses_, the man of God, then in
existence. It was not a written law of Ezra which the priests palmed off