The Problem with the Gospels

[chatpilot]

I also agree with you about how accurate memories can be after 35 or 40 years removed from the alleged events. It's like the Pentateuch being written by Moses where he even records his own death lol. Actually the Pentateuch is believed to have been written by at least 4 different authors :

They generally accept the "Documentary Hypothesis" which asserts that the Pentateuch was written by a group of four authors, from various locations in Palestine, over a period of centuries. 8 Each wrote with the goal of promoting his/her own religious views:

* J: a writer who used JHWH as the "unpronounceable name of God." It is often translated as Jehovah.
* E: a writer who used Elohim as the divine name.
* D: the author of the book of Deuteronomy.
* P: a writer who added material of major interest to the priesthood.

Finally, a fifth individual was involved :

* R: a redactor who shaped the contributions of J, E, P and D together into the present Pentateuch.
more information on this can be found here:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_tora.htm
Although I have read books on the matter.

Back to the gospels, many of the qoutes attributed to Christ are directly taken from the O.T. The New Testament tends to borrow alot from the Old. When I was a Christian I believed that this was attributed to the O.T. being the prophecy and the N.T. being the fulfillment of the Old. This explanation is no longer a viable option.