re: #107 LudwigVanQuixote

But still centuries before Christ none the less. Rabbinic Judaism starts with the return to the land and the rebuilding of the Temple.

Well it is funny you mention that. Look at the entire first chapter of Pirkei Avot. Seriously go look it up!

It gives the chain of transmission - of the oral law itself(!) - through the generations.

Now you might not believe that Moses taught the elders and that the elders taught the judges and the prophets. OK fine…

However, once it starts naming master to student, you really have no reason to doubt it at all. Because all of those masters and students show up in the Mishna and the Talmud.

PA:

Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it down to the men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, raise up many disciples, and make a fence around the Torah.

Of course I have a reason to doubt this. Talmud mentions historical figures but it’s not a historical book per se, so the presence of real people tells us nothing about the correctness of the claims of PA. The existence of the chain of transmission of oral information does not guarantee the correctness of the transmission. And most important, even here is this crucial break between the supposed author and Shimon, who lived merely in the 3rd century BC. Which still leaves a huge time period since the Torah creation time.

Also remember that Mishna is a long time before Talmud.

Of course.