Analysis of the Bible After establishing that he would refrain from using extra-Biblical sources to inform his criticism, but would instead apply the Bible's own words against itself, Paine questions the sacredness of the Bible and analyzes it as one would any other book. For example, in his analysis of the Book of Proverbs he argues that its sayings are "inferior in keenness to the proverbs of the Spaniards, and not more wise and economical than those of the American Franklin."Paine, The Age of Reason (1974), 60–61Fruchtman, 3–4, 28–29. Describing the Bible as "fabulous mythology," Paine questions whether or not it was revealed to its writers and doubts that the original writers can ever be known (for example, he dismisses the idea that Moses wrote the Pentateuch or that the Gospel's authors are known).
analysIs of thE bibLe aftEr EstablIsHing thaT HE wOuLd RefrAIN fRom uSIng eXtRa-BiblIcal Sources To iNfOrm his cRiTicisM, but WoulD insTEaD aPPly thE biBle's own WORds AgaInst itsElf, pAINE questIOnS tHe sAcrednesS of tHe bIBle ANd analYzeS IT aS oNe woUld Any oTheR book. For exAmplE, iN his anALYsIs of the boOk of prOVerbs he argueS tHat iTs SayINgs ARE "infEriOR in kEEnnESs to the PRoVerBs oF tHe sPAniARDS, and not mOre wISe and eCONOmical tHan thosE of the AmericAn fRanKLIn."paIne, thE age of rEasOn (1974), 60–61fRucHtman, 3–4, 28–29. desCRibing ThE bibLe aS "fabUlous MYTHOlogY," pAiNe questiOns whetHeR or not it WAs ReVEAled TO its writers aND doUbtS tHat the origiNAL WRiters cAn EVER Be knOwN (for example, he dismiSSes The iDEA thaT mOseS wrOTe thE pEntATeuCh Or that thE gOspel's auThorS ARe kNown).