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What is the Yahwist source in Genesis?
A:The Book of Genesis, although traditionally thought to have been written by Moses, is now attributed to three main sources, the Yahwist (or 'J' source), the Elohist ('E' source) and the Priestly Source ('P' source). The Yahwist (J) source's main interests were the southern kingdom, Judah, and the Aaronid priesthood. The Yahwist has been estimated as being from about 950 BCE and uses an earlier form of the Hebrew language than P, with a vivid and colourful style.The Yahwist source always used 'YHWH' as the name for an anthropomorphic God with human characteristics. The Yahwist's view of God was distinctive, in that he made promises and covenants with his chosen people.
What is the significance of the use of the different names of God in Genesis 1 and 2?
A:The significance of the use of different names of God in Genesis is that this led biblical scholars to the realisation that the Book of Genesis actually had more than one author. They began to realise that a particular writing style was associated with a particular geopolitical focus and a particular name for God. The Yahwist (J) source always used YHWH (or YHVH) as the name for an anthropomorphic God with human characteristics. The Yahwist's God made promises and covenants with his chosen people. The source's main interests were the southern kingdom, Judah, and the Aaronid priesthood. Yahweh, sometimes translated as Jehovah, is the ancient name now most commonly associated with God.The Elohist (E) source always used 'Elohim as the name for a more transcendent God who required obedience and was feared by his people. People could never look at the Elohist's God, so he typically came in dreams or visions, but sometimes in the form of a cloud or a flame. This source came from the northern kingdom of Israel, and was generally more concerned with general stories than individuals. He had a moderately eloquent style.The Priestly source (P) also used the name 'Elohim, but often El Shaddai ('God Almighty'), to describe a remote and unmerciful God. This source drew on the earlier works of J and E, changing details to suit the priestly point of view. He had a low level of literary style and used a later form of the Hebrew language than the earlier two sources. The Priestly source focussed on the formal relations between God and society.Thousands of religious artefacts have been found throughout Israel and Judah, showing that the two kingdoms had somewhat different religious beliefs. Worship of El, the Canaanite father of the gods, was more pronounced in the northern kingdom than in the south (Elohim is the plural of El, used in the Bible somewhat like a royal plural). Eventually, Eland Yahweh were syncretised and worshipped as a unified God, Yahweh, who was the national God of both kingdoms.
Compare the portraits of God in Genesis?
The Book of Genesis had four main authors, or sources, each of whom portrayed God differently.The Yahwist (J) source always used 'YHWH' as the name for an anthropomorphic God with human characteristics. This was the God who could, for example, walk in the cool of the day and converse with Adam. The Yahwist's God made promises and covenants with his chosen people. This source's main interests were the southern kingdom, Judah, and the Aaronid priesthood.The Elohist (E) source always used 'Elohim' as the name for a more transcendent God who required obedience and was feared by his people. People could never look at the Elohist's God, so he typically came in dreams or visions, but sometimes in the form of a cloud or a flame. This source came from the northern kingdom of Israel, and was generally more concerned with general stories than individuals.The Priestly source (P) used the names Elohim and El Shaddai to describe a remote and unmerciful God. This source drew on the earlier works of J and E, changing details to suit the priestly point of view.In line with the needs of a strong monarchy, the Deuteronomist (D) source emphasised centralisation of worship and governance in Jerusalem, but does not provide us much that is different about how to portray God.There are other divine portraits in Genesis, for example the two men who destroyed Sodom. The modern preference is to call them angels, but the Hebrew word used is Elohim - gods. These men were not mere messengers, but exercised more power than 'angels' in any other passage in the Bible, and in addition, Lot deferred to them as if to deities. When three men appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre, we are left in no doubt that the Lord was present and no attempt is made to assert that the men were angels.In an ancient tradition inserted into the life story of Jacob, he was left alone and wrestled with a man all night until the break of day, when the man said he must leave (Genesis 32:24ff). Even though his leg was dislocated, Jacob refused to let his opponent go unless he blessed Jacob. That the 'man' was a god is amply demonstrated - Jacob asked for his blessing, he had the prerogative of changing Jacob's name, Jacob's new name was Israel (generally assumed to mean "wrestled with God') and Jacob called the place Peniel ('the face of God') because he had seen God face to face. Whether it is God who is portrayed in this passage, or another god of the early Hebrew pantheon, is open to debate.
What is the literary context of Genesis?
A:Understanding the context in which a work of literature was produced often leads to a deeper understanding of the work itself. The traditional belief that Moses wrote the Book of Genesis will lead to a very different interpretation of the literary context than the scholarly view that Genesis was written much later and by more than one author. Scholars say that Genesis was witten by three authors and probably had at least two redactors who completed the work at different stages, finally producing the book much as we know it today.The earliest source is believed to have been the anonymous author now known as the Yahwist, or 'J Source', who used an early form of the Hebrew language and is believed to have lived around 950 BCE. The source's main interests were the southern kingdom, Judah, and the Aaronid priesthood. The Yahwist always used 'YHWH' as the name for an anthropomorphic God with human characteristics. His God made promises and covenants with his chosen people.The Elohist ('E Source') must have written sometime before 722 BCE, when Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians. This source came from the northern kingdom of Israel, and was generally more concerned with general stories than individuals. He had a moderately eloquent style and also used an early form of the Hebrew language. The Elohist always used 'Elohim' as the name for a more transcendent God who required obedience and was feared by his people. People could never look at the Elohist's God, so he typically came in dreams or visions, but sometimes in the form of a cloud or a flame.The Priestly source ('P Source'), writing in the fifth or fourth century BCE, drew on the earlier works of J and E, changing details to suit the priestly point of view. This source had a low level of literary style and focussed on the formal relations between God and society. He used the names Elohim and El Shaddai (God Almighty) to describe a remote and unmerciful God.In Genesis chapters 1 and 2, we can see the distinction quite clearly between the Priestly Source's view of God and creation, compared with the Yahwist's view. In chapter 1 (up to the first sentence of verse 2:4), The Priestly Source's God is almost all-powerful, simply speaking things into existence and placing the sun, moon and stars in the firmament. He does not interact with the humans he created, other than blessing them and commanding them to be fruitful and multiply. In the Yahwist's account (Genesis from 2:4b, through chapter 3), there are limits to God's powers. God must make Adam and the animals from clay, and Eve from a rib taken from Adam's side. In this account, God places Adam and Eve in a garden and he himself walks around the garden, talking to the humans. Unlike the Priestly Source's God, that of the Yahwist is capable of showing human emotion.
How did German scholars determine there were different sources for material in the Old Testament?
A:While American scholars are at the forefront of biblical study today, German scholars were pre-eminent in this field in the nineteenth century. In 1806-7 W. M. L. DeWette, a German scholar, published a study of the Old Testament in which he suggested that the book supposedly found in the Temple in 621 BCE, during the reign of King Josiah of Judah (2 Kings chapters 22-23), was the Book of Deuteronomy. Source criticism originated and developed with a focus on the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament, using criteria by which the original sources of the Pentateuch could be separated from one another. Julius Wellhausen, a German scholar distinguished four sources which he called the Yahwist ('J Source'), Elohist ('E Source'), Deuteronomist ('D Source'), and Priestly ('P Source') sources. He argues that these sources were from different, sometimes conflicting, schools of thought at different time periods. J and E were considered quite early sources because of the early form of Hebrew used, with Wellhausen considering J to be earlier than E because it appeared to contain the more primitive elements. J has been dated to the tenth and E to the ninth centuries BCE. D and P used a relatively modern form of the Hebrew language.It was noticed that one source, the Yahwist (J), who had a vivid, colourful style, consistently used Yahweh as the name for an anthropomorphic God with human characteristics, one who made promises and covenants with his chosen people. The Yahwist called the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Palestine, Canaanites, and the mountain of God, Sinai. The source's main interests were the southern kingdom, Judah, and the Aaronid priesthood.The Elohist (E) had a moderately eloquent style and used 'Elohim' as the name for a more transcendent God who required obedience and was feared by his people. People could never look at the Elohist's God, so he typically came in dreams or visions, but sometimes in the form of a cloud or a flame. The Elohist called the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Palestine, Amorites, and the mountain of God, Horeb.This source came from the northern kingdom of Israel, and was generally more concerned with general stories than individuals.In line with the needs of a strong monarchy, the Deuteronomist (D) source emphasised centralisation of worship and governance in Jerusalem. D is noteworthy for the repetitive use of certain phrases particular to this source.The Priestly source (P) used the names Elohim and El Shaddai to describe a remote and unmerciful God. This source drew on the earlier works of J and E, changing details to suit the priestly point of view. P had a low level of literary style and focussed on the formal relations between God and society.Since the nineteenth century, the Documentary Hypothesis has been improved and revised by both German and American scholars. There have also been challenges to it, notably from Professor Albright, whose work has in turn been challenged.
What is the JEDP Strand otherwise known as the Documentary Hypotheses?
The Documentary Hypothesis holds that the books of the Pentateuch were really written by five different sources over a period of several centuries, then finally redacted by a final source called the Redactor or 'R' Source, who may also have added or modified some material.The Yahwist (J) Source has been estimated as being from about 950 BCE and uses an earlier form of the Hebrew language than, for example, the Priestly Source. He always used 'YHWH' as the name for an anthropomorphic God with human characteristics. The Yahwist's God made promises and covenants with his chosen people. The source's main interests were the southern kingdom, Judah, and the Aaronid priesthood.The Elohist (E) Source came from the northern kingdom of Israel, and must have written sometime before 722 BCE, when Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians. He once again used an earlier form of the Hebrew language than the Priestly Source. He always used 'Elohim' as the name for a more transcendent God who required obedience and was feared by his people. People could never look at the Elohist's God, so he typically came in dreams or visions, but sometimes in the form of a cloud or a flame. This source was generally more concerned with general stories than individuals, and had a moderately eloquent style.After the fall of Israel to the Assyrians, refugees from Israel are thought to have brought the Elohist texts to Judah. In the interests of assimilating the new arrivals into the general population, an unknown scribe combined the J text with E to produce a 'JE' text.In line with the needs of a strong monarchy, the Deuteronomist (D) source emphasised centralisation of worship and governance in Jerusalem. Based on the alleged discovery of the Book of Lawin the Temple, it seems that Deuteronomy can not have been written much earlier than 622 BCE, and the majority opinion is that it was probably not much later.The Priestly source (P) used a form of Hebrew similar to the Deuteronomist, but in a different literary style. It is unclear whether P was earlier or later than D, but he definitely came after the fall of Israel in 722 BCE, with a majority view that he came during or after the Babylonian Exile. He used the names Elohim and El Shaddai to describe a remote and unmerciful God. This source drew on the earlier works of J and E, changing details to suit the priestly point of view. P had a low level of literary style and focussed on the formal relations between God and society.Many of the doublets found in the Pentateuch result from a blending of different versions of the same story, written by two different authors.For more information, please see: http://christianity.answers.com/bible/the-pentateuch-explained
How do people know Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible?
There were four main sources for the Book Genesis, now known as the Yahwist ('J' Source), Elohist ('E' Source), Deuteronomist ('D' Source) and Priestly Source ('P' Source). The term 'Source' is used here, rather than 'author', because Genesis was not a collaborative effort by a team of authors, but includes a collection of older works compiled by the Deuteronomist, added to by the Priestly Source and finally edited by the Redactor ('R' Source).Some of the clues for this are in the style and language.The Yahwist represented the traditions of the southern kingdom of Judah and the Aaronid priesthood, and used an earlier form of the Hebrew language. The Elohist represented the traditions of the northern kingdom of Israel, had a moderately eloquent style and and also used an earlier form of the Hebrew language. Julius Wellhausen assigned these authors to the nature and fertility stage of religion. After the fall of Israel to the Assyrians, refugees from Israel are thought to have brought 'E' to Judah. In the interests of assimilating the new arrivals into the general population, an unknown scribe combined the 'J' text with 'E' to produce 'JE'. It is thought that the creator of 'JE' thought it necessary to retain as much as possible of both 'J' and 'E', to preclude readers and listeners complaining that a text was missing or different, and thus create a schism.In line with the needs of a strong monarchy, the Deuteronomist emphasised centralisation of worship and governance in Jerusalem. Based on the alleged discovery of the Book of Law in the Temple, it seems that Deuteronomy can not have been written much earlier than 622 BCE, and the majority opinion is that it was probably not much later. D used a more modern form of Hebrew. In the view of Wellhausen, the Deuteronomist represented the spiritual and ethical stage of religion.The Priestly source drew on his predecessors, changing details to suit the priestly point of view. 'P' had a low level of literary style and focussed on the formal relations between God and society. Like 'D', he used a more modern form of the Hebrew language, but with a different literary style. The Priestly source represented the priestly and legal stage of religion. This source was keen to justify Judah's claim to the ancient kingdom of Israel.Some of the clues are in the names used for God and in the author's understanding of his God.The Yahwist always used YHWH ('Yahweh') as the name for an anthropomorphic God with human characteristics. It was the Yahwist's God who walked in the Garden of Eden and talked face to face with Adam. The Yahwist's God made promises and covenants with his chosen people.The Elohist source always used 'Elohim' as the name for a more transcendent God who required obedience and was feared by his people. People could never look at the Elohist's God, so he typically came in dreams or visions, but sometimes in the form of a cloud or a flame.The Priestly Source used the names Elohim and El Shaddai to describe a remote and unmerciful God.Some of the clues are the presence of 'doublets' in Genesis, examples of which follow.The creation stories in Genesis are so different that they could not have been from the same source. The first creation story, Genesis 1:1 to 2:4a (the first sentence of verse 2:4) is attributed to the Priestly Source and resembles creation stories found in Babylonia. The second creation story, Genesis 2:4b-2:25 is attributed to the Yahwist.The story of Noah's Flood contains contradictory details. In one case, he is told to take two of every animal onto the Ark, while in another case he is told to take two of every unclean animal, but seven of every clean animal. In one case, the flood lasts forty days, but in another passage it lasts a whole year. The difference arises from the differences in two different accounts of the same story, that have been intertwined to the point that can seem to be just the one account, but for the internal contradictions. The verses attributed to the Priestly author are: Genesis 6:9-22, 7:6, 7:8-9, 7:11, 7:13-16a, 7:18-21, 7:24, 8:1-2a, 8:3b-5, 8:7, 8:13a, 8:14-19, 9:1-17. The verses attributed to the Yahwist are: Genesis 6:5-8, 7:1-5, 7:7, 7:10, 7:12, 7:16b-17, 7:22-23, 8:2b-3a, 8:6, 8:8-12, 8:13b, 8:20-22.In two almost identical passages, Abraham tried to pass off his wife as his sister, first to the pharoah, then to the king of Gerar. In each case, Abraham believed that the king would kill him in order to have sex with Sarah, but only if she was his wife - as his sister, they were both safe. For exactly the same reason, Isaac also tried to pass off his wife as his sister, to the king of Gerar.
Who are the four major writers of Hebrew scripture?
* The Jahwist (or J) - written c 950 BCE.[9] The southern kingdom's (i.e. Judah) interpretation. It is named according to the prolific use of the name "Yahweh" (or Jaweh, in German, the divine name or Tetragrammaton) in its text. * The Elohist (or E) - written c 850 BCE.[9] The northern kingdom's (i.e. Israel) interpretation. As above, it is named because of its preferred use of "Elohim" (Generic name any heathen god or deity in Hebrew). * The Deuteronomist (or D) - written c 650-621 BCE.[9] Dating specifically from the time of King Josiah of Judah and responsible for the book of Deuteronomy as well as Joshua and most of the subsequent books up to 2 Kings. * The Priestly source (or P) - written during or after the exile, c 550-400 BCE.[9] So named because of its focus on Levitical laws.
How have biblical scholars concluded that there were two sources for many of the stories that appear in Genesis?
They assumed that the fact that two different names for God are used (Elohim & Yahweh), that this is must mean that Genesis is the fusing together of two ancient Canaanite religious traditions. However, this is not the only possible explanation, these names are used contextually as well (Elohim in certain contexts, and Yahweh is usually used in others), so it is not necessarily proof of two different textual traditions. Many scholars are backing away from these source theories as they are now often viewed as simplistic. Most conservative scholars believe that the text is what it is and is a unified book, the more liberal scholars would say that it likely did come from many different sources and religious traditions, but it is impossible to know with certainty how all of this took place. Many still disagree with these ideas, but both sides are slowly beginning to come to an agreement that regardless of your views on the origins of the texts, the best course of action is to study and appreciate the texts as we have them.
What reasons do contemporary biblical researchers give for thinking that the first five books of the Tanakh were not written by Moses?
A: Biblical scholars can see many reasons for considering the Jewish Torah, the first five books of the Bible to have been written by several different authors and at a time much later than the time attributed to Moses.The Torah, or Christian Pentateuch, was written by four main sources, each of which (whether one person or a school) had its own literary style. Because they were anonymous, these sources have been given modern names to distinguish them.The Yahwist came first, around the tenth century BCE, using an older version of the Hebrew language and had a vivid, colourful style. He consistently used Yahweh as the name for an anthropomorphic God with human characteristics, one who made promises and covenants with his chosen people. The Yahwist called the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Palestine, Canaanites, and the mountain of God, Sinai. The source's main interests were the southern kingdom, Judah, and the Aaronid priesthood.The Elohist (E) had a moderately eloquent style and used 'Elohim' as the name for a more transcendent God who required obedience and was feared by his people. People could never look at the Elohist's God, so he typically came in dreams or visions, but sometimes in the form of a cloud or a flame. The Elohist called the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Palestine, Amorites, and the mountain of God, Horeb.This source came from the northern kingdom of Israel, and was generally more concerned with general stories than individuals.In line with the needs of a strong monarchy, the Deuteronomist emphasised centralisation of worship and governance in Jerusalem. He is noteworthy for the repetitive use of certain phrases particular to this source.The Priestly source had a low level of literary style and focussed on the formal relations between God and society. He used the names Elohim and El Shaddai to describe a remote and unmerciful God, and drew on the earlier works of the Yahwist and the Elohist, changing details to suit the priestly point of view.Another way of looking at the evidence is that there are three different names used for Moses' father-in-law, yet you would expect Moses to have known his own father-in-law's name and to have used it correctly each time. Furthermore, the Pentateuch is full of doublets and inconsistencies that can only be explained by multiple authors. Many references point to cities and nations that did not even exist at the time in which the books are set. In addition to the evidence of the books themselves is the archaeological evidence that the Exodus from Egypt never really occured as described in the Bible. Without the Exodus there was no Moses, and therefore we would have to look for another author.Answer 2Basing itself on linguistics and usage, the researchers' hypothesis splits the narrative of the Hebrew Bible and attributes it to various unknown authors (Priest, Deuteronomist, etc. [J,E,P and D]), despite (for example) the Torah's explicit statement as to its Divine provenance (Exodus 24:12) and having been written in its entirety by Moses (Deuteronomy 31:24), and despite the unbroken national tradition of the authorship of each of the Prophets (Talmud, Bava Bathra 14b). What are the facts? No parchment, scroll, or inscription has ever been found that would support the Bible-critics' JEPD (different sources) hypothesis, which remains a set of postulates. And those ancient writers who mention, describe, summarize or translate the Torah (Josephus, Samaritans, Targum, Septuagint etc.), describe it in its complete form.Archaeological finds, such as the Ugarit documents and those of Nuzu, Mari, Susa, Ebla, and Tel el-Amarna, have repeatedly caused the critics to retract specific claims. The entire social milieu portrayed in the Torah, once criticized as anachronistic, has been shown to be historically accurate, including customs of marriage, adoption, contracts, inheritance, purchases, utensils, modes of travel, people's names and titles, etc. Professor Gleason Archer Ph.D of Harvard University states: "In case after case where historical inaccuracy was alleged as proof of late and spurious authorship of the biblical documents, the Hebrew record has been vindicated by the results of excavations, and the condemnatory judgment of the Documentary theorists have been proved to be without foundation."
