Who are the hypothetical JDEP contributors of parts of Scripture and why should any weight be given to this Documentary Hypothesis?

Answer 1

A:We do not know who these contributors were, since the Pentateuch was written anonymously. However the best biblical scholars have come to a consensus as to which parts were written by each of the hypothetical contributors. This can be recognised by style, usage of words, whether a more archaic form of the Hebrew language was used, and other clues. No doubt scholars will continue to debate the Documentary Hypothesis for many more years, proposing amendments to it and arriving at new conclusions. What they do not doubt is that the Pentateuch was developed over a long period and from a number of sources. 'JDEP' is an acronym for the J Source (also known as the Yahwist) , D Source (Deuteronomist), E Source (Elohist), P Source (Priestly Source).

The alternative hypothesis is that Moses wrote the first five books of The Bible during the Exodus from Egypt, but for critical biblical scholars this is entirely discredited. For example, why should a single person, writing under guidance from God, write contradictory passages, often in close proximity?

Not every believer needs to understand the Bible and how it was written. For these people, it is entirely appropriate that they follow the Moses hypothesis, as this most easily supports their faith. Scholars and those people who really want to understand their Bible, will give serious weight to the Documentary Hypothesis.

Additional Comment:

The Documentary Hypothesis is associated with a 19th Century German scholar by the name of Julius Wellhausen who popularized it and said these JDEP authors works were written during the time of the Southern Kingdom circa 850 BC to about 500 BC. It determined 'authorship' primarily by the usage of the name/title of God used in the writing - hence the JDEP (even a JE) sources. Yet, there is not a shred of physical evidence to support these. Although widely accepted in this 'Age of Enlightenment' by many like Hegel, its support by critical scholars has all but disappeared by 1980 (source: Holman Bible Dictionary: Pentateuch)

Perhaps the reasons for this hypothesis other than man's unique and unquenchable thirst for knowledge and the then revelation of inaccurate Church teachings, is more purposeful. One of America's early patriots, Thomas Paine wrote this in his 'Age of Reason' work:

" Take away from Genesis the belief that Moses was the author, on which only the strange belief that it is the word of God has stood, and there remains nothing of Genesis but an anonymous book of stories, fables, and traditionary or invented absurdities, or of downright lies. The story of Eve and the serpent, and of Noah and his ark, drops to a level with the Arabian Tales, without the merit of being entertaining, and the account of men living to eight and nine hundred years becomes as fabulous as the immortality of the giants of the Mythology."

Whatever the reason for the hypothesis, suffice it to say that an authorship of a book of the Bible is not necessary for the reader to profit from reading it. All Scripture is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16) and is profitable for any reader. It is always good to know supportive and critical works on the Scripture so one may weigh them accordingly and determine for themselves which is more plausible.