What is the literary context of Genesis?

Answer 1

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.