What is the documentary hypothesis?

Answer 1

1) Who proposed the Documentary Hypothesis?In the mid-1800s, professor Julius Wellhausen (the father of modern Biblical-criticism, 1844-1918) and others, proposed a Documentary Hypothesis concerning the origin of the Hebrew Bible. Wellhausen was a former Divinity student who left the fold, and he decided to form and espouse a secular theory in his field of study. Wellhausen's secular theory was accepted quickly by the academic world, undergoing later change but remaining unchanged in its basic premise.

2) What is the Documentary Hypothesis?Basing itself on linguistics and usage, the Documentary Hypothesis splits the narrative of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and attributes it to various unknown authors (Priest, Deuteronomist, etc. [J,E,P and D]), despite 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).

See also:

Does the Documentary Hypothesis have any flaws?

History of the Hebrew Bible

Answer 2

The documenrtary hypothesis, in its original form, was proposed by Julius Wellhausen to explain the origins of the Pentateuch, or Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,Numbers,Deuteronomy). The documentary hypothesis does not provide an explanation for the origins or development of the remaining books of the Old Testament.

Like almost all new concepts, the hypothesis has undergone a minor level of evolution under the influence of later biblical scholars. Part of the evolutionary process was to attempt to disprove the hypothesis in its essence and when it successfully withstood this test, to disprove lesser aspects of it, so that incremental improvements could be made.

While the documentary hypothesis has been critiqued and challenged by other models, its terminology and insights continue to provide the framework for modern theories on the composite nature and origins of the Torah. Although the documentary hypothesis is no longer considered as simple and straight-forward an explanation of the development of the Pentateuch as it was once believed, in one form or another the hypothesis remains the best explanation we have.

Answer 3

The documentary hypothesis is a theory that suggests the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (the Torah) were composed by combining multiple distinct sources or documents. These sources are believed to have been written by different authors or groups of authors, each with their own unique perspectives and agendas. This theory helps explain the variations in style, language, and theological themes found in the Torah.