The Documentary Hypothesis Summaries of the JEPD Traditions Daniel J. Kuntz, PhD

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1 The Documentary Hypothesis Summaries of the JEPD s Daniel J. Kuntz, PhD Yahwist (J) Elohist (E) JE Deuteronomist (D) Priestly (P) s Relative Dates c BCE c c BCE c BCE c BCE Common Terms or Theological Themes The use of the name of Yahweh is the trademark name for God for the J source. YHWH is Immanent, that is, close to humanity and the earth, indeed, God walks and talks with Adam and Eve in the Garden. YHWH often appears to His people directly not often in visions or dreams or through other beings. The name Elohim is used for God in this source, a name perhaps derived from the more ancient Canaanite god, El, the leader of the divine council. For E, Elohim is transcendent or distant because Elohim is a terrifying God. Elohim communicates with people indirectly through dreams, visions, messengers, or in the case of When the northern kingdom of Israel fled south after the Assyrian invasion of 721/22, they brought with them the E tradition, bringing it into contact with the J tradition. The J tradition eventually incorporated much of the E tradition into it. The J author or authors subordinated the E material to the J tradition. Elohim is used to refer to God by the Deuteronomist tradition. It was the Deuteronomistic Theology that drove their belief that Jerusalem was destroyed because its traditional practices had been neglected. Israel s welfare depends on its obedience to the Torah and lists the consequences of breaking the covenant. Elohim is used to refer to God by the Priestly tradition. God has a predetermined plan and a special concern for Israel that is to unfold in history through which God reveals God s self. The priests who survived the destruction of Jerusalem in 587/586 BCE and then the Babylonian Exile were concerned with the

2 Moses, a burning bush. future of Judaism and the survival of its people. Common Terms or Theological Themes Yahwist (J) Yahweh is often presented anthropomorphically, that is, this God often portrayed as having human-like qualities. The theology behind its narrative flows from the divine and unconditional promise of The Land to Abraham and his offspring. Yahweh s concern is for all of humanity, not only for His chosen people. The Israelites are to be a universal blessing to Elohist (E) The JE Deuteronomist (D) Priestly (P) For E, Elohim has no anatomy, is fully spirit and without the human-like qualities. The fear of God for the E narrative refers to obedience. Elohim is more narrowly fixed on Israel alone, unlike the Yahwist tradition which understands God to be concerned with all of humanity. The assembly of the JE inevitably caused duplications, repetitions, conflicting names, dates or times, etc., but both narratives were included in their original forms. It is a call to faithfulness as well as to social responsibility. It is designed to appeal to the heart. The D tradition is written in a style that is personal and direct. P collected and assembled the originally separated legal codes, ritual, worship, regulations, dietary laws, genealogies, sacrifices, laws, statutes, and legal codes from ancient Israel. Order and structure (against chaos), the Priestly tradition was careful to show that the universe was created in in an orderly manner, rather than one of chaos. P contains mostly postexilic concerns. P establishes laws and codes of purity and impurity.

3 all the earth and its peoples.

4 Common Terms or Theological Themes Yahwist (J) The Vocabulary often used of in the Yahwist tradition include: Yahweh ( I AM ) to bless (to cause God s people to flourish) to know (a euphemism for sexual intercourse) to find favor (to have won YHWH s esteem) The J narrative refers to the people of Palestine as Canaanites who were in Palestine long before the Israelights arrived. The J narrative might have been used to justify the Davidic Monarchy. The J compilers may have been members Elohist (E) The JE Deuteronomist (D) Priestly (P) In the Hebrew Testament E tradition, no human person sees God and lives. E is concerned with prophecy and the fear of God. E refers to the people of Palestine as Amorites. As the rival tradition of the J source, E is The D appears to be somewhat of an independent source Final contribution to the Torah, according to the Documentary Hypothesis, as well as most biblical scholars today. The priestly writers lived during and after the Exile.

5 of the royal court of David who were interested in centralizing government, its military structure and worship in Jerusalem. centers first on Schechem, then on Samaria as the center of government, its military structure and worship.

6 Yahwist (J) Sources/Places J gives negative accounts of northern ancestral sites (such as Shechem). God dwells on Mt. Sinai. J contains the most significant continuous storyline around which the other traditions have been written. Elohist (E) The JE Deuteronomist (D) Priestly (P) E often contributes to the stories of sibling rivalry (the Jacob-Esau rivalry, for example). God dwells on Mt. Horeb. E is primarily a set of disconnected fragments. D Exalts Moses greatly. Deuteronomy seems to be traceable to Israel s Levites who lived mostly in the north. Deuteronomy centralizes both the temple of sacrifice and government at Jerusalem. The D tradition contains the Last Will and Testament, of Moses with cycles of sermons given to the Israelites before they crossed the river Jordan into the Promised Land. P places heavy emphasis on Temple ritual and practice.

7 Sources/Places Placement in the Scriptures J begins with second Creation Story (2:4b- 25) and the loss of the Garden of Eden (3:1-24). According to the Documentary Hypothesis, this tradition went south with those who fled the Assyrian destruction of Israel in 722/21 BCE. E begins in Genesis 20:1-18. D begins with The Book of Deuteronomy. P begins with the first Creation Story at Genesis 1:1-24. Bibliography Bandstra, Barry L. Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Boadt, Lawrence. Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction. New York: Paulist Press, Bowley, James E. Introduction to the Hebrew Bible: A Guided Tour of Israel s Sacred Library New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Friedman, Richard Elliott Who Wrote the Bible? New York: HarperCollins, Habel, Norman. Literary criticism of the Old Testament. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, Harris, Stephen and Robert Platzner. The Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Second Edition. Boston: McGraw- Hill Publishing Co., Harris, Stephen. Understanding The Bible. Seventh Edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill, Hoffmeier, James K. Ancient Israel in Sinai: The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Wilderness. New York: Oxford University Press, Klawans, Jonathan. Purity, Sacrifice, and the Temple. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. Knight, Douglas and Walter Harrelson. and theology in the Old Testament. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, McKenzie, John L. A Theology of the Old Testament. Garden City: Doubleday, Rast, Walter. History and the Old Testament. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, Tucker, Gene M. Form Criticism of the Old Testament. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1971.

8 von Rad, Gerhard. Old Testament Theology. New York: Harper & Row,