Section outline

    • 13.1 Overview

      • The Pentateuch as a whole: its composition, the final form, the hypotheses of its origin
      • The Deuteronomistic History: relationship to the Pentateuch, redaction or redactions, the historical context

    • 13.2 Comment

      Regarding the origins of the Pentateuch, since the 19th century the research was dominated by so-called “new documentary hypothesis”. This assumed four main sources of the Pentateuch (JEDP). However, later some of the assumptions and results of the theory were questioned (the existence of the Elohistic source, the dating of the Yahwist). Moreover, other methods and approaches developed, namely the form criticism, the redaction criticism, the history of traditions and approaches which emphasize the canonical form of the text.

    • 13.3 Literature for individual study

      Brueggemann and Linafelt. An Introduction to the Old Testament, 35–47.

      Rendtorff, The Old Testament, 157–164, 183–188.

      Ska, Jean Louis. Introduction to Reading the Pentateuch, 217–234.

    • 13.4 Verifying comprehension

      1. What main sources of the Pentateuch were assumed by the classic documentary hypothesis (Wellhausen)?
      2. What is Rendtorff’s view of the origin of the Pentateuch?
      3. Why have some scholars thought that Pentateuch should be viewed as unfinished literary work? What were some suggested solutions to this?
      4. Explain, what “Deuteronomistic History” means, and why this term is used.
      5. What are the main points of the theory of Persian imperial authorization regarding the composition of the Pentateuch?
      6. What is meant by the theory of the Citizen-Temple Community?