|
The
Documentary Hypothesis (DH) proposes that the first five books of the
Old Testament (Genesis,
Exodus,
Leviticus,
Numbers and
Deuteronomy, known collectively
as the
Torah or
Pentateuch), represent a
combination of documents from four originally independent sources. According to
the influential version of the hypothesis formulated by
Julius Wellhausen
(1844 - 1918) these sources and the approximate dates of their composition were:
the
J, or
Jahwist, source; written c. 950
BC in the southern kingdom of Judah. (The name
Yahweh begins with a J in
Wellhausen's native German.)
the
E, or
Elohist, source; written c. 850
BC in the northern kingdom of Israel.
the
D, or
Deuteronomist, source; written c. 621
BC in Jerusalem during a period of religious reform.
the
P, or
Priestly, source; written c. 450 BC
by Aaronid priests.
The
editor who combined the sources into the final Pentateuch is known as R, for
Redactor, and might have been
Ezra.1.
1. The Documentary Hypothesis, in "Wikipedia," accessed 04042008,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_hypothesis ; Internet.
Richard Elliot Freidman (UCSD) wrote “ Who Wrote the Bible ( New York,
New York: Summit Books, 1987), pp. 299. He proposes that Books of ‘J’ were
produced by a single narrative by someone writing either from the eight to tenth
centuries BCE. He uses historical persons who wrote secretly on the Bible and
when a public option for producing such investigation remained implausible. His
search focused on commentary of historical persons well before Julius
Wellhausen.
 Language Expressions.
Christianity
(God), as Monotheistic
Western Paganism
(gods), as pluralistic.
(GOD) Aramaic:
Alaha (Jesus used)
Islam: Al
(The) and Ilah (God), meaning ‘The God’.
Two Arabic
expressions together form Allah.
(GODS) Elohim,
Hebrew Bible, pl. (Pluralistic)
(GOD) Eloha
, Hebrew Bible) (Monotheistic)
The Book of
Revelation, New Testament ( his God, her God, their God,
differentiated mono/plural theism)
| 