- 08/04/2013
- Posted by: essay
- Category: Free essays
Professor Hayes makes us acquainted with the so-called Documentary Hypothesis presented by Julius Wellhausen. According to this theory, there are four major source documents that make up the Old Testament. They refer to different periods and obviously belong to different authors, thus being also different in the manner, in theological views and generally in many other semantic aspects. These four source documents are the J source (after the name of God Yahweh); the E source (after the name of God Elohim); the D source (after the book of Deuteronomy) and the P source (or Priestly). The J source is seen to arise in Genesis 2:4, and in this source God is much closer to people than in all the other sources. He is shown anthropomorphically, and all the style of narration is vivid and earthy. This source is dated by the 10th century and reflects the interests of the south. Further, the E source is not as broad as the first one; it is more similar to a supplement to the J source, though is differs much from it. Here God becomes much more abstract and remote, and geographical names also differ (e.g. the mountain Horeb instead of Sinai). This is a north source belonging to the 9th century.
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To go on, the D source is much more centralized and narrower in its subject. It deals with the laws of the agrarian life and insists that there can be only one sanctuary to worship God. This northern source is dated by the 7th century. Finally, the P source embraces much more details of the Israelites life in the books of Leviticus and Numbers. These are traditions and customs, religious institutions and ethical issues. The interesting fact is that the Genesis 1 is taken from this source. What is more, the authors of this source are believed to provide final editing of the Bible.
Being compiled together, these four sources were meant not to reflect the events and characteristic features of the times, but rather to fix beliefs and spiritual practices of the Israelites.
Works Cited
Hayes, Christine. Critical Approaches to the Bible: Introduction to Genesis. Yale University.
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