Samuel James A.

Maestro

Pentateuch

Dr. Gregory Glazov

Assignment on Friedman’s Who Wrote the Bible?

Section 1

1. Introduction: three initial problems that occurred in the ancient times on analyzing the writer of
the ancient texts.
I. Different contradictions
a. Proper ordering of the events of different accounts with same events.
b. Different numbers of things that pertain to the same thing.
c. Describing Moses going to a tabernacle before he even builds it.
II. Some tradition- oriented responses to these problems
a. Some completely rejected Moses as the author of the Pentateuch.
b. Some said contradictions can be explained through additional non-biblical texts.
c. Things unknown about Moses was attributed as prophecy.
d. Some scholars just kept quiet about the many differences in the ancient texts.
III. Three stages of literary criticism of Pentateuch after Ibn Ezra.
a. First stage- Moses wrote just some books in the Pentateuch.
i. Bonfils- suggested that some verses were not written by Moses but just added by
later prophets.
ii. Tostatus – suggests that Joshua wrote some part about Moses’ death.
iii. Carlstadt- stated that Moses’ death was written in the same style as preceding texts
that leads to difficulty in deciphering the writings.
b. Second stage- Moses was the author of Pentateuch but the editor added verse or phrase of
their own
i. Andreas Van Maes,

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Suggested that later writers
ii. Benedict Pereira
expanded Moses’ Pentateuch
iii. Jacques Bonfrere

c. Third stage- Moses did not write most of the Pentateuch.

i. Thomas Hobbes- gave many evidence and statements to prove that Moses did not
write the Pentateuch. Example “to this day” not a phrase of someone describing a
contemporary situation.
ii. Isaac de la Peyrere- a Calvinist who wrote openly that Moses did not write the
Pentateuch.
iii. Benedict Spinoza- said that there were many problematic passages that cannot be
ascribed to Moses.
 iv. Richard Simon- the center of Pentateuch is mosaic but some of the laws were
additions of some scribes.
2. The sources-
I. Doublets
a. Doublet telling same story which is told twice.
b. Doublets referring to two different deities.
c. Two parallel group versions of the story in doublets.
d. Various terms and characteristics frequently in one or the other group.
e. Weaving together two different old sources to form constant story in Pentateuch.
II. Accomplishment of Witter, Astruc, Eichorn and De Wette
a. Witter, Astruc and Eichorn concluded that Pentateuch was two separate works that was
cut and combined into one by someone.
b. Eichorn named the groups “E” for God or Elohim and “J” for Yahweh.
c. De Wette found out that Deuteronomy differs in language from the four books. Thus, he
made it the fourth source.
d. Step taken by K.H. Graf and W. Vatke for clarification of the sources of Pentateuch
i. Both attempted to determine the relative order which the four sources of
Pentateuch were written.
ii. J and E are the oldest documents followed by D then P according to Graf.
iii. Both J and E contributed first for the development of the Israelite religion,
followed by D and lastly by P.
iv. They concluded that Pentateuch was not written by Moses but by those who
lived at the end of the biblical period.
e. J. Wellhausen is referred to as the father of modern biblical scholarship because he tied
the source documents identified by literary analysis to history and so to explain the
different sources.
f. In 1943 when Pope Pius XII released the encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu.

Section 2: J and E

3. Chapter 2. J and E.
I. Yes. Friedman made a good case for separating two continuous flood stories in Genesis
because it became clearer the distinctions and functions between the intentions,
functions of the two different sources. Each story uses their own language. Moreover,
each story differs in detail.
II. 4 pieces of proofs that J originated from Judah according to Friedman
a. Hebron and Peni-El
i. In stories that call God Yahweh (J) like in Genesis, Abraham lives in Hebron
which is the main city of Judah.
ii. In stories that call God as Elohim (E), Jacob had a fight with God in a place Peni-
El which is the capital of Israel.
b. J and E tell stories about Shechem which jeroboam built and made the capital of Israel.
c. Ephraim and the origin of the tribes.
d. Both J and E have enslavement stories in Egypt.
 III. Significance of the link between Esau/ Edom and King Jeroboam- it is important
because Edom broke free of Judah during the reign of king Jehoram that was predicted
to win against Jacob’s people.
4. The J source
I. Relationships between J and E source base form the religious symbols of Judah and
Israel.
a. Molten gods and statues
i. In J source it is a prohibition against molten statues base on the Decalogue.
ii. In E source there is a prohibition of making silver and gold statues of gods.
b. The ark and the tent meeting
i. The ark is the central object in J source but not in E.
ii. The tabernacle in the city of Shiloh as a place of worship for E but not
mentioned in J.
c. The cherubs in the garden of Eden
i. In J source Yahweh put cherubs are guardians but not in E source.
d. J and E portrayal of Moses
i. For J, focus is on God’s role in exodus. Also, more on Abraham and David but
less on Moses.
ii. For E, there is emphasis on Moses as the liberator of Israel.
II. The chief interests of J:
a. On the time before Moses
b. Ruling of Judah and David’s family.
c. The importance of covenants with the patriarchs.
d. Kinship towards the city of Hebron.
e. Promise of inheritance.
f. Realization of God’s promises through David.
g. God’s revelation to Abraham.
III. Similarities between J and E.
a. One us basing on the other source.
b. J is from the Judean court while E, the northern Levite tribes produced their own.
c. E source may have occurred first, then J was compelled that resulted to making their
own.
d. Common treasury of history and tradition.
IV. Dating J and E according to Friedman.
a. J was written between 848 B.C. and 722 B. C. before the Assyrians ruined and exiled
Israel.
b. E was written between 922 B.C. and 722 B.C. also, before Assyrians destroyed
Israel.
V. Reasons for combination of J and E source according to Friedman.
a. Both have too much respect for the written word.
b. Both are well known for sufficiently removing any detail.
c. Both will be answering for the question of authenticity if they were separated.
d. For reunification of two separated/divided communities for a long time.
Section 3. “D” source

5. Chapter 6. D
I. List of legal sections in Deuteronomy
a. Laws on centralization of worship.
b. The laws of the king.
c. Prohibitions against practicing pagan religions.
II. The reason Halpern think that D was not royal but Levitical in origin because of:
a. Emphasis on religious-centralization laws that prohibits lay people to make
sacrifices.
b. Urging people to take care of Levites.
c. Laws for tithes and offerings.
d. Writing of king’s copy of laws in front of Levites.
III. 3 links between D and the Shilonite priesthood:
a. The priests of Shiloh favoring the centralization of religion at Shiloh.
b. Shilonite priests did not connect the ark or Jerusalem priesthood in their
centralization of religion.
c. Urging people to take care for the needy which includes them.
d. They accepted kings but with limitations.
IV. Similarities between E and D:
a. Both refers to mountain Horeb as the place where Moses went and not in Sinai.
b. Both use the expression place where Yahweh sets his name.
c. Both regarded Moses as good, and with developed personality.
d. Both emphasized the role of the prophets.
e. Both are in favor and support for Levites.
f. Both see Aaron as evil person.
6. Chapter 7: A Priest in Exile
I. Types of insertions according to Friedman that were made by D
a. Grammatical breaks that indicated there was a Deuteronomist writer.
b. The Deuteronomist writer inserted the developed idea of the Babylonian exile itself.
c. The Deuteronomist writer made a reason for exile, specifically idolatry.
d. The Deuteronomist writer made the idea that Hezekiah’s reform was destroyed
because of King Manasseh.
II. Worst and last curse made by Deuteronomist writer according to Friedman.
a. The worst and last curse was that Yahweh will bring back the Israelites to Egypt as
slaves.
Section 4. “P” source

7. Chapter 8: The World that Produced the Bible (587-400 B.C.)

I. Fundamental religious and practical issues faced by the Judean exiles.
a. How the exiles and refugees relate their fate to God?
b. Is he a national God left in Judah?
c. Is he a universal God?
d. Why did he let this exile happen?
e. How to worship without a temple?
f. Who was to lead the people?
g. What is going to happen to the priests?
II. 2 great disappearances in this age according to Friedman.
a. The ark of the covenant
b. The Davidic dynasty
III. Priests taking control after the exile
a. The Aaronid priests took control over the temple
b. The Levites was the secondary to the Aaronids.
IV. Significance of Ezra as Pentateuch is concerned.
a. Ezra was the Aaronid priest and scribe who possess the Torah of Moses.
8. Chapter 12: In the Court of King Hezekiah
I. Why P was unhappy with JE according to Friedman.
a. P was unhappy with JE because The JE stories offended Aaron.
II. Some evidence that Friedman adduces for thinking that D knew P.
a. The story about the spies mentioned in P is found in D.
b. Numbers 14 and Deuteronomy 1.
III. Explanation of Jeremiah’s phrase laying pen of the scribes according to Friedman.
a. The phrase refers to the P document who attacks Jeremiah’s hero Moses.
IV. Place and date when P was produced according to Friedman
a. P is produced after 722 B.C. under King Hezekiah.
b. P emphasizes the centralization of religion.
c. P was written during the time of Aaronid priests.
d. P was written after the fall of Israel before the fall of Judah.

Section 5:

9. Chapter 13: The Great Irony

I. Who created the Torah according to Friedman?
a. Ezra
II. Some evidence that R began with P stories and not with J or E.
a. Significant passages within 4 books starts with priestly texts.
b. Redactor used P for enslavement of Israelites and the Exodus in Egypt.
c. Texts added were in P style and language.
III. Reason Cross conclude that P=R
a. The reason is that because for cross, there were never a separate P source.
IV. What does Friedman think about the formula P=R?
a. He believes P narrative is a continuous, consistent story.
V. How can one distinguish P and R?
a. By whether the text mentions the tabernacle or not.
b. R worked in the days of the second temple. Time of Ezra.
c. Redactor elaborated on one of the holidays in Leviticus 23.
VI. Why did R mix the sources according to Friedman?
a. Because there were groups still around that supported each one of them.
VII. Basic difference between P’s redactional activity vis a vis JE and R’s vis a vis JE and D.
a. P wants to make alternative for JE sources. R reconciled them. P struggled with
other sources and R embraced them.