Introduction to Christian Theology
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Authors of the Torah
Jack Macklemore
University of Maryland
THL 1050 - Introduction to Christian Theology
Introduction to Christian Theology
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Authors of the Torah
It was widely believed that Moses penned the Hebrew volumes that make up the Torah.
But, from the 18th century, historians developed a historical method to interpreting the Bible,
which purported to indicate that the tales had been molded through time by multiple writers,
using varied words and styles. Footnotes added by future readers clarify old place names and
highlight proof of occurrences that may be seen "to this very day."German scholars of the
nineteenth century classified the Torah into four categories of primary texts. Elohist, Jahwist,
Deuteronomist, and Priestly were their designations, with the oldest content (including the
majority of Genesis, the majority of Exodus, and certain sections of Numbers) attributed to E and
J. God is referred to as "Elohim" ("god") in Source E, which details the beliefs of the northern
tribes. The southern Israelite tribe of Judah is most closely associated with the four-letter name
of God YHWH, usually pronounced "Yahweh." This is the God to whom the Book of the Law
(Source J) refers. D is credited with writing the Torah's fifth book, Deuteronomy. It is related
with the theological reformation of King Josiah, who governed the Israelite kingdom of Judah
(created when the northern and southern tribes parted, in c. 930 BCE) in the 7th century BCE.
Josiah mandated absolute monotheism and the relocation of Jewish worship to the Temple in
Jerusalem. After the Assyrian conquest of Israel in 722 BCE, the history of the northern kingdom
is retold from Judah's perspective in the book of Deuteronomy.The most recent information
comes from source P and occurs after the year 586 BCE, when Jerusalem and the Temple were
destroyed by the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar. In Babylon, the priests rewrote Genesis and
Exodus and composed Leviticus and Numbers after he exiled the Jewish leadership there. From
the perspective of the Priestly narratives, Yahweh was not limited to a specific location and could
go with the Jews everywhere, even into exile: "I will set my dwelling place among you... You
Introduction to Christian Theology
shall be my people, and I will be your God (Leviticus 26:11–12).Mosaic law evolved over time,
being updated in response to new circumstances. Still, every single one of the new laws was
portrayed as having been handed down to Moses from God on Mount Sinai.
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