Who wrote the Torah, aka, the Pentateuch—the first 5-books of the Bible? Was it Mosheh (Moses) or did others narrate the story and quote Mosheh? It is obvious when reading Exodus through Deuteronomy, that it is a Narrator(s) who are telling the story and quoting Mosheh at a time after sometime after the crossing of the Jordan River. And it became obvious that there are several distinctive hands contributing to the Pentateuch as we now have it. Theories identifying the authors and editors were developed. Documentary and Supplementary ideas were developed and refined.
The Documentary Hypothesis proposes that independent and complete narratives were combined by redactors to create the Pentateuch. A modern champion of the Documentary Hypothesis is Dr. Richard Elliott Friedman who authored the books: Who Wrote The Bible & The Bible With Sources Revealed. 1 The Supplementary Hypothesis is revision the Documentary Hypothesis as presented by Dr. Tsemach Yoreh who authored the Kernal to Canon series (see his own explanation below).
Friedman’s version of the Documentary Hypothesis is a good starting place. And I myself have additional criteria for determining the original texts.2 Studying convergences and contrasts is beneficial for advancing teachers. I must admit, that I had a “fundamentalist” mindset for four decades of study and did not study the issues in depth and thus gave no credence to these hypothesis’ until 2017. Additionally, I would now insert the proto-Deuteronomic scroll, The Moses Scroll into the mix. This is first Dead Sea Scrolls discovery that was first revealed to the world by Moses Wilhelm Shapiro in 1883 and falsely called a fraud. It was written in first person and prior to Israel’s entrance into the promised Land. Whereas, Deuteronomy is clearly written on the west side of the Jordan by a Narrator & Redactors (more on this later in the article). I would add The Moses Scroll placing it in front of Deuteronomy. I have not learned of any comments concerning it from Friedman or Yoreh since renewed evaluations have recently come forward.
Dr. Tsemach Yoreh’s hypothesis3 about ‘who wrote the Torah’
as presented in the Open Siddur Project with each layer color coded.4
As presented from the unique perspective of Dr. Tsemach Yoreh5 as he searched for solutions, “The answer I found was a version of the supplementary hypothesis, which actually predated the documentary hypothesis, but ultimately lost out because of the sophistication of documentary arguments and the usual academic politics.”
“The Supplementary Hypothesis asserts that the Pentateuch was composed by several different writers. This reflects an overwhelming academic consensus on Biblical authorship, even among scholars who do not subscribe to the Supplementary Hypothesis in particular.[….] According to the Supplementary Hypothesis, Biblical narrative is layered. No editor took a blowtorch to the parts of the Bible he disagreed with and destroyed them; if he had, we would not find these repetitions and contradictions. Instead, Biblical narrative began with a coherent, foundational bedrock, which over time accreted more and more storylines. Unlike geological processes, though, this process of addition was deliberate. What happened if one author disagreed with his predecessor’s storyline or worldview? He did not simply take an axe to the narrative; instead, he attempted to bury his predecessor’s point of view by repeating his own over and over again, thus skewing our understanding of the story in new ways. Every generation of readers sees the world differently, and thus every generation of writers seeks to adapt their predecessors’ cultural heritage to their own situation. We are not meant simply to dismiss earlier stories; rather, the intention of later writers is to transform our understanding of those stories via their additions.” Dr. Tsemach Yoreh
In contrast to Friedman who believes that the “J” source was first and then merged with “E” by the Redactor “RJE”, Yoreh believes that the “E” source was first and then it was supplemented by “J” the first Redactor, and then, “P”, and so forth.
Yoreh states also, “…The question of relationship between J and P is oft discussed in scholarship,
[1] one school claiming that P is supplementary to J (i.e. [P] was dependent upon J composing or sculpting his narratives as additions to the J narrative),
[2] the second school claiming that P was composed independently and was combined with J by a later redactor. The position adopted in this commentary will be the former; I think that the process of narrative composition in the Pentateuch and former prophets was almost exclusively supplementary. For a popular documentary commentary on the Pentateuch (the latter position) see Friedman’s color coded Bible. My book-series Kernel to Canon and this website present the documentary hypothesis for comparative purposes, but without commentary.” brackets added
The Tetrateuch – Genesis thru Numbers
“… work of literary genius, it is E: The first book of God. It was however, only the first stage – The first book of God was followed by, J: The book of Mercy, who resurrected Isaac and composed the first historiographical work of the Bible, then P: The book of Order, who [along with H] added the bulk of the laws found in the Pentateuch to J’s historiographical work and so on and so forth. Each successive supplementation respected the received text and only added to it, the only erasures were accidental.”
[Brackets & Braces are mine… TPO]
[TPO’s Insertion: One of the foundational matters that tipped scholars off to the layers of redaction in the Pentateuch was the use of names. Throughout Genesis and until Exodus Chapters Three, the name “Jahweh or Yahweh” was not used in certain passages and exclusively in others. The same was true for the name “Elohim”. Along with several other factors, this helped scholars to identify the first three layers called, E, J, and P for Priest(ly).
It was deduced that “E” and “P” did not use the name Yahweh until it was revealed to Moses on Mt. Horeb/Sinai. “P” used “Elohim” and “El-shaddai” and claimed that the name Yahweh was not known until it was revealed to Moses (Ex. 6:2).
Throughout Genesis until then (Ex. 3:15) “E” used the name “Elohim” (and “El”) and not Yahweh; either because
(1) the name Yahweh was not known until revealed to Moses as claimed by “P”, or, (in my own musings)
(2) the name Yahweh was known but it was not permitted to be written nor spoken publicly by “E’s” scribal practice in order to preserve its’ unique sacredness–that is, until “J” claimed that it was permitted to do so by Moses (Ex. 3:15). And so, “J” the Yahwist, who was the first redactor of “E” the Elohist, corrected “E” and inserted it into the text next to “Elohim” all the way back in Genesis 2:4. After its’ revelation to Moses, all began to use the name Yahweh. And, the modern Jewish practice of such avoidance is a reversion back to the same practice.]
Now back to Dr. Tsemah Yoreh.
⬛ ‘E’. The kernel of biblical text upon which all other narratives were laid is thought to have been composed in the mid- to late eighth century BCE toward the end of the heyday of the northern Kingdom of Ephraim (one of the two kingdoms that occupied Biblical Israel). This layer, commonly referred to as ‘E’, is indicated with INDIGO text. The first parashah containing text of this layer was parashat Vayera in Sefer Bereshit 18:1-22:24.
⬛ ‘J’. The next oldest layer is thought to have been composed in the late 8th or early 7th century BCE in the southern Kingdom of Judah. This layer, commonly known as ‘J’, is indicated with a BLUE text. [“J”] or, The Yahwist, looked at “E’s” text and said, “This is not the whole story creating wrong impressions, so I will make it more accurate by supplementing your text.” ]
⬛ ‘P’ (for ‘Priestly’) The next strata, thought to have been composed during the exilic to early post-exilic period (571–486 BCE) is, as Dr. Yoreh explains, “responsible for supplementing the ‘J’ narrative with dates, names, and numbers, thus ‘ordering’ and authenticating ‘J’s account.” This layer, commonly referred to as ‘P’ (for ‘Priestly’) appears here in GREEN text. [P & H added various details important to them including the insertions to legitimize the animal sacrificial system, eating animals, and circumcision.]
⬛ ‘H’ (Holiness Code) The next strata popularized Kohanite law for the remnant of Judah after the Temple was destroyed, and functioned as an intermediary between Kohanite lists and laws and the surrounding narrative. This layer, which Dr. Yoreh calls ‘H’ (for the ‘Holiness Code’) appears here in LIME-GREEN text.
‘B’ (Bridger) The most recent layer of text, is a post-exilic (pre-3rd century BCE) text that Dr. Yoreh refers to as the “Bridger” which supplements earlier strata with genealogies and popular myths, providing narrative bridges between distant story cycles. This ‘B’ layer is presented here in FUCHSIA.
Deuteronomy / Devarim
Dr. Tsemah Yoreh’s Supplemental Hypothesis for Deuteronomy (except for The Moses Scroll)
⬛ ‘D’ The Moses Scroll was written in first person except for the first and last verses written by a later scribe. It is possibly a copy of the original Deuteronomic scroll that Moses himself wrote just prior to the Israelites entry into The Land of their inheritance. See the book, The Moses Scroll by Ross K. Nichols, and, The Valediction of Moses by Idan Dershowitz. The original Dead Sea Scroll that was obtained by Moses Wilhelm Shapiro & revealed to the world in 1883. As an addition to the proposals of Dr. Tsemach Yoreh, we insert ‘D’ in Orange before ‘D1’ as an additional proposal to be investigated and examined.
⬛ ‘D1’ Most of the book of Deuteronomy (sefer Devarim) is considered the composite of three layers of redaction, ‘D1,’ ‘D2,’ and ‘Dp.’ Together, these layers (commonly referred to as the ‘Deuteronomist’) are thought to have formed by a complex process that reached probably from the 7th century BCE to the early 5th. This strata is primarily responsible for incorporating the law code of Deuteronomy into the Pentateuch [or, Tetrateuch]. D1, as it is called, also adds a layer of redaction concerned with theodicy in the books of Joshua-Kings. D1 appears here in BLACK text.
‘D2’ This strata, called D2, shares a particularly non-Judean perspective following the split between the north (Ephraim/Yisrael) and the south (Yehudah) after the reign of Shlomo haMelekh, a perspective that was ignored by D1 (and successive authors). In Deuteronomy, D2 adds hortatory (sermons) to D1’s narrative introduction at the beginning of Deuteronomy (the focus of which is the observation of the commandments and divine justice), and otherwise supplements D1’s work. (A few verses in Parashat Bo in the book of Exodus are also attributed to D2.) D2 appears here in RUST-BROWN text.
‘Dp’ This strata “reflects the strength and demands of the Jerusalem priesthood” following upon the reforms of King Yoshiyahu in the mid- to late 7th century BCE. The third Deuteronomist (and the latest) is the most easily identified, since they are the Deuteronomist most interested in Priestly themes such as purity, proper sacrifice, and the priests. This third Deuteronomist seems to have confined his additions to the book of Deuteronomy (almost exclusively confining himself to hortatory and laws). This layer, referred to as ‘Dp’ (for ‘Priestly’), appears here in DARK GREEN text. “Many scholars believe that a late Priestly strand is extant within the book of Deuteronomy. In my opinion this strand is none other than H who harmonized between the Priestly and Deuteronomistic traditions, continuing Dtr 2’s attempt to bring the book of Deuteronomy into line with the first four books of the Tetrateuch. This is one of three openings of the book…” Note on Dt. 1:1
Richard Elliott Friedman’s color-code in his book,
The Bible With Sources Revealed, page 32.
J ………………………………………….. Green
E …………………………………………. Green Sans Bold
P …………………………………………. Blue Sans
RJE …………………………………….. Green with background screen
R ………………………………………… Blue with background screen
Other Independent Texts …….. Blue Italic
Genesis 14 …………………………… Green Italic
Dtn …………………………………….. Green Sans Italic
Dtr1 ……………………………………. Blue
Dtr2 …………………………………… Blue Bold
- https://richardelliottfriedman.com/ I am not aware of the availability of his color-code on the internet which is in his book, The Bible With Sources Revealed. ↩︎
- And, I have additional criteria within the J-E-P-D and E-J-P-H-D paradigms for determining the original texts. I believe other ancient testimonies; that the Hebrew-Israelites were Vegetarian-Fruitarians and did not butcher and consume animals and considered such to be abominable practices. The Levites were P1 (or LP, Levite Priests)—the original priesthood established in Jacob’s son, Levi. This was a non-animal sacrificing priesthood (P1 or LP) as can be discerned from the Moses Scroll. But, after the Book of Joshua, a deviant paganized sacrificial priesthood cult arose (P2) and split off from P1 (or LP) after the time of Joshua and the Elders. P2’s progeny were the final redactors of a Tetrateuch and then the Pentateuch & Tanakh (by P2 & H). The Prophets from Samuel and David forward were Restorationists opposed to the renovations of the sacrificial cult. One of Y’Shua’s assignments was to end the sacrificial system by persuasion—rejected but completed in AD 70. ↩︎
- Dr. Tsemach Yoreh’s website: https://www.biblecriticism.com/supplementary_index.html ;
https://opensiddur.org/shared/readings-and-sourcetexts/weekly-torah-readings/ ↩︎ - As always, it should be noted that the quoting or use of an author is not necessarily an an endorsement of all that they teach. We are eclectic as we approach the interpretation of biblical history. Our views become refined by comparing points of view. Sometimes we find the truth is somewhere in the midst of opposing views. I do not hold absolutely to either Richard Friedman’s nor Tsemach Yoreh’s views nor their exact color codes. I think that the truth is somewhere in the middle. There were whole documents included in the creation of the Tanakh and that the first Narrative (whether J or E) went through stages of supplementation. We’ll likely be comparing and examining them until the end. I have additional elements in my opinions concerning these things, as is reflected in the whole of my website, such as: The Hebrew-Israelites were originally Vege-Fruitarians and animal sacrifice and consumption was considered an abomination. The latter Priestly/Holiness codes were deviant insertions. As we note in this website, there were Israelite groups that held these views. ↩︎
- Dr. Yoreh states on his website: “I would like to thank my teachers Israel Knohl, Baruch Schwartz, Alexander Rofe and many others for shaping the way I think about Biblical writing.” We note that his Supplementary Hypothesis should not be confused with that of others, such as, Dr. John Van Seters. ↩︎