Jewish J, E, D, P

The Documentary Hypothesis was created by Julius Wellhausen in 1878, and it was used to explain the different groups of people, and ways the Torah was written and edited. There are four different groups within this theory that consist of the J, E, D, and P’s (Coogan, 43). At first it started out with the problem of timing for the different names of God that the J’s and E’s focused on. The J’s were the Yahwist; claiming to the idea that the name Yahweh starts from the begging, in Genesis. The E’s were the Elohist; with the idea that the name Elohim is what starts at the begging of the Torah, and it is not until God reveals His name, Yahweh, to Moses in Exodus that Yahweh becomes the main name for God. After the J’s and E’s there are the D’s and P’s to be considered. The D’s shortened for Deuteronomic focused more on the book of Deuteronomy and its contents. The P’s were the Priestly group focusing more on the ideas and concepts of law, rituals, and other such matters. The four divisions are divided into J, E, D, and P; some having a few similarities, but it is the differences that make them unique. The Yahwist, or the J’s, being one of the oldest groups, have a unique idea of God, giving him anthropomorphic qualities, and focusing on the images and ideas the Torah gives of God having these human like mannerisms; as in the Garden of Eden when he forms the humans, walks with them, and talks to them there is a personal closeness. The J’s also focus more on the area of Judah in there ideas. The Elohist do not see God as so personal; the E’s see God from a more indirect position; not as close as the J’s do. To the Elohist God works more through dreams, angels, and prophets (like Abraham and Miriam) (Coogan, 45). The E’s were more focus on the northern parts of Israel, where the tribe of Ephraim was located. However there are many who are unsure the Elohist even existed as a whole group so the E’s are often just grouped in with the J’s. Then there are the D’s, or

Cited: 1. Coogan, Michael David. "The Formation of the Pentateuch and the Primeval History." A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament: The Hebrew Bible in Its Context. New York: Oxford UP, 2009. 42-59. Print.