How the Pentateuch came together—and what that means for how we read it today.
This critical overview explains the questions scholars ask about authorship, sources, and dating, and shows how those questions shape our view of the earliest biblical books.
The book surveys methods and findings from a long history of analysis, then outlines the major theories about how the Pentateuch was formed from multiple sources. It presents the evidence in a clear, accessible way, helping readers weigh competing interpretations without requiring prior specialization.
- What the main scholarly questions are and why they matter for interpretation
- How researchers identify different sources and narrative strands
- How debates about the text affect our understanding of law and worship in the biblical narrative
- An overview of the historical development of critical methods and conclusions
Ideal for readers seeking a solid, guided introduction to Pentateuch criticism and its implications for reading the Bible today.
Originally published in 1911, this book presents a comprehensive account of the Pentateuch, or Torah, and the book of Joshua, collectively known as the Hexateuch. The text gives a general account of critical problems concerning the Hexateuch as a whole and includes numerous tables, appendices and notes.