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On the Torah or Pentateuch
Facts about the Torah and its stages of formation
Outline on the Torah: Meaning, Authorship, Contents and Stages of Formation
* The meaning of Torah - "Teaching" (divine guidance or
direction)
* Authorship - not the single "author" Moses but a composite
of writers and redactors
* Contents - five books - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
and Deuteronomy
* Four 'pointers' in understanding and reading the Torah:
- Torah - not a mere record of historial facts
- People depicted in Torah - not individuals but types of
people
- Torah does not contain eyewitness accounts
- any attempt at reconstructing history of Israel would be
hypothetical
Sources/Traditions found in the Torah
* J-E-D-P sources: Yahwist (J), Elohist (E), Deuteronomic (D),
Priestly (P)
* "Periodization" (presumed dates of writing) of sources:
(J) - c. 950; (E) - c. 850; (D) - c. 650 and later;
(P) - c. 550 and later
Formation of the Torah (from Tradition to Literature)
10 "stages" (hypothesis according to Gottwald)
1. stories were handed down orally
2. grouping of the stories together in themes
3. writing of Yahwist sources c. 950 (960-930 BCE)
4. formation of Elohist source c. 850 BCE
5. meeting of Yahwist and Elohist (JE) c. 721 BCE (extends
to c. 609 BCE)
6. making of Deuteronomic tradition c. 622 BCE
7. composition of Deuteronomic history c. 622-560 BCE
8. making of Priestly source c. 550-450 BCE
9. merging of JE + P (JEP) - after c. 450 BCE
10. JEP + D - merging c. 400 BCE
Great Themes of the Israelite Story Found in the Torah
* The promise to the ancestors/patriarchs - 3-fold
divine promise: land, posterity and blessing
* Liberation of Israel from Egyptian bondage - Exodus:
decisive event; central moment in Israel's history
* Providential guidance in the wilderness
- positive theme: Yahweh's gracious aid - manna and quails
- negative theme: "murmuring" against Yahweh and Moses
* The theophany at Sinai and the giving of the Law - Covenant
relationship ratified at Sinai
* Inheritance of the Promised Land
- Yahweh was with the Israelites, leading them victoriously
(against conflicts with Canaanite natives) into the land
A Glossary on the Old Testament
Knowing the meaning of some definitions of terms relating to the Torah, the
other books of the Old Testament, and the literary forms of the Old Testament
are helpful in understanding the bible. When we know how the New Testament
is rooted in the Old Testament through certain terms, then we can put into
better context our understanding of our faith. To know more about the meaning
of certain Old Testament terms that are often used in Catholic bible study,
you can check on
Glossary on the Old Testament.
Dennis-Emmanuel Cabrera
May 5, 2005
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