Identification of the Authors of the Torah

Renowned Biblical scholar Richard Elliot Friedman wrote a book titled Who Wrote the Bible? to give us his thoughts on who composed the first five books of the Bible. Based on the theory known as the Documentary Hypothesis which says that there were multiple sources for the first five books as well as a redactor, Friedman studies the topic extensively and looks at the composition of each of these biblical books.

The five books, known as the Pentateuch or the Five Books of Moses, have been thought to have been written by Moses, by Moses and a later editor, 2 authors, 4 authors, 5 authors, etc, etc. The debate on the authorship has been nearly as intense as the debate on the belief system contained therein. For a further discussion on this debate click here.

Below is a table from the appendix of Friedman's book on the subject, and shows which source he believes each verse comes from. The J column comes from the "Yahwist" who almost always wrote God's name as "YHVH" (translated as Lord). The E column is the "Elohist" who almost always wrote God as "Elohim" (translated directly to God). The P column is the Priestly source who wrote the majority of the laws of worship, behavior and sacrifice in the five books. The D column is the "Deuteronomist" (split by Friedman into two sources) who wrote only the majority of the fourth book, Deuteronomy. The R source is the "Redactor" who worked as the editor to make the different sources appear as if they had been written by a single author. The Redactor added a verse here and a verse there to make the transitions seem almost seemless.

For a further treatment of the sources and the reasoning for the placing of the verses, I encourage all to purchase Friedman's book and read it. At the very least, visit your local library and check it out.

The Book of Genesis

* - Note should be taken that this chapter is believed by scholars to be the composite of two sources, because of difficulties in the text. Parts of this chapter may come from the redactor himself, but this can not be known for sure.

The Book of Exodus

Event J E P D Redactor Those Who Came to Egypt - - - - 1:1-5 The New Generation - - 1:6-7 - - The Enslavement - 1:8-12 1:13-14 - - Killing the Male Infants 1:22 1:15-21 - - - Moses' Birth & Youth 2:1-23a - - - - God Hears Israel's Cry - - 2:23b-25 - - YHVH Summons Moses 3:2-4a, 5, 7-8, 16-22, 4:1-17, 19-20a, 21a, 22-31 3:1, 4b, 6, 9-15, 4:18, 20 6:2-12. 14-25, 7:1-9 - 4:2b, 6:13, 26-30 Moses and Pharaoh 5:1-6:1, 7:14-18, 20b-21a, 23-29 8:3b-11a, 16-28, 9:1-7, 13-34, 10:1-19, 21-26, 28-29, 11:1-9 - 7:10-13, 19-20a, 22b, 8:1-3a, 12-15, 9:8-12 - 8:11b, 9:35, 10:20, 27, 11:9-10 The Exodus 12:21-23 12:24-27, 29-36, 37b-39, 13:1-16 12:1-20, 28, 40-49 - 12:37a, 50-51 The Red Sea 14:5-7, 10b, 13-14, 19b, 20b, 21b, 24, 27b, 30-31, 15:1-18 13:17-19, 14:11-12, 19a, 20a, 25a, 15:20-21 13:21-22, 14:1-4, 8, 9b, 10a, 10c, 15-18, 21a, 21a, 22-23, 26-27a, 28-29 - 13:20, 15:19 Water in the Wilderness 15:22b-25a - - - 15:22a, 27 Commandments 15:25b-26 - - - - Flood in the Wilderness - 16:4-5, 35b 16:2-3, 25a, 26 - 16:1 Water in the Wilderness - 17:2-7 - - 17:1 Amalek - 17:8-16 - - - Jethro - 18:1-27 - - - Horeb & Sinai 19:10-16a, 18, 20-25 19:2b-9, 16b-17, 19, 20:18-26 19:1 - 19:2a The Ten Commandments - - 20:1-17 - - The Covenant Code - 21:1-27, 22:1-30, 23:1-33 - - - Horeb/Sinai (cont.) - 24:1-15a, 18b 24:15b-18a - - Tabernacle Instruction - - 25:1 - 31:11 - - Sabbath Commands - - 31:12-17 - - The Tablets - - 31:18 - - The Golden Calf - 32:1 - 33:11 - - - Theophany of Moses 34:1a, 2-13 33:12-23 - - 34:1b The Ten Commandments 34:14-28 - - - - The Skin of Moses' Face - - 34:29-35 - - Execution of the Tabernacle Instruction - - 35 - 40 - -

The Book of Leviticus

Event J E P D Redactor Entire Book - - 1 - 27 - - Except Book on Sukkot - - - - 23:39-43 Restoration from Exile - - - - 26:39-45

The Book of Numbers

Event J E P D Redactor The Last Days at Mt. Sinai - - 1:1 - 2:34, 3:2 - 9:14, 10:1-10 - 3:1, 9:15-23 Departure from Sinai 10:29-36 - 10:11-12, 14-27 - 10:13, 28 Taberah - 11:1-3 - - - Flood in the Wilderness - 11:4-35 - - - Moses' Cushite Wife - 12:1-16 - - - The Spies 13:17-20, 22-24, 27-31, 33, 14:1b, 4, 25-26, 27b-32a, 33-34 - 16:1a, 2b-11, 15-24, 27a, 32b, 35 - 16:24, 27* Aaronids & Levites - - 17:1 - 18:32 - - The Red Heifer - - 19:1-22 - - Water in the Wilderness - - 20:1b-13 - 20:1a Israel & Edom 20:14-21 - - - 21:4a The Death of Aaron - - 20:23-29 - 20:22 Israel & Arad 21:1-3 - - - - The Bronze Serpent - 21:4b-9 - - - Journetys - - - - 21:10-20 Sihon & Og 21:21-35 - - - - Balaam - 22:2 - 24:25 - - 22:1 The Heresy of Peor 25:1-5 - 25:6-19 - - Census - - 26:1-8, 12-65 - 26:9-11 The Daughters of Zelophedad - - 27:1-11 - - The Appointment of Joshua - - 27:12-23 - - Additional Sacrificial Law - - - - 28:1-21, 29:1-39 Laws on Annulling Women's Vows - - 30:1-17 - - The Defeat of the Midianites - - 31:1-54 - - Tribal Portions - - 32:1-42, 33:50-56, 34:1-29, 35:1-34, 36:1-13 - - The Station List - - - - 33:1-49

* - The names Dathan and Abiram do not fit here. Only the Tabernacle of Korah is mentioned in these verses. Dathan and Abiram are mentioned separately in verse 27b. They appear to have been added by the redactor as a way to combine the two originally separate stories.

The Book of Deuteronomy

Event DTR1 DTR2 OTHER E Redactor Moses' Introduction 1:1 - 4:24, 32-49, 5:1-8, 18, 9:1 - 11:32 4:25-31, 8:19-20 - - - Law Code 26:16-19, 27:1-10 - 12:1 - 26:15 - - Covenant Ceremony 27:11-26 - - - - Blessings & Curses 28:1-35, 38-62 28:36-37, 63-68 - - - Moses' Conclusion 28:69, 29:1-20, 28, 30:11-13, 31:1-8 29:21-27, 30:1-10. 14-20 - - - The Appointment of Joshua - - - 31:14-15, 25 - The Torah 31:9-12, 24-27 - - - - The Song of Moses - 31:16-22, 28-30, 32:44 32:1-43 - - Moses' Last Words 32:45-47 - - - - The Blessings of Moses - - 33:2-27 - - The Death of Moses 34:10-12 - 32:48-52(R) 34:1-6 34:7-9