Who wrote the Bible? (A history of the Torah)

In this video I go through the scholarly discussion regarding the composition of the Hebrew Bible and, in particular, the Torah/Pentateuch. The main theory discussed is the so-called "Documentary hypothesis".

Sources/interesting articles:

Matthieu Richelle, “Elusive scrolls. Could any hebrew literature have been written prior to the eighth century B.C.E.?” (2016)

Erhard Blum, “Die altaramäischen Wandinschriften aus Tell Deir ̕Alla und ihr institutioneller Kontext,” in Meta-Texte. Erzählungen von schrifttragenden Artefakten in der alttestamentlichen und mittelalterlichen Literatur (ed. Friedrich-Emanuel Focken and Michael Ott; Materiale Textkulturen 15; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2016)

[tcl]

The time and effort it takes you to put together first rate presentations— for those of us who are not scholars or students is wonderful! Think you!

[blakewilley]

This is one of the clearest, most concise and most precise presentations of the documentary hypothesis with which I am familiar. Much better than the graduate - level scripture courses I've taken. Good work. Good teaching!

[disengronkulifactice]

I always think about this stuff when I hear people (American Evangelicals, mostly) say that every word of the Bible is literally true. Like... ok but which version each story? Why wouldn’t you acknowledge that fallible humans wrote the stuff down sometimes? It’s just so obvious if you look at the text...

[kameelffarag]

Rare unfolding of a Beautifully, and intellectually discussed difficult subject, should be accepted by believers and nonbelievers alike. Congratulations to our narrator.

[drd]

Great work! Especially how you focus on facts and you’re not biased, but rather you keep to the historical facts as they are available. Thank you

[JJBushfan]

I have spent my life being fascinated by religion as a cultural phenomenon, and also in searching for the true nature of spirituality as it underpins the meaning of life. This man is benefiting me greatly. No didacticism, no guru delusion, no ego - just the facts and theories stated with commendable lucidity. The fact that we don't even know his name gives us a reason to trust and listen to him. I'm watching one video a night and learning a lot.

[nichhodge]

Just to say I’ve found your channel today and I absolutely love it! History and religious history absolutely fascinates me and I wish I did it at university but instead I got my doctorate in quantum physics at Cambridge University (subject that I love too) but I did look at going back to study one of these subjects but family matters happened and I couldn’t do it. I have heard of Yahweh once having a wife/female partner and a personal theory of mine is that when the early Jews were taken back to Babylon (who’s own religious beliefs come down from the earlier Sumerians) adopted some of the Babylonian/Sumerian’s beliefs into their own even though they were still allowed to practice their own beliefs (Jewish beliefs). The stories of Adam & Eve and Noah come from Sumerian sources and the word “Eden” is in fact Sumerian meaning “wild land” that has not been cultivated by man (though many cultures around the world have flood stories which I believe have been passed down orally for thousands of years from the Younger Dryas 11, 600yrs ago). Like I said a personal theory

[gypsycruiser]

The mural relief you showed was of the Romans carrying away the contents of the Temple in Jerusalem after they sacked it and left ‘no stone atop another’

[shariarnold]

I really enjoy your presentations...I just finished the one on the Jinn. Thank you for all the research you have done for these. You are a very good teacher.

[nizarnizar]

I've always found strange the fact that the torah supposed to be written by moses contains his death's story.
Now i have an explanation, he didn't.

[Historian]

I enjoyed this brief and fair summary. I’d nuance two bits of it: 1., most scholars agree that those taken to Babylon in 586 BCE were the elites, mostly, not all the Judahites, regardless of what the texts say. It was common practice among many conquering peoples (the Assyrians were another example) to exile or sell the elites in order to subdue resistance and eradicate “high culture”; often, other people were then imported to replace them. 2., it’s generally agreed that the shift to a monotheistic cultus was not “pure." The Jerusalem Temple may have been restricted to the worship of one, unseen God; but the people's beliefs and practices were likely difficult to control -- thus, the need for the inclusion of all the opposition to such practices in the later editions of the texts. As more than one prominent historian has said: there's no need to strongly forbid something unless it's happening. A lot.

It's likely that, at least into the Hellenistic era, there were many Jews (the name change is accepted for post-586 BCE eras) who visited the shrines and holy places of others' deities, to show respect. In the ancient world, it was considered extremely rude to ignore the god(s) of the places and people one visits. Thus, many non-Jews respected the Jewish people as an ancient one, but considered their refusal to give other gods their due to be atheistic and downright rude. In fact, the term "atheist" was first lobbed at Jews and early Christians, because of their refusal -- more widespread by then -- to acknowledge other gods.

One prominent scholar of the Near East in Late Antiquity has asserted that there was no such thing as “pure monotheism” anywhere in antiquity, possibly not even during the Byzantine era. Given the persistence of beliefs in demons, lesser deities, spirits of the dead, angels, etc., into our own time, one could assert that pure monotheism is an ideal, but not real on the ground, so to speak.

This is true among Jews as well as other peoples. See the persistence among Jews of amulets, talismans, appeals to angels and warding-off of demons, down to the present. Jews wore -- and wear -- the hamsa, a charm used to ward off the evil eye among many peoples throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and elsewhere; the mezuzah, a tiny portion of scripture encased in a container and attached to the doorposts of buildings, is popularly thought to keep the premises safe -- despite assertions by rabbis that this is superstition, and was only intended to remind people of God as they come and go. The mezuzah or mezuzah-like pendants are popularly worn around the neck, for similar reasons. We can call it superstition, but on some level, it's a belief system.

BTW I’ve encountered a number of Jewish women who are very drawn to the Christian figure of Mary. The adoration of the Shekhinah/Sabbath Bride became popular among Jewish mystics in the 13th century (as seen in the Zohar and later texts), and possibly earlier. This practice closely parallels the era of the growing celebration of Mary among European Christians, especially during the troubadour period, and the spread of cathedral building during the European Middle Ages.

The great Rabbi Yosef Caro, author of the still-authoritative Jewish law code, the Shulchan Aruch (16th century), described being “visited” by an angelic teacher (a "magid") who imparted mystical and other insights to him. And on and on.

So the argument for a purity of monotheism is flimsy, at best. We humans love our unseen forces.

[shabbanzaidi]

I am a Mosiem, and got confused regarding the Holy books of the Jews and the Christians. You gave explicit details and explained it very comprehensively. Very well presented. Thanks. 🤗

[pripegalapobedonosni]

Judaism have a long tradition of debating among Jewish theologians. So I guess it i logical to conclude that the texts changed according to what ever interpretation of any given idea was strongest at that moment.
I don't know why while writing this I have this mind picture of Diogenes crashing a lecture at Plato's academy with a plucked chicken.

[MazeHardstylez]

You have become my favoured bedtime story narrator. The work you have put in your videos are amazing, and I humbly offer my thanks and appreciation. Who knew Sweeds could be this smart. Blessings from your oil nation brother, just across the border.

[steviesbadtv]

Human beings. Human beings created all writings all over the world from the very first writing. Which means human beings, created the God that you believe in…🤷🏻‍♂️

[kevinmurray]

What a great channel :) I really appreciated your closing remarks. That for a lot of people, textual contradictions are not what is important in relation to the stories and their teachings. Maintaining neutrality is difficult when talking about scripture, but I think you do a good job!

[armygirl]

I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have come across your channel. I had been listening to another channel that mentioned gnoisism when I realized though I've heard the term many times, didn't really know what it meant. When I dug deeper, of course your video on it came up and I absolutely loved your quality research and delivery. From there I binged all of your videos on the so-called Gnostic texts, and finally decided I needed to just subscribe but go back to your oldest work and work my way forward because I want to learn everything you're teaching through your videos. Thank you so much for creating all of these videos, they're absolutely fascinating and well done. You also have one of the most soothing voices and accents I've ever heard so I could listen to you talk all day. Blessings to you. It's brightened up my last couple days to listen to you in my headphones while I go about otherwise dull daily activities. Everything you're covering is so beyond fascinating!! 😊🩵

[greggrobinson]

Beautiful post, but no way he could cover the entire topic, which is truly mesmerizing. There are ancient political factors, regional variants, foreign influences, and if you read closely you can see the idea of the Hebrew God evolve, from a tribal war god to king of the Universe.

[dalesands]

I have to wonder whose story we are reading. I have read the Epic of Gilgamesh and found a few stories the same as in the Torah. The is a seven year bounty and famine in Gilgamesh similar to the story in Genesis of Joseph preparing Egypt for the same conditions.

[frankboulton]

Speaking purely from a linguist's perspective, the Torah is written in a number of language varieties, whose differences from each other go far beyond differences of style. Differences in the inflection of verbs give the impression that some passages are of much greater antiquity than others. As I am not a theologian, I will not speculate as to why this should be so.