Timeline of the Torah

Timeline of the Torah

The Flood Stories

Revelation of the Divine Name

Creation

Creation of the D Source and Deuteronomy

[Found in Genesis 6-9]

Creation of the Ten Commandments and the New Covenant

[Found in Exodus 3 and Exodus 6]

[Found in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2-3]

Scholars place the flood at 2400 BCE.

[Found in Exodus 20 and Exodus 21-23]

* In Exodus 3, the E Source reveals the divine name of the Israelite God through a narrative story with supernatural elements (the imagery of a burning bush).

* The Ten Commandments were most likely written by the E Source and closely represent the similar laws, especially Neo-Assyrian ones, during the end of the 3rd millennium.

* The D Source was most likely formed around 621 BCE due to parallels with Assyrian vassal treaties and a reference to the "book of law" found in the temple in 621 BCE (2 Kings 22-23). This "book" was Deuteronomy.

* There are two versions of the Flood stories in the Torah. One is written by the J Source, focusing on a more narrative, imagery based approach, and the other was written by the P Source, focusing on the measurements of the arch and other small, analytical details.

In Chapter 3, YHWH says: "Ehyeh asher ehyeh" or “I will be what I will be” or “I am who I am”.

* The Hebrew Bible features two different stories creations. One more colorful narrative story written by the J Source and another more analytical account written by the P Source.

In Chapter 6, YHWH says: "I am YHWH. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but my name is YHWH I did not make myself known to them".

* The effects of the Deuteronomic Reform during the reign of King Josiah led to a large focus on the centralization of the Israelite people and their worship around the city of Jerusalem.

* The New Covenant had new laws that were causistic, saying in case of this, then do that while the Decalogue had apoditic, or absolute, laws.

The covenants during this time usually had 6 parts:

1. the preamble

2. the historical prologue

3. the stipulations

4. the provisions for the display of the text

5. list of witnesses

6. list of curses and blessings

* Scientists estimate the earth be have been created aprox. 4.5 billion years ago.

* The flood story mimics many of the same themes found in other ANE texts, such as the Atrahasis myth.

* There are several inconsistencies in these two stories such as the number of days the flood went on, the animal Noah released when the flood was over (dove/raven), and the different numbers/sets of animals brought onto the Arc. This was one of the first clues that there might be multiple authors of the Torah and of Genesis.

* In Exodus 19-34, the story is told again by the P Source, which has a more conversational, dry tone.

* The authors of Deuteronomy were most likely scribes in Josiah's court.

1800 BCE

1250 BCE

4500 BCE

2400 BCE

621 BCE

The Exodus

The Priestly Theology

Abraham (and the Patriarchal Period)

Adam and Eve

[Found in Exodus 7-18]

[Found in 25-40, Leviticus, and Numbers ]

[Genesis 11- 25]

[Found in Genesis 2-4]

* The Exodus of the Israelite people from Egypt is a largely controversial idea.

* The books of Leviticus and Numbers contain chapters of instructions on the conduct that the Israelite people are to follow. With a focus on details, centralized place of worship, and the consecration of priests, these sections were most likely written by the P Source.

Includes:

* Mostly written by the J and P Source, Abraham's story is one centered around promise. One of the main stories, Abraham features in is the covenant made with YHWH, promising him an heir (later Isaac and Ishmael) and innumerable descendants. This grant or unconditional promise, is one of the first covenants made between YHWH and his people in the Hebrew Bible.

* The J Source writes the story of Adam and Eve with vivid imagery and an anthropomorphic God that freely

interacts with his creations.

Later, this version of YHWH helps to define the difference between the J and E Sources.

* There seems to be none to very little archeological evidence confirming the Exodus from Egypt. While several theories exist, most scholars think that there may have been an exodus on a much smaller scale. Or if there was no actual Exodus, that the story may be representative of larger "cultural truths" during the time period or be used as a way to encourage the group during trying times.

* The creation of the P Source is highly debated. Some scholars believe that the source is postexilic source (written after the Israelite’s exile by the Babylonians), others like Richard Freidman, think it was made during the reign of King Hezekiah, (715-686 BCE), and still some think that presupposes the D Source (and 622 BCE), because the D Source references the P Source.

* There is significant controversy over the historical significant of the patriarchs and their stories.

• blessings and curses
• Holiness Code (H)
• the Impurity Laws
• instructions for the conservation of priests
• food laws
• instructions for sacrificial systems

* The proposed time period for Abraham based off modern scholarship, if accurate however, would be around 1800 BCE.

* Scholars place the Israel's disputed Exodus around 1250 BCE.