BIBL 410 Weekly Study Questions 1
Liberty University | 2026/2027 Edition
Complete Answer Key
Question 1: What is the Documentary Theory?
Answer: The Documentary Theory, commonly known as the JEDP hypothesis, proposes that the
Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy) was not written by a single author but is instead a
compilation of four distinct literary sources written by different authors at different historical
periods. These sources are identified as the Jahwist (J), Elohist (E), Deuteronomist (D), and
Priestly (P) documents, distinguished primarily by their use of different names for God—Yahweh
(J) and Elohim (E)—as well as variations in vocabulary, style, and theological emphasis.
Proponents of this theory argue that these documents were later redacted (edited together) by
unknown compilers long after the time of Moses, typically during the Babylonian exile or later.
This hypothesis fundamentally challenges traditional views of Mosaic authorship and the
historical reliability of Genesis.
Citation: Davis, Paradise to Prison, p. 21.
Question 2: Give the "contributions" Spinoza and Astruc made to this theory. What reasons
does Davis give to refute this theory?
Answer: Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677) was a Jewish philosopher who raised serious doubts about
Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch, effectively launching the movement known as "higher
criticism"—the internal literary analysis of biblical texts that seeks to identify sources, redactors,
and historical contexts separate from traditional claims. Jean Astruc (1684–1766), a French
physician, made the next significant contribution by being the first to systematically isolate
documentary sources within Genesis, specifically noting the alternation between the divine
names Yahweh (Jehovah) and Elohim and proposing that Moses compiled the book from two
distinct written sources. Davis refutes the Documentary Theory by arguing that the approach
cannot adequately solve the problem of Genesis's origin because it relies on circular reasoning
, and arbitrary criteria for dividing the text. Furthermore, Davis points out that archaeological
discoveries have consistently supported a Mosaic-era context for the cultural, geographical, and
linguistic details in Genesis, undermining the late-date theories of the JEDP hypothesis. The
theory also fails to explain the remarkable unity of theological purpose and narrative structure
throughout the Pentateuch.
Citation: Davis, Paradise to Prison, pp. 21–23.
Question 3: Give several examples of external evidences for Mosaic authorship.
Answer: External evidence for Mosaic authorship consists of biblical passages outside the
Pentateuch that explicitly attribute the writing of the Law to Moses:
• Joshua 1:7-8 – Joshua is commanded to meditate on "the Book of the Law" that Moses
commanded, indicating Moses wrote a comprehensive legal document.
• Exodus 17:14 – The Lord commands Moses, "Write this for a memorial in a book," showing
Moses engaged in writing divine revelations.
• Exodus 24:4 – "Moses wrote all the words of the Lord," documenting the covenant at Sinai.
• Exodus 34:27 – God commands Moses, "Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these
words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel."
• Numbers 33:1-2 – States that "Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by
the commandment of the Lord."
• Deuteronomy 31:9 – "Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests."
• Mark 12:26 – Jesus references "the book of Moses," confirming the New Testament witness
to Mosaic authorship.
These passages collectively demonstrate that both the Old and New Testaments consistently
recognize Moses as the author of the Pentateuch.
Citation: Davis, Paradise to Prison, p. 24.
Question 4: Give several examples of internal evidences for Mosaic authorship.
Answer: Internal evidence within the Pentateuch itself suggests an author who was an
eyewitness contemporary with the events described:
Liberty University | 2026/2027 Edition
Complete Answer Key
Question 1: What is the Documentary Theory?
Answer: The Documentary Theory, commonly known as the JEDP hypothesis, proposes that the
Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy) was not written by a single author but is instead a
compilation of four distinct literary sources written by different authors at different historical
periods. These sources are identified as the Jahwist (J), Elohist (E), Deuteronomist (D), and
Priestly (P) documents, distinguished primarily by their use of different names for God—Yahweh
(J) and Elohim (E)—as well as variations in vocabulary, style, and theological emphasis.
Proponents of this theory argue that these documents were later redacted (edited together) by
unknown compilers long after the time of Moses, typically during the Babylonian exile or later.
This hypothesis fundamentally challenges traditional views of Mosaic authorship and the
historical reliability of Genesis.
Citation: Davis, Paradise to Prison, p. 21.
Question 2: Give the "contributions" Spinoza and Astruc made to this theory. What reasons
does Davis give to refute this theory?
Answer: Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677) was a Jewish philosopher who raised serious doubts about
Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch, effectively launching the movement known as "higher
criticism"—the internal literary analysis of biblical texts that seeks to identify sources, redactors,
and historical contexts separate from traditional claims. Jean Astruc (1684–1766), a French
physician, made the next significant contribution by being the first to systematically isolate
documentary sources within Genesis, specifically noting the alternation between the divine
names Yahweh (Jehovah) and Elohim and proposing that Moses compiled the book from two
distinct written sources. Davis refutes the Documentary Theory by arguing that the approach
cannot adequately solve the problem of Genesis's origin because it relies on circular reasoning
, and arbitrary criteria for dividing the text. Furthermore, Davis points out that archaeological
discoveries have consistently supported a Mosaic-era context for the cultural, geographical, and
linguistic details in Genesis, undermining the late-date theories of the JEDP hypothesis. The
theory also fails to explain the remarkable unity of theological purpose and narrative structure
throughout the Pentateuch.
Citation: Davis, Paradise to Prison, pp. 21–23.
Question 3: Give several examples of external evidences for Mosaic authorship.
Answer: External evidence for Mosaic authorship consists of biblical passages outside the
Pentateuch that explicitly attribute the writing of the Law to Moses:
• Joshua 1:7-8 – Joshua is commanded to meditate on "the Book of the Law" that Moses
commanded, indicating Moses wrote a comprehensive legal document.
• Exodus 17:14 – The Lord commands Moses, "Write this for a memorial in a book," showing
Moses engaged in writing divine revelations.
• Exodus 24:4 – "Moses wrote all the words of the Lord," documenting the covenant at Sinai.
• Exodus 34:27 – God commands Moses, "Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these
words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel."
• Numbers 33:1-2 – States that "Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by
the commandment of the Lord."
• Deuteronomy 31:9 – "Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests."
• Mark 12:26 – Jesus references "the book of Moses," confirming the New Testament witness
to Mosaic authorship.
These passages collectively demonstrate that both the Old and New Testaments consistently
recognize Moses as the author of the Pentateuch.
Citation: Davis, Paradise to Prison, p. 24.
Question 4: Give several examples of internal evidences for Mosaic authorship.
Answer: Internal evidence within the Pentateuch itself suggests an author who was an
eyewitness contemporary with the events described:
