Elohist

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The term Elohist (abbreviated E ) referred to in the historical-critical biblical scholarship the hypothetical author of the source cited in the five books of Moses, called the Pentateuch , Hebrew תּוֹרָה Torah are said to have been processed.

The theory of the Elohist arose with the historical-critical research of the Bible in the 18th century, but has lost more and more approval since the middle of the 20th century and is only rarely represented in current Old Testament research.

Northern Reich Israel and Southern Reich Judah in the 9th century BC According to biblical information. the editorial changes to the texts are related to the political constellations. The " Yahwist " on the united kingdom under Solomon , the "Elohist" on the fight between the YHWH and Baals - worship in the northern kingdom , the Deuteronomy on the Assyrian threat to Judas and Jerusalem and the priestly scripture on the Babylonian exile .

Research history

The term "Elohist" was coined by Julius Wellhausen , the founder of the newer document hypothesis , in his "Prolegomena zur Geschichte Israels" (1886). The other source scriptures accepted by him ( "source layers" ) within the Pentateuch he called Yahwist , Deuteronomist and priestly code / script .

According to the newer document hypothesis, the Pentateuch only contains fragments of the previously independent Elohistic source script. For example in the Flood narrative Gen 6–9  EU and in Gen 15  EU  - Ex 9  EU , that is, from the land promise to Abraham to the conclusion of the covenant at Sinai and particularly strong in the Joseph story in Gen 37–50  EU . According to Wellhausen, the Elohistic source script originated around 800 BC. In the northern kingdom of Israel .

Recent studies have made confidence in the thesis developed by Wellhausen wan. Most of the current exegetical research no longer counts on an Elohistic source from the 9th century BC. Obvious keyword connections are now seen more as evidence of coherent, later editorial offices.

One of the researchers who is still based on an Elohistic source is the retired Erlangen Old Testament scholar Ludwig Schmidt.

Abraham Kuenen , together with Julius Wellhausen and Karl Heinrich Graf, founded the newer document hypothesis developed by Hermann Hupfeld on the origins and transmission of the Pentateuch , whereby he also documented the late dating of Graf. Otto Procksch and Abraham Kuenen worked out some inconsistencies and contradictions in the 'Elohisten'. They attributed the contradictions or inconsistencies in the material to the fact that the Elohistic text was also based on two different source materials . This led to a changed division of the text of the Elohists (E), so into one of the first Elohists (E 1 ) and one of the second Elohists (E 2 ). In terms of its designation or labeling, the source division should not be confused with the naming of the older and newer document hypothesis.

Theological profile and stylistic features

The narratives, which were initially handed down in oral tradition , were probably used in the 10th century BC Written down to a first historical work which reaches from the creation to the death of Moses ( Gen 2  EU to Dtn 34  EU "Yahwist"). Around the 8th century BC Chr. Editors integrated a second source script into the present texts. The additions were probably shorter and can only be recognized in individual texts, "Elohist". In the 7th century BC The 5th book of Moses, Deuteronomy ("D") was added to the (mythical) historical narrative from Israel's prehistoric times and the existing narrative threads were edited in the imaginary world. With the time of the Babylonian exile or shortly thereafter, the priestly scriptures the framework and the framework of the now more or less completed Pentateuch ( Gen 1  EU to Dtn 34  EU "P").

The Elohistic source script is mainly characterized by the use of the divine designation Elohim (= "God"). She uses this designation up to Ex 3.14  EU , the scene in which God reveals his name “ YHWH ” to Moses ; thereafter the Elohist uses the divine name "YHWH". A popular motif of the Elohist is the fear of God and the appearance of the angel Elohim.

The newer document hypothesis as a diagram. J : Yahwist (10th-9th century BC) [1] [2]

E : Elohist (9th century BC) Dtr1 : Early (7th century BC) Deuteronomistic history; Dtr2 : late (6th century BC) Deuteronomistic history; P * : Priest (6th – 5th century BC) [2] D † : Deuteronomists R : Editor DH : Deuteronomistic history ( Book of Joshua , Book of Judges , Book of Samuel , 1st Book of Kings , 2nd Book of kings )

See also

literature

Web links

Wiktionary: Elohist  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Melanie Köhlmoos : Exegesis and Hermeneutics of the Old Testament. Text published in "Loccumer Pelikan" 2/2017 [1]
  2. ↑ See Ludwig Schmidt : Literary studies on the Joseph story. De Gruyter, Berlin 1986
  3. ^ Pauline A. Viviano: Source Criticism. In Stephen R. Haynes , Steven L. McKenzie (Eds.): To Each Its Own Meaning: An Introduction to Biblical Criticisms and Their Application. Westminster John Knox, Louisville, Kentucky, 1999, ISBN 978-0-664-25784-2 , p. 40.
  4. ↑ Russell Gmirkin : Berossus and Genesis, Manetho and Exodus. Bloomsbury, London 2006, ISBN 978-0-567-13439-4 , p. 4.
  5. ^ Pauline A. Viviano: Source Criticism. In Stephen R. Haynes, Steven L. McKenzie (Eds.): To Each Its Own Meaning: An Introduction to Biblical Criticisms and Their Application. Westminster John Knox, Louisville, Kentucky, 1999, ISBN 978-0-664-25784-2 , p. 41.