The Sources at a Glance

J

NAME: comes from Yahweh (German Jahwe)

WHERE: Judah

WHEN: 922-722 B.C.E.

FIRST LINE: “In the day that YHWH made earth and skies ...” (Genesis 2:4b)

E

NAME: comes from Elohim

WHERE: Israel

WHEN: 922-722 B.C.E.

FIRST LINE: “and he lived between Kadesh and Shur and resided in Gerar.” (Genesis 20:1b)

RJE

NAME: stands for Redactor of J and E

WHERE: Judah

WHEN: post-722 B.C.E.

FIRST LINE: “And Abraham traveled there to the Negeb country.” (Genesis 20:1a)

P

NAME: for the Priestly content that is a large part of it

WHERE: Jerusalem

WHEN: post-722 B.C.E., not long after RJE, perhaps in Hezekiah’s reign (715–687 B.C.E.)

FIRST LINE: “In the beginning ...” (Genesis 1:1)

D

NAME: comes from Deuteronomy

WHERE: Judah (Jerusalem?)

WHEN: D is part of the longer Deuteronomistic History, the first edition (Dtr1) of which dates to the reign of King Josiah (640 to 609 B.C.E.); the second edition (Dtr2) dates to the Exile (post-587 B.C.E.)

FIRST LINE: “These are the words that Moses spoke to all of Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness ...” (Deuteronomy 1:1)

R

NAME: for Redactor

IDENTITY: the priest Ezra?

WHERE: Jerusalem