For Further Study

Fox (1995) has translated the Torah in such a way as to recover the rhythm and power of the original language more effectively than other renditions. For close study of the source documents, Campbell and O'Brien (1993) is indispensable by providing the documents in continuous form, along with detailed notes. Mann (1988) works through the Torah with an insightful literary and thematic retelling.

Part 1 Bibliography lists works that apply to the Torah generally. Each RTOT chapter covering the books of the Torah also has its own bibliography.

Questions for Review

1. What are the arguments for and against Mosaic authorship of the Torah?
2. According to the documentary hypothesis, what are the four literary sources of the Pentateuch?
3. Why was the source theory of the documentary hypothesis developed in the modern study of the Pentateuch? Why has the source theory been questioned in recent scholarship?
4. What are the distinguishing characteristics of the major Pentateuchal sources?
5. What are the unifying themes of the Torah?
6. What is the likeliest historical chronology for the time of Moses? What problems arise in trying to establish dates for the early figures of Israel's history?

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. How might the compositional issues in the study of the Torah affect a reader's attitude toward the text and its authority?
2. Is it important to prove that Israel's ancestors and Moses actually existed?

Part 1 Study Guide

• Chapter summary
• Key terms linked to the glossary
• Concept questions with answer links
• Progress tests: true/false, multiple choice, matching, and identification