The Deuteronomist Source Analysis

It became accepted by the Hebrew community that Moses was the author of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and the majority of Deuteronomy. However, during the translation of the Torah by the Greeks, in 300BC, it became essential that Moses be identified as the author of the Torah followed by the early Latin translators, beginning in 390AD, who also agreed that Moses was the author of the Torah. For centuries and even still today nearly all traditional biblical historians, scholars and theologians claim that Moses with the exception of the last few verses that was the author of the first five books of the Old Testament. Traditionally it was believed that God as a participant and observer of the historical events concerning creation of the

The Deuteronomist Source lived after and was familiar with the writings of the Jahwist and Elohist sources. After the Assyrians destroyed Jerusalem there were other Deuteronomist writers that edited the original text including that by the Jahwist and Elohist sources. This source wrote approximately 18% of the Old Testament that included the end of the Book of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. Their input used the term YWHW Elohim as their name for God, which translated as in the King James Version is "The Lord Our

This source lived after and was aware of the writings of the other three sources. They did not appreciate or like the other three sources and frequently plagiarized their text but used their own alternative versions. They were the largest of the four sources that wrote nearly 45% of the first five books of the Old Testament. This source was very specific with describing religious rituals, dates, measurements, chronologies, genealogies, ethical laws, used the name Elohim as a general name for God and were responsible for the the name El Shaddai, which was only spoken to the prophets of that time in biblical