Named for using the name Elohim for God. Originating from the northern Kingdom of Israel around the 8th or 9th century BCE, it focuses more on northern locations and traditions.
Friedman uses the to argue that the Torah was not written by a single person like Moses, but was compiled from four distinct source documents. The Four Primary Sources (J, E, P, D) Who Wrote the Bible? (2nd Edition)
The Bible often tells the same story twice with different details (e.g., two versions of the creation story or the flood). Friedman explains these as the result of a Redactor (R) —likely the priest Ezra —combining multiple sources into one cohesive but sometimes inconsistent narrative. Named for using the name Elohim for God
Named for using the divine name Yahweh . Written in the southern Kingdom of Judah around the 9th or 10th century BCE, it features a more anthropomorphic God. The Four Primary Sources (J, E, P, D)
The specific concerns, geography, and political leanings of each source reflect the real-world tensions between the northern and southern kingdoms of ancient Israel. Significance of the 2nd/Later Editions