to
commence
investigations,
concluded,
after
an
ex-haustive
inquiry,
that
while
D
presupposes
the
Jahwistic
laws
in
Ex
20-23.
34,
the
bulk
of
the
Levitical
legislation
(i.e.
P
or
the
Elohistio
Grundschrift)
must
have
been
unknown
to
the
writer.
Testing
this
result
by
external
evidence,
he
concluded
that
P
could
not
have
been
produced
before
the
Exile,
and
that
in
all
probability
it
was
compiled
by
Ezra.
Some
details
of
Graf's
theory
rendered
it
especially
vulnerable;
but
it
was
adopted
by
WeUhausen,
whose
Prolegomena
to
the
History
of
Israel
(1883)
may
be
regarded
as
the
culminating
point
of
Biblical
criticism.
In
his
opinion
—
and
in
general
we
may
consider
his
views
on
the
main
question
indisputable
—
a
comparison
of
the
laws
with
the
evidence
supplied
by
the
prophetical
and
historical
books
shows
that
'
the
three
great
strata
of
laws
embodied
in
the
so-called
books
of
Moses
are
not
aU
of
one
age,
but
correspond
to
three
stages
in
the
development
of
Israel's
institutions.'
Moreover,
he
justly
pointed
out
that
there
were
no
valid
grounds
to
distinguish
between
the
legal
and
the
historical
sections:
JE,
which
is
mainly
narrative,
yet
embodies
the
Sinaitic
legislation;
Deuteronomy
gives
a
full
historical
presenta^
tion;
the
Priestly
Code
supplies
the
framework
of
the
whole.
The
chronological
order
of
these
codes
may
now
be
considered
beyond
dispute
—
Jahwistic,
Deuter-onomy,
Priestly
Code.
'When
the
codes
are
set
in
their
right
places
the
main
source
of
confusion
in
the
study
of
the
Old
Testament
is
removed,
the
central
problem
of
criticism
is
solved,
and
the
controversy
between
modern
criticism
and
conservative
tradition
is
really
decided'
(W.
R.
Smith,
OTJC^
388).
III.
Chahactehistics
of
the
Hexateuch.
—
It
now
remains
to
note
the
characteristics
of
the
different
documents,
distinguishing
not
merely
their
literary
differences
but
also
their
religious
standpoint.
Perhaps
it
will
be
simplest
to
begin
with
Deuteronomy,
which,
being
more
self-contained,
also
exhibits
more
uimiista-kably
the
clearest
evidence
of
independent
thought
and
language,
and
whose
approximate
age,
moreover,
can
be
determined
with
a
precision
little
short
of
absolute
certainty.
(1)
D.
—
From
2
K
22.
23
we
learn
that
a
book
of
the
Law
discovered
in
the
Temple
created
an
immense
sensation,
and
provided
the
basis
for
the
national
reforma-tion
undertaken
by
king
Josiah
in
the
year
B.C.
621
at
the
instance
of
the
prophetic
party.
The
old
theory
was
that
this
'Book
of
the
Covenant'
was
really
the
Pentateuch,
composed
ages
before,
long
fallen
into
complete
oblivion,
at
length
accidentally
re-discovered,
and
finally
adopted
as
the
rule
of
national
righteousness.
But
this
view
is
wholly
imtenable.
(i.)
It
is
incredible
that
the
whole
Pentateuch
should
have
disappeared
so
utterly,
or
been
so
wholly
forgotten.
The
book
diacovered
in
the
Temple
made
so
great
anim-piession
because
to
every
one
concerned
it
brought
an
entirely
new
message.
(ii.)
History
has
shown
clearly
that
a
very
large
part
of
the
Pentateuch
—
the
Levitical
legislation
—
did
not
come
into
being,
or
at
any
rate
into
force,
till
very
many
yeara
later:
and
that,
therefore,
these
laws
could
not
by
any
possibiUty
have
been
included
in
this
newly
discovered
work.
(iii.)
We
may
add
that
the
account
mentions
that
'all
the
words
of
the
book'
were
read
out
loud
twice
on
one
day.
"The
manifest
impossibility
of
such
a
feat
with
refer-ence
to
the
entire
Pentateuch
has
driven
conservative
critics
to
suggest
a
theory
of
appropriate
selecti9na;
but
this
arbitrary
supposition
is
little
better
than
a
dishonest
evasion.
(iv.)
Finally,
the
'
Book
of
the
Covenant
is
a
title
never
given
to
the
entire
Pentateuch,
but
only
to
certain
of
its
constituent
elements.
If
negative
evidence
proves
that
the
law-book
thus
discovered
was
only
a
part
of
the
Pentateuch,
positive
reasons
leave
practically
no
room
for
doubt
that
this
part
of
the
Law
was
identical
with
Deuteronomy.
(i.)
The
name
'Book
of
the
Covenant'
can
refer
only
to
Ex
24'
or
to
Deuteronomy
.
The
other
title
'
Book
of
the
Law'
is
repeatedly
used
in
D
itself
as
its
own
appropriate
and
familiar
designation,
(ii.)
But
we
can
best
judge
of
the
contents
and
character
of
Josiah'a
law-book
by
observing
its
effect.
The
discovery
of
the
book
led
to
two
important
consequences,
(a)
An
entire
reform
of
the
whole
system
of
Israelite
religion,
the
abolition
of
local
sanctuaries,
and
the
centralization
of
all
sacrificial
worship
in
the
Temple
at
Jerusalem.
(6)
The
celebration
of
a
great
Passover
strictly
in
accordance
with
the
cere-monies
prescribed
in
the
new
book,
by
the
entire
people.
StyUstically
and
linguistically,
the
distinguishing
characteristics
of
D
are
very
marked.
'
In
vocabulary,
indeed,
it
presents
comparatively
few
exceptional
words;
but
particular
words
and
phrases,
consisting
sometimes
of
entire
clauses,
recur
with
extraordinary
frequency,
giving
a
distinctive
colouring
to
every
part
of
the
work
'
(Driver,
op.
cit.
99)
.
So
much
so,
indeed,
that
it
is
possible
to
recognize
immediately
a
passage
of
Deuteronomlc
authorship,
or
written
imder
Deuteronomlc
influence.
(For
a
convenient
conspectus
of
such
words
and
phrases
the
reader
is
referred
to
the
careful
synopsis,
ib.
99-102.)
The
style
is
free
and
flowing;
long
and
stately
periods
abound;
but
there
is
no
affectation
or
monotony
in
the
persuasive
eloquence
with
which
the
writer
urges
the
claims
of
Jahweh
upon
Israel.
Theologically,
the
distinctive
feature
of
D
is
the
law
of
the
one
sanctuary,
which
is
perpetually
en-forced
with
solemn
warnings;
but
it
is,
after
all,
only
an
external
method
of
realizing
the
inmost
thought
of
the
book
—
the
greatness
of
God's
love
in
the
election
and
redemption
of
Israel,
and
the
response
for
which
He
looks
in
the
entire
devotion
of
the
human
heart.
This
truly
prophetical
theme
is
handled
with
such
warmth
and
tenderness
as
to
justify
its
happily
chosen
designation
as
'the
Gospel
of
the
OT.'
(2)
P.
—
If
D
represents
the
prophetic
formulation
of
Mosaic
legislation,
viewed
in
the
light
of
the
subsequent
history
and
religious
experiences
of
four
centuries,
so
does
P
show
us
how,
a
hundred
years
later,
when
the
theocracy
found
practical
embodiment
in
the
realization
of
priestly
ideals,
the
early
history
of
Israel
was
inter-preted
in
accordance
with
the
requirements
of
a
later
age.
Just
as
the
law
of
the
one
sanctuary
in
Deut.
is
the
practical
application
of
Isaiah's
doctrine
concerning
the
sanctity
and
inviolability
of
Zion,
so
the
separation
of
the
Levites
from
the
priests,
which
is
perpetually
emphasized
throughout
Leviticus,
is
really
the
outcome
of
Ezekiel's
suggestion
as
to
the
best
solution
of
the
difficulty
which
arose
when,
in
consequence
of
Josiah's
reformation,
the
high
places
were
suppressed,
and
the
priests
who
served
them
were
consequently
dispossessed
of
all
means
of
subsistence.
It
was
Ezekiel's
idea
that
the
Levites,
though
previously
enjoying
fuU
priestly
rights,
should
forfeit
their
privileges
in
consequence
of
their
participation
in
the
idolatrous
practices
which
had
char-acterized
the
worship
at
the
high
places,
and
should
be
degraded
to
the
performance
of
menial
duties
connected
with
the
cultus
established
at
Jerusalem.
A
comparison
of
the
theology
and
of
the
historical
circumstances
presupposed
by
P
practically
demonstrates
its
origin
to
be
later
than
Ezekiel.
Of
course
this
refers
only
to
its
literary
production,
not
to
all
its
contents,
some
of
which
{e.g.
the
'Law
of
Holiness')
are
plainly
derived
from
a
much
more
ancient
source.
It
is,
however,
a
mistake
to
view
P
as
simply
a
code
dealing
with
ritual
regulations,
or
as
the
reUgious
law-book
of
the
restored
community.
The
author,
writing
from
a
priestly
standpoint,
aims
at
giving
a
complete
and
systematic
account
of
the
'origins,'
both
poUtical
and
religious,
of
his
nation.
Accordingly
chronological
lists,
enumeration
of
names,
and
other
similar
statistics
constitute
a
prominent
feature
of
his
narrative;
and
by
those
signs
throughout
the
entire
Hexateuch
it
becomes
easy
to
distinguish
the
writer.
As
a
rule,
he
is
content
to
give
a
mere
outline
of
the
history,
unless
it
becomes
necessary
to
explain
the
origin
of
some
ceremonial
institution.
In
representing
God's
converse
with
men,
he
shrinks
from
using
the
