The Documentary Hypothesis [Paperback]

This review is based on the Magnes Press edition of this book which is difficult to find; I hope there is little change in this new edition. In any case, it's wonderful that this treasure is now easily available.
In a series of eight lectures Cassuto destroys the Documentary Hypothesis, the theory that the text of the Pentateuch was edited from four independent source-documents.
Cassuto describes the development of the theory, and the evidence on which it is based: the use of different names for God in the Pentateuch, variations of its language and style, apparent contradictions and divergences, duplications and repetitions and signs of composite structure in the text.
Cassuto argues that these pieces of evidence, individually and cumulatively, do not render the Documentary Hypothesis probable. Cassuto provides simpler explanations of the evidence. These explanations also fit in better with our background knowledge, including knowledge of the style of ancient near eastern texts.
For example, Cassuto points out that the different divine names are used consistently in different contexts. This is best explained by the divine names having different meanings (but the same reference). Further literature of the ancient near east evinces similar context-sensitive usage of different divine names. If the Documentary Hypothesis is not true, we would find precisely the usage of divine names that we do find.
Cassuto defends his claims with numerous sources, his extensive knowledge of ancient literature and Biblical Hebrew. In contrast, the proponents of the Documentary Hypothesis resort to circular reasoning and outlandish explanations of the text, as Cassuto shows.
Cassuto's understanding of the details and rules of Biblical Hebrew is profound, and there is much to learn here that I have not found elsewhere. This includes five rules used in the Bible to determine which first person pronoun is to be used, how the Bible decides to use descending or ascending order in compound numerals, and the difference between expressions such as "karath berith" and "heqim berith".
The beauty of Cassuto's style of writing is matched only by the clarity of his exposition.
Cassuto's opinion on the origin of the text does not appear to be religious. Rather, he believes that the Pentateuch selected and refined ancient traditions; Cassuto compares this to Dante who transforms material derived from many sources into a unique harmony. Whether or not one believes in the divine origin of the Pentateuch, however, Cassuto's book is an unanswerable attack on the Documentary Hypothesis and a powerful defense of the unity of the text.
I strongly recommend Cassuto's book along with Kitchen's "On the Reliability of the Old Testament".

Reading Cassuto while researching Wellhausen for undergrad ANE Lit class at Ohio State in 95 proved to be a foundational experience for me. Too often, the evangelical church creates a ghetto mentality with its scholarship and apologists. Here, however, I found a respected scholar taking up the breadth of a subject (formation of the Torah) and systematically engaging with academic precision against the conventional wisdom of his day (and still quite pervasive!). What's more? This scholar brought together the academy and the synagogue in his work, which was a breath of fresh air for me and proved a path for enjoyment of faith and reason held not in diametric opposition but in vibrant refining tension.

Occam's razor is one of the foundational principles of clear thinking, and Cassuto utilizes this principle with such deftness that no one can read this small book and not come away with serious doubts about the convoluted and tangled mess known as the Documentary Hypothesis. The simplest and most straightforward explanation is likely the best, and Cassuto offers a very straightforward and utterly convincing explanation for the use of the different names for God in the OT that cuts away the bramble bush DH. Whether you agree with the DH or not (or just plain don't know), you should wrestle with this classic.

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