Of Pillars and Foundations: Seven Thesis Statements Concerning the Hermeneutics of the Pentateuch

The study of the composition of the Pentateuch has been at the center of critical scholarship since the nineteenth century. While there is general agreement that the Graf-Wellhausen documentary hypothesis, as originally presented, is untenable, most of current Pentateuchal research has worked within the framework of the existence of divergent sources that underwent a number of editorial changes. Considering the basic physical law of input determining output, this study challenges the basic presupposition of the existence of divergent sources and calls for a fresh approach to the hermeneutics of the Pentateuch that approaches the biblical text on its own terms and that does not a priori negate the notion of inspiration, thus challenging the philosophical and methodological presuppositions of standard historical-critical scholarship. As a starting point for this new conversation, it offers seven thesis statements focusing on basic hermeneutics as well as promising methodological approaches that may point this important discussion beyond the well-worn tracks of critical scholarship.