Geneza Pięcioksięgu a historia patriarchów

Abstract

Despite its unity of plan, of spirit, and of doctrine the Pentateuch shows the marks of real complexity. From the sevententh century onwards, exegetes began to treat of the problem of the Pentateuch. The foundation of this scientific literary criticism was laid by R. Simon and J. Astruc. In the history of exegesis there were the following critical hypotheses: 1) the earlier documentary hypothesis, 2) hypothesis of fragments, 3) the later documentary hypothesis (J, E, D, P). J. Wellhausem gave this last theory a fondation on the Hegelian philosophy of religion and cult. The more recent development of Pentateuch higher criticism is to be found in the Scandinavian school. These see in the Pentateuch not so much documents as very old traditions. Recollections of olden times were passed on orally for centuries. The sources for the history of the Patriarchs are ancient, having been passed down long ago in a certain form: old accounts of clans, memories attached to ancient places of worship, traditional explanations relating to usages and customs. The importance of the Patriarchs depends more on facts of a religius character then on the passing events and incidents of their lives as keepers of floks. The biblical tradition mentions Haran as the starting-point of Abraham's journey and a fother tradition specifies that Abraham's father, Terah, had earlier migrated to Haran from Ur. The promise made by God to Abraham (Gen 12,1) is made with Isaac as well. In showing the choice made of the second-bom rather than the first-born, the author brings out his teaching on the freedom of the divine election. The promise is renewed with Jacob as it was with Abraham and Isaac and then with the twelve sons of Jacob.