Shortly after Darwin’s famous publication advancing the theory of evolution in 1859, there arose a hypothesis regarding the compilation of the first five books of the Bible. Julius Wellhausen formalized in the 1870s The Documentary or JEDP Hypothesis for the writing of Genesis through Deuteronomy. A whole movement of so-called “higher criticism” arose, which dominated theological education for the next 100-plus years.
Based on textual comparison of styles and terminology, Wellhausen’s hypothesis claimed that the “Five Books of Moses”, which the Bible attributed to the great patriarch, the Pentateuch, came from originally independent, parallel, and complete narratives, written much later, from 950 – 450 B.C., long after Moses lived. It assumed an “evolving” religious history of Israel.
But over a century after Wellhausen proposed these ideas that began to dominate so much of theological education, we have the benefit of more and better science. Today, we have many more discoveries and much better science of archaeology, carried out objectively with no presupposition to discriminate against specific biblical beliefs or ideas!
Most people are familiar with the Dead Sea Scrolls (a portion seen above), discovered in 1947, proving that the Old Testament writings are indeed ancient and have maintained nearly perfect accuracy in transmission. But few people are familiar with the discoveries at Ebla (1968-1976) in the north of modern-day Syria. Thousands of perfectly preserved clay tablets from the ancient Canaanite and Sumerian civilizations (as seen in the title image) have proven that sophisticated Semitic writing, record keeping, and civilization existed long before the time of Moses. They confirm the existence and locations of many of the biblical patriarchs.
Furthermore, 20th-century excavations have confirmed the advanced level of civilization in the city of Ur on the Euphrates River in modern-day Iraq, before the time of Abraham, who left the city to found the Hebrew nation. At the time of Darwin and Wellhausen, Ur’s location and existence was a complete mystery outside of the Bible.
Honest science through archeology has shown that writing and record keeping have existed as far back as we can trace the history of mankind! It is probable that Moses compiled the first five books of the Bible, taking advantage of original clay tablets and documents assembled from the original patriarchs, record keepers, and eye-witnesses of early events in the history of the world – just as the Bible says.
For example, the Bible records “This is the book of the generations (Hebrew, toledoth) of Adam” (Genesis 5:1). And, “These are the generations (toledoth) of Noah…” (Genesis 6:9). And, “Now these are the records of the generations (toledoth) of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah” (Genesis 10:1). The toledoth terminology, which also occurs in Genesis 11:10, 27; 25:19; 36:1,9; 37:2, is better understood as “signatures” as well as “generations” of the different original writers of the particular tablets informing Moses.
The tablets of Ebla also contain Babylonian myths which parallel the biblical creation and flood narratives, and the tree of life. They corroborate the Genesis narratives, while being corrupted and distorted versions of the biblical truth, with their grotesque absurdities and the human-like frailties of their many gods. Yet this is also a confirmation of the biblical record, testifying to mankind’s “devolution” through sin and rebellion, instead of evolution. It testifies to man quickly falling into idolatry and denial of the one true and holy God, just as the Bible tells us.
Harps, intricate jewelry, and other artifacts discovered at Ebla, Ur, and other places also reveal that advanced civilization and technology were familiar to the very earliest ancient peoples, just as the Bible says (Genesis 4:20-22) – and contrary to the “higher critics” who, with an evolution mindset, claimed was not possible. For example, many of the modern church scholars had asserted that King David could not possibly have played the harp because it would have been unknown during his time! But archeology has shown them to be wrong.
Archeological discoveries have shown the so-called “higher criticism” of liberal theologians to be merely unbelief fueled by confidence in evolution rather than confidence in God and His Word. Science, properly studied and employed, works to support the truth of God – as it has profusely done through archeology and the other sciences since the time of the so-called “higher critics”.
- Mark Cadwallader, Board Chairman of Creation Moments
Images: Cast of a terracotta tablet from Ebla, Davide Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. + Ebla tablets, Moshe Marlin Levin and Meitar Collection and National Library of Israel and The Pritzker Family National Photography Collection, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. Psalms Scroll, the Israel Antiquities Authority 1993, PD, Wikimedia Commons.
