The Text of the Pentateuch

Abstract

This essay reconstructs the history of the text of the Pentateuch from the extant evidence available, starting with a brief inscription from the seventh century BCE and ending with the medieval Masoretic Text and Samaritan Pentateuch. It begins with an overview of the available textual evidence. There follows a history of text-critical theories concerning the development of the text of the Pentateuch, finishing with the author’s own reconstruction of that development. Finally, the essay ends with a brief discussion of the relevance of this textual data to the current debate concerning the composition of the Pentateuch.