Richard Elliott Friedman
Encyclopedia
Richard Elliott Friedman is a biblical scholar and the Ann and Jay Davis Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Georgia
. He joined the faculty of the UGA Religion Department in 2006. Prior to his appointment there, he was the Katzin Professor of Jewish Civilization: Hebrew Bible; Near Eastern Languages and Literature at UCSD from 1984 until 2006. Dr. Friedman received his Th.D. in Hebrew Bible and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University
in 1978; Th.M.in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University in 1974; M.H.L., Jewish Theological Seminary
in 1971, and B.A., University of Miami
in 1968. He is a winner of numerous awards and honors, including American Council of Learned Societies
Fellow. He was a Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge
and the University of Oxford
; and a Senior Fellow of the American Schools of Oriental Research
in Jerusalem. He participated in the City of David Project archaeological excavations of biblical Jerusalem.
He is probably most famous for his work Who Wrote the Bible?
, a description of the Documentary hypothesis
. The book was praised for its scholarship, accessibility, and conciliatory tone.
. P for instance “emphasizes centralization of religion: one centre, one altar, one Tabernacle, one place of sacrifice. Who was the king who began such centralization? King Hezekiah."
According to Friedman, and others who follow the theories of Julius Wellhausen
regarding the formation of Israel's religion, P is the work of the Aaron
id priesthood. They are the priests in authority at the central altar – not Moses, not Korah, nor any other Levi
tes. Only those descended from Aaron can be priests. Friedman then goes on to say “P always speaks of two distinct groups, the priests and the Levites. Who was the king who formalized the divisions between priests and Levites? King Hezekiah." Chronicles reports explicitly:
Friedman writes that the “Aaronid priesthood that produced P had opponents, Levites who saw Moses and not Aaron as their model. What was the most blatant reminder of Moses power that was visible in Judah? The bronze serpent 'Nehushtan
'. According to tradition, stated explicitly in E, Moses had made it. It had the power to save people from snakebite. Who was the king who smashed the Nehushtan? Hezekiah.”
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
. He joined the faculty of the UGA Religion Department in 2006. Prior to his appointment there, he was the Katzin Professor of Jewish Civilization: Hebrew Bible; Near Eastern Languages and Literature at UCSD from 1984 until 2006. Dr. Friedman received his Th.D. in Hebrew Bible and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1978; Th.M.in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University in 1974; M.H.L., Jewish Theological Seminary
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
in 1971, and B.A., University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in 1968. He is a winner of numerous awards and honors, including American Council of Learned Societies
American Council of Learned Societies
The American Council of Learned Societies , founded in 1919, is a private nonprofit federation of seventy scholarly organizations.ACLS is best known as a funder of humanities research through fellowships and grants awards. ACLS Fellowships are designed to permit scholars holding the Ph.D...
Fellow. He was a Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
; and a Senior Fellow of the American Schools of Oriental Research
American Schools of Oriental Research
The American Schools of Oriental Research, founded in 1900, supports and encourages the study of the peoples and cultures of the Near East, from the earliest times to the present. It is apolitical and has no religious affiliation...
in Jerusalem. He participated in the City of David Project archaeological excavations of biblical Jerusalem.
He is probably most famous for his work Who Wrote the Bible?
Who Wrote the Bible?
Who Wrote the Bible? is a book by biblical scholar Richard Elliott Friedman. The book is a general audience explanation of the Documentary Hypothesis of the composition of the Old Testament...
, a description of the Documentary hypothesis
Documentary hypothesis
The documentary hypothesis , holds that the Pentateuch was derived from originally independent, parallel and complete narratives, which were subsequently combined into the current form by a series of redactors...
. The book was praised for its scholarship, accessibility, and conciliatory tone.
Origin of the P source
Friedman is of the view that the P Source of the Bible was composed during the time of HezekiahHezekiah
Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz and the 14th king of Judah. Edwin Thiele has concluded that his reign was between c. 715 and 686 BC. He is also one of the most prominent kings of Judah mentioned in the Hebrew Bible....
. P for instance “emphasizes centralization of religion: one centre, one altar, one Tabernacle, one place of sacrifice. Who was the king who began such centralization? King Hezekiah."
According to Friedman, and others who follow the theories of Julius Wellhausen
Julius Wellhausen
Julius Wellhausen , was a German biblical scholar and orientalist, noted particularly for his contribution to scholarly understanding of the origin of the Pentateuch/Torah ....
regarding the formation of Israel's religion, P is the work of the Aaron
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
id priesthood. They are the priests in authority at the central altar – not Moses, not Korah, nor any other Levi
Levi
Levi/Levy was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Levi ; however Peake's commentary suggests this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite...
tes. Only those descended from Aaron can be priests. Friedman then goes on to say “P always speaks of two distinct groups, the priests and the Levites. Who was the king who formalized the divisions between priests and Levites? King Hezekiah." Chronicles reports explicitly:
- “Hezekiah assigned (Hebrew יעמד) the priests and Levites to divisions — each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites. ”
Friedman writes that the “Aaronid priesthood that produced P had opponents, Levites who saw Moses and not Aaron as their model. What was the most blatant reminder of Moses power that was visible in Judah? The bronze serpent 'Nehushtan
Nehushtan
The Nehushtan , in the Hebrew Bible, was a sacred object in the form of a snake of brass upon a pole.The priestly source of the Torah says that Moses used a 'fiery serpent' to cure the Israelites from snakebites...
'. According to tradition, stated explicitly in E, Moses had made it. It had the power to save people from snakebite. Who was the king who smashed the Nehushtan? Hezekiah.”
Writings
- Who Wrote the Bible?Who Wrote the Bible?Who Wrote the Bible? is a book by biblical scholar Richard Elliott Friedman. The book is a general audience explanation of the Documentary Hypothesis of the composition of the Old Testament...
(Harper San Francisco) (1987) ISBN 0-06-063035-3 - The Bible with Sources RevealedThe Bible with Sources RevealedThe Bible with Sources Revealed is a book by American biblical scholar Richard Elliott Friedman dealing with the process by which the five books of the Torah came to be written...
(Harper San Francisco) (December 1, 2003) ISBN 0-06-053069-3- A translation of the Pentateuch into English with the different sources highlighted in different font styles and colours.
- The Hidden Book in the Bible (Harper San Francisco) (September 1, 1999) ISBN 0-06-063004-3
- Concerns the J sourceJahwistThe Jahwist, also referred to as the Jehovist, Yahwist, or simply as J, is one of the sources of the Torah. It gets its name from the fact that it characteristically uses the term Yahweh for God in the book of Genesis...
.
- Concerns the J source
- Commentary on the Torah (Harper San Francisco) (April 1, 2003) ISBN 0-06-050717-9
- The Hidden Face of God (Harper San Francisco) (December 13, 1996) ISBN 0-06-062258-X
- The Bible Now, with Shawna Dolansky (Oxford University Press) (July 1, 2011) ISBN 0-19-531163-9
External links
- Profile, Department of Religion, University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...