e-source

The Name “E Source”

Why “E”?

• From Elohist
• Uses divine name Elohim (God) in early narratives
• Switches to YHWH after Sinai revelation
• Contrasts with J (Yahwist) which uses YHWH from beginning
• Contrasts with P (Priestly) which has systematic divine name theology

Alternative Names:

• Elohist
• Elohistic source
• Northern source

Key Characteristics

1. Divine Name: Elohim → YHWH

Before Exodus 3:

• Elohim (God) - generic divine title
• Name YHWH not yet revealed
• God’s personal name unknown to patriarchs (in E’s view)

After Exodus 3:

• YHWH (Yahweh) - covenant name
• Name revealed at burning bush
• Used for Israel’s covenant God

Theological Implication:

• Progressive revelation of divine name
• Patriarchs knew God, but not by personal name YHWH
• Mosaic era marks new stage in divine self-disclosure

Contrast with J:

• J uses YHWH from Genesis 2 onward
• No name revelation needed in J
• Different theology of divine disclosure

Contrast with P:

• P uses El Shaddai for patriarchs, explicit statement at Exod 6:2-3
• P more systematic than E
• Both distinguish pre/post Mosaic periods

2. Transcendent Portrayal of God

God as More Distant:

Mediated Encounters:

• Dreams - Primary mode of divine communication
  • Jacob’s ladder (Gen 28:12)
  • Joseph’s dreams (Gen 37)
  • Pharaoh’s dreams interpreted by Joseph (Gen 41)
  • Dream warnings (Gen 20:3, 31:24)
• Angels - Intermediaries between God and humans
  • Angel calls to Hagar (Gen 21:17)
  • Angel prevents Isaac’s sacrifice (Gen 22:11-12)
  • Angel in Jacob narratives

Less Anthropomorphic:

• God doesn’t walk in garden
• No physical form attributed
• Speaks from heaven or through messengers
• More formal, reverent language

Theological Concern:

• Divine transcendence emphasized
• God’s holiness maintained through distance
• Proper fear of God cultivated

3. Literary Style

Characteristics:

Prophetic Emphasis:

• Abraham called “prophet” (Gen 20:7)
• Prophetic intercession
• Divine word through prophets
• Emphasis on prophetic calling

Moral and Ethical Focus:

• Fear of God as virtue (Gen 20:11, 22:12, 42:18)
• Testing motifs (Abraham and Isaac, Gen 22)
• Righteousness emphasized
• Covenant fidelity

Northern Provenance Indicators:

• Bethel prominence (Jacob’s vision, Gen 28)
• Shechem references
• Joseph cycle (Ephraim/Manasseh focus)
• Northern sanctuaries validated

Narrative Techniques:

• Dialogue-driven
• Psychological insight
• Moral complexity
• Less earthy than J, less formal than P

4. Fear of God Theme

Central Theological Motif:

“Fear of God” (yirat Elohim):

• Abraham’s test (Gen 22:12) - “Now I know that you fear God”
• Joseph’s character (Gen 42:18) - “I fear God”
• Moral restraint (Gen 20:11) - “Surely there is no fear of God in this place”
• Midwives’ motivation (Exod 1:17, 21) - “Feared God”

Meaning:

• Reverence, awe, worship
• Moral foundation
• Covenant loyalty
• Not terror but respect

5. Geographic and Political Setting

Northern (Ephraimite) Origin:

Evidence:

• Emphasis on Joseph tribes (Ephraim and Manasseh)
• Bethel as sacred site (where Jacob meets God)
• Shechem prominence
• Northern prophetic traditions
• Critique of southern (Judahite) institutions (subtle)

Date: 9th-8th century BCE

• Northern Kingdom period
• Before Assyrian conquest (722 BCE)
• Contemporary with early prophets (Hosea, Amos)
• Post-Solomonic division

Alternative Datings:

• Some: 10th century (contemporary with J)
• Some: 8th century only
• Debate continues

Major E Texts

Patriarchal Narratives

Abraham Cycle:

Genesis 20 - Abraham and Abimelech

• Elohim appears in dream to Abimelech
• Abraham called “prophet” (v. 7)
• Fear of God theme (v. 11)
• Distinct from similar J narrative (Gen 12)

Genesis 21:8-21 - Hagar and Ishmael

• Angel of God calls from heaven (v. 17)
• Elohim hears the boy
• God opens Hagar’s eyes to see well
• Contrast with J’s Gen 16 account

Genesis 22 - Binding of Isaac (Akedah)

• Angel of God calls from heaven (v. 11)
• “Now I know you fear God” (v. 12)
• Testing motif central
• God provides ram

Jacob Cycle:

Genesis 28 - Jacob’s Ladder (E portions)

• Dream revelation at Bethel
• “How awesome is this place!” (v. 17)
• Stone pillar, anointing
• Vow to God

Genesis 31 - Jacob Leaves Laban

• God speaks to Jacob in dream (v. 11)
• God warns Laban in dream (v. 24)
• Angel of God in dreams
• E’s concern for Jacob’s righteousness

Genesis 35 - Return to Bethel

• Put away foreign gods (v. 2-4)
• Altar at Bethel
• God appears to Jacob

Joseph Narrative (E portions)

Genesis 37-50 - E portions interwoven with J

E Characteristics in Joseph Story:

• Dreams as revelation (Joseph’s dreams, prisoners’, Pharaoh’s)
• Elohim as God who interprets dreams
• Joseph’s fear of God (42:18)
• God’s providence theme (“God sent me,” 45:5-8)
• Reuben as rescuer (vs. Judah in J)

Exodus Narratives

Exodus 1 - Midwives Fear God (vv. 15-21)

• Shiphrah and Puah
• Fear God, disobey Pharaoh
• Reward for fearing God

Exodus 3 - Burning Bush (E portions)

• Angel of God appears in flame (v. 2)
• God calls from bush
• Holy ground
• Divine name revealed

Wilderness Traditions:

• Portions of manna narrative
• Water from rock (Exod 17, E version)
• Jethro’s visit and advice (Exod 18)
• Portions of Sinai pericope

Theological Contributions

Progressive Revelation

Stages of Knowing God:

1. Patriarchal - Elohim known generally
2. Mosaic - YHWH revealed personally
3. Covenant - Relationship formalized

Implication: God’s self-disclosure is gradual, appropriate to each era

Prophetic Tradition

E’s Prophetic Emphasis:

• Abraham as prophet (Gen 20:7)
• Moses as supreme prophet
• Dreams and visions as communication
• Prophetic intercession (Abraham for Abimelech)

Foundation for Later Prophets:

• Northern prophetic tradition (Elijah, Elisha, Hosea)
• Dream interpretation (Daniel)
• Prophetic calling narratives

Testing and Faith

Abraham’s Test (Gen 22):

• Ultimate test of faith
• Obedience to incomprehensible command
• Fear of God demonstrated
• Provision at critical moment

Theological Pattern:

• God tests to reveal character
• Faith proven through obedience
• Fear of God = willingness to obey
• Divine provision follows faithfulness

Moral Framework

E’s Ethical Concerns:

• Fear of God restrains evil
• Righteousness even among pagans (Abimelech)
• Joseph’s integrity in Egypt
• Moral accountability universal

E and Other Sources

E vs. J

Key Differences:

E	J
Elohim (pre-Exod 3)	YHWH (from Gen 2)
More transcendent	Anthropomorphic
Mediated (dreams, angels)	Direct encounters
Northern provenance	Southern provenance
Fear of God emphasis	Grace emphasis
Prophetic	Narrative
9th-8th cent	10th-9th cent

Similarities:

• Both narrative sources
• Cover similar material
• Often interwoven (JE composite)
• Complement each other

E vs. P

Major Contrasts:

E	P
Narrative focus	Legal/liturgical
Dreams and visions	Glory and formal revelation
Prophetic	Priestly
Elohim → YHWH (Exod 3)	Elohim/El Shaddai → YHWH (Exod 6)
Moral narrative	Ritual precision
Northern	Southern/Jerusalem

JE Composite

Early Combination:

• E and J combined before D and P
• Redactor wove sources together
• Hard to separate completely
• JE functioned as unit for later editors

Evidence:

• Doublets (similar stories from both)
• Alternating divine names
• Narrative seams
• Complementary perspectives

Current Scholarly Debates

Existence of E as Independent Source

Traditional View:

• E is continuous narrative source
• Parallels J through patriarchs and exodus
• Northern origin clear
• Later combined with J

Challenges:

• Fragmentary Hypothesis: No continuous E, just fragments
• Supplementary Theory: E supplements J, not independent
• Late Dating: Some date E portions much later
• Minimal E: Very little material actually E

Defense:

• Distinct vocabulary traceable
• Theological consistency
• Geographic indicators
• Dream/angel patterns coherent

Dating E

Classical View: 9th-8th century (Northern Kingdom)

Arguments for:

• Northern sanctuaries (Bethel, Shechem)
• Prophetic emphasis (like Hosea)
• Pre-Assyrian fall (722 BCE)
• Joseph tribes prominence

Alternative Views:

• 10th century (same era as J)
• 8th century only
• Post-722 (refugee priests in South)
• Exilic (very late, minority)

Relationship to J

Independent Composition:

• Separate authors, separate contexts
• Later combined

Supplementary:

• E supplements/corrects J
• Not full parallel narrative
• Dependent on J framework

Current Trend:

• Less certainty about clear J/E division
• Recognition of complex redaction
• Both models have advocates

Theological Significance

Complementing J

Together J + E provide:

• Immanence (J) + Transcendence (E) = Full picture of God
• Grace (J) + Fear (E) = Balanced piety
• South (J) + North (E) = All-Israel perspective
• Direct (J) + Mediated (E) = Varied encounter modes

Prophetic Foundation

E Prepares for Prophets:

• Abraham as prophet model
• Dreams as revelation
• Moral accountability
• Testing and obedience
• Fear of God as foundation

Northern Theology Preserved

After 722 BCE:

• Northern kingdom destroyed
• E source preserves Northern traditions
• Bethel, Shechem validated
• Joseph tribes honored
• Northern piety remembered

Canonical Function:

• E ensures North included in Torah
• Not just Judah’s story
• All Israel’s heritage
• Unity in diversity

Related Concepts

Essential background:

• Documentary Hypothesis - Overall theory
• Divine Names - Key evidence
• J Source - Primary comparison
• P Source - Contrasting source

E-heavy texts:

• Genesis 20 - Abraham and Abimelech
• Genesis 22 - Binding of Isaac
• Genesis 28 - Jacob’s ladder

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