As many already know I have spent the last five years trying to solve the mystery of my username.
There are 4 basic schools (J E D P refer to source texts of the torah AND the book up to 2 Kings)
Traditionalists: read the table of book of the bible of the NWT...
Bible Maximalists: Believe is the Documentary Hypothesis believing the earliest versions J came with Solomon later E with Abijah and D with Josiah and P with Ezekiel.
Bible Midianist: A position I took in 2013. Isreal Finkelstien is a Midianist E is around 600 D is still with Josiah and J is in the exile with P with Eziekiel still.
Bible Minimalist: The position I take now with 2 years of reluctance.
To explain my position I will draw a time line
332 Alexander conquers Judea a previously Persian province that likely enjoyed religious freedom
Around maybe 300 a legend goes around Judea pulling up legend form the prophets. The story goes El 's sons married women and gave borth to demigods (Like Cain... compare Genesis 6:1-4 and 4:1) The story did include the Cain Abel story but assuming many people existed already (It is not a creation story) Later Abraham (a legendary name from Detro-Isaiah) as great warrior Genesis 14 establishes Jerusalem as his own kin and Yahweh make a covenant with his. Judah's story (Geneis 38 and his conquest with Simeon Judges 1) are continuations the last section 2 Samuel 21 and 23 are the acts os legendary David (A throne name not a person) is personified and finishes of the giant (greek sources here) that are at the beginning of the story)
My latest theory which fits with all the establish history is SHOCKING to many.
J was likely the so called Greek Septuagint..... 263 BCE or so... It was NOT a translation of the 5 books.. (that's a later tradition) It was likely a 'history of the Jews' The text dives into Babylonian sources using Borrossus translations for Eden, Flood, Babel (many Jews were descendants of Babylon... if you can't figure this one out) the story of J runs from Genesis 2 to 1 Kings 2 ending with Solomon as King and David gets the most history being an Achilles charactor. Samson's Hercules story is here to as are the patriarchs Odyssey lol. Yes this is simple. But Samaritans who worshiped YHWH too did NOT LIKE THIS.
Therefore I place E in their hand in the later 200s;. Moses from J is brought forth using Mathetho.
Some may point out this sort of makes sense but waht about D.. the centralization of YHWH worship
Oh thats the best fit to 164BCE under Judas Maccabee and any moron who read this history can see this family was extremists.
As for P well that is the final editor and would have to be dated around 150-140. Full monotheism and shrine worship. Note that Sirach (written by the grandson in 130 is the FIRST mention of any material from this text.)
No I expect ALOT of backlash. People WANT there to be some preexilic history (There is in some of the prophets and psalms) But I cannot anymore date any text fro, Genesis-2 Kings pre exilic* (Or most of the other books too)
I post this a few weeks before I revise my channel and to get honest opinions (based on science).. (Not from JWs lol)
* I am not referring to the Song of the Sea or Song of Deborah etc...