Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Bearpecs AT aol.com]

In a message dated 2/26/2003 7:45:08 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
yonsaf AT beitberl.ac.il writes:
> In sum, I would say that the Priestly "Code" is a collection of many
> Priestly traditions, which took shape over a considerable period of time,
> beginning before the Exile and continuing on into Second 
> Temple times.

This is consistent with Milgrom's important and well-reasoned thesis (see his 
three-volume Leviticus in the Anchor Bible series) that the Priestly and 
Holiness sources are distinct and operated at different times, and tradents 
of the Holiness school were the final redactors of the Torah.
My two cents:  It seems silly to me to suggest that the documentary 
hypothesis means there were four coherent documents (and each verse is either 
J,E,P, or D) which were redacted at one or two specific times.  But to 
suggest that the text was written at one time by one author (despite obvious 
diachronic development of language and theology within the text) is just as 
fantastical.