Scholars have long attempted to explain how the Pentateuch was put together. According to the predominant theory--the documentary hypothesis--the material in these books, which varies in historical and theological points of view, came from four hypothetical sources designated as J, E, D, and P. Answering the increasing scholarly call to rethink this theory, Antony Campbell and Mark O'Brien offer a revolutionary explanation for the development of plurality and multiplicity within the text.

This book presents the whole of the Pentateuch as what it first of all for the reader--and where every interpretation must begin--as literature, especially as a part of the history of ancient Israel's literature.

"In Unfolding the Deuteronomistic History Campbell and O'Brien have provided a useful tool for getting at the debate over the composition of the Deuteronomistic History, without neglecting the outlook and theology of the work as a whole. Each page is packed with information that is, nevertheless, readily accessible. The formatting of the biblical text allows the reader to see at once the layers that the authors reconstruct, and their annotations clearly explain the reasons for their judgments. This is the place to begin the study of any passage in the Deuteronomistic History." -Steven L....