Click here for a side-by-side presentation of the two stories of Noah’s Flood, separated out according to the Documentary Hypothesis, which says that Genesis 6 – 9 is a conflation of two distinct versions of the story. The older, the J or Yahwist version, dates from the time of King Solomon – about 950 years before Christ. The younger, the P or Priestly version, dates from around 500 BC, the period of the Restoration, when Israel was re-established after the nation’s destruction and 80 years of captivity in Babylon.
As you will see, J (the Yahwist) is a better story teller. The J version of the story is part of a grand epic recounting the story of Israel from creation to Israel’s victorious entry into Canaan. Portions of the J story are found in Genesis, Exodus and Numbers. This writer is laudatory of Kings David and Solomon, and can be identified by the tendency to refer to God by the proper name Yahweh. He also gives primacy to the tribe of Judah (the tribe from which David and Solomon came) as he tells the story of the 12 tribes’ rise to nationhood.
The Priestly version, no doubt written by a group of priests rather than one person, is dry and filled with repetition and statistics. But then, the priests are not interested in telling a thrilling story of overcoming long odds by the grace of God. They are more concerned to supplement those old stories with material that underscores their view that Israel is meant to be ritually and institutionally constituted as a unique community, separated from all other peoples by its intimate relationship with, and obedience to, God.
The priests add to the old stories in order to anchor them in ritual practices such as Sabbath observance, circumcision, dietary laws, approved treatments for disease, and instructions on proper priesthood and sacrificial practices. They also link the old stories by detailed genealogies, whose purpose is to demonstrate that God always guides the direction and development of the nation. Even during those periods when no “big story” is taking place, God guides the descent of Israel through the ages from one great leader to the next. The P material is heavily represented in the second half of Exodus, makes up all of Leviticus, and is sprinkled throughout the rest of the Pentateuch. (The Pentateuch are the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.)
In sum, the J version reflects the interests and perspectives of the young nation, flush with the joy of victory and certain that God was on Israel’s side. Like King David and his son, King Solomon, the J writer thought the nation could do no wrong; that God would always defend and protect His people.
The P version is both more mature and more sober. It was written after the nation of Israel had suffered a civil war that broke it in two, and then suffered the destruction of both nations; followed by the restoration of the southern nation, Judah. It reflects the commitments and perspectives of the priests of the late monarchy, exile, and post-exilic periods, when the priestly class had become well-established and authoritative.
To read the story of Noah’s Flood in its two versions, side-by-side, click here.
