sources for geese

SOURCES FOR GEESE


A thousand thousand,
once Wellhausened,
call his sources
tour de forces,
though the Jahwist
won’t be missed,
and Elohist’s
non-exists.

The Deuteronomist
may head the list
for those who do not hold their noses
at Moses,
but works of P
work best for me;
Code of Holiness
raises lowliness.

Inspired by a discussion at the UCLA Hillel House of the largely discredited source theory of the brilliant nineteenth century Bible scholar Julius Wellhausen, more recently popularized by Richard Elliot Friedman, who was a college friend of Mark Kleiman, who chaired the discussion. David Lefkowitz had asked me to give a brief outline, which I do here, in rhyme.

2/2/10