Refuting Julius Wellhausen’s “Documentary Hypothesis” and Claims that the Biblical Literature Copied Directly From Ancient Polytheistic Works: Debates of the Reliability of the Christian Bible, #1

By Erik Angus MacRae

The first of the series "Debates of the Reliability of the Christian Bible" produced by author Erik Angus MacRae in September of 2020, this work features an in-depth refutation of the theories of the late Julius Wellhausen commonly called "Documentary Hypothesis". These theories featured a methodology of interpretation for the textual transmission of the Bible that late-dated its books in the creative timeline and consequently caused much of European and General Western scholarship (both secular and religious alike) to disregard the Bible as an unreliable book. It also deals with another argument that comes up very much in the same breath, a common claim that the Judeo-Christian texts represented in the Bible are a mere copy or slight variation of the Ancient Near Eastern polytheistic literature.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Erik Angus MacRae
• Release date: Sep 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393305460

Erik Angus MacRae

Born Erik MacRae to Richard Warren and Valerie MacRae, the author has spent his whole life in the region of Ontario, Canada and grew up in Scarborough. Growing with a troubled childhood, and uncertain of what to make of his future Erik would face numerous bouts of depression, anxiety and escapism in his life until becoming a Christian and gaining a more thorough understanding of the literature of the Holy Bible of Christianity which gave him a sense of meaning and purpose and ultimate destiny. Erik has been through multiple denominations of the Christian faith with exceedingly different doctrinal stances, first beginning his journey in a Baptist-Calvinist Church, where he learned the basics of Christ for about seven years. After this he would become involved on studies in the Hebrew Roots movement, but later defected to a more biblically-oriented messianic congregation. Finally, he would identify as non-denominational and serve in discussions with numerous Christians of all denominations. He is very zealous for defending the authority and legitimacy of the biblical text and its core dictates.   Throughout his informational journeys he has studied the work of the Minnesota pastor Daniel Joseph of Corner fringe Ministries closely for over 3 years and numerous topics pertaining to apologetics. Fancying himself an apologist at heart, Erik carries a great passion for “equipping the sheep” of the Christian faith through education to defend their Faith, and for aiding the non-Christian in understanding the complex and numerous evidences that point to the reality of God and His Person in the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and His Word as the Scripture of the Holy Bible. He has a deep interest in Christian philosophy, Biblical archaeology, and comparative studies, and for bridging denominational gaps through discussions of differences.

Book preview

Debates of the Reliability of the Christian Bible

Book 1

Refuting Julius Wellhausen’s Documentary Hypothesis and

Claims That the Biblical Literature

Copied Directly From Ancient Polytheistic Works

Erik Angus MacRae

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER LIST

CHAPTER 1: GENERAL HISTORY OF JULIUS WELLHAUSEN AND DOCUMENTARY HYPOTHESIS

CHAPTER 2: DIGGING FOR EVIDENCE IN THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL WRITINGS

CHAPTER 3: THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN BIBLE – COPY OF ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN MYTHOLOGIES OR AN INSPIRED WORK OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD?

ACCREDITATIONS

JUMP-TO-TITLE

WHAT IS DOCUMENTARY HYPOTHESIS?

BELIEF ABOUT BIBLICAL ORIGINS BEFORE THE DOCUMENTARY HYPOTHESIS WAS INVENTED

CHANGING DATES AND TIMES

HISTORY OF ARCHAEOLOGY

HOW TO TEST DOCUMENTARY HYPOTHESIS WITH ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDINGS

EXAMINING THE EVIDENCE

ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN CREATION ACCOUNTS

ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN IMAGERY (MURALS, CARVINGS AND STATUES)

GRADUAL DECREASES IN THE LIFESPANS OF ANCESTORS

COMMONALITY OF THE FLOOD ACCOUNT

THE TOWER OF BABEL

HISTORICITY OF THE PATRIARCHAL PERIOD

THE LECTURE BY DR. STEPHEN COLINS(IDIOMS)

CONCLUSIONS OF OUR STUDY IN REGARDS TO WELLHAUSEN’S THEORY

PLAUSIBILITY OF THE DIFFERENT TESTIMONIES OF THE DEITIES

THE CONCLUSION OF THE SECOND DEBATE

FOREWORD

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The findings of the studies presented in this book are not popularly known among the majority of the Christian communities, yet the information that would cause one to arrive at these conclusions is widely available and has been for some time. I think that then is a testament to a sad fact that at large the general community of the body of the faith of Christ, even the Protestant clusters have fallen short of that ancient command of the Bible to overthrow empty reasonings and every proud argument that has set itself against the knowledge of God Most High[1]. On this topic, I recall clearly discussions with a certain pastor of a Baptist congregation in Scarborough, Ontario who when I questioned on the issue of this man’s teachings (Julius Wellhausen) replied something to this effect (in paraphrased form): Oh, that Documentary Hypothesis rubbish. No one takes the words of that windbag seriously. Despite the confidence of the statement, the opposite is seen. Countless seminaries teach Julius Wellhausen’s theories as if a fact and in so doing undermine the Biblical narrative willingly. If there were great evidence towards it perhaps that would be accepted as an inevitable pain of reality... yet we have such a great abundance of evidence of the contrary by which to clearly say that the theories of that man have been disproven, but the Christian community, falling behind the times, has not resynchronized to the modern reality of recent archaeological findings and the published works of that realm of scholarship. This issue must be corrected quickly, and the times demand it.

In humility I admit that I too have fallen short, for I had finished my personal studies on this topic well over a year ago and have not made a great endeavor towards the publishing of a book until now. Had I been more aggressive in my pursuit of information on how to publish eBooks, it might well have been more widely distributed by now. But then, that too is a good representation of the weakness of human flesh. Nevertheless, moving forward to finally bring these matters to light, I find such a great pleasure to see the arguments of the late Wellhausen meeting a due refutation since my study of the history of the Church and of humanity indicates that these written opinions of that man have brought our human-realm such great harm, and such a great influx of lethal ignorance. For one thing, they played a massive role in shifting people away from the Biblical culture into an Atheistic one... I wrote of that in my other books of the Observational Commentaries on Social Atheism series and I trust you, the invested reader, will find that the damaging results are both horrific and nearly incalculable. I trust equally much that you, the invested reader, will find these documents below to be a most satisfactory rebuttal.

Furthermore, for your convenience, I deal also with the natural outshoot of the refutation of Wellhausen – the argument that immediately comes in to fill the vacuum of the perishing arguments of Documentary Hypothesis, the general claim "The Bible copied from ancient pagan Polytheistic cultures. That argument comes by nature from the atheistic communities when they take note of the type of archaeological quotations weaponized against Wellhausen, it becomes perceived that room is left for further debates of a different nature. I have done my very best to ensure that the alternative route, that road of escape is also cut off, as it should be and not purely by preference but more so by another realization in so much as the facts of ancient literature and their conclusions do not support Documentary Hypothesis so too is the problem of this modern plagiarism" claim. In a brief study of the available evidence, both of these are found to fall to the wayside.

CHAPTER 1: THE GENERAL HISTORY OF JULIUS WELLHAUSEN AND DOCUMENTARY HYPOTHESIS

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WHAT IS DOCUMENTARY HYPOTHESIS?

In very recent times as far as human history is concerned a theory explaining the historical transmission of