Who Wrote the Torah? (Pentateuch)

UPDATE: A summary chart is now available: usefulcharts.com/collections/religion/products/tim… Complete Series: 1. Torah - youtu.be/NY-l0X7yGY0 2. Prophets - https://youtu.be/IAIiLSMOg3Q 3. Writings - https://youtu.be/Oto0UvG6aVs 4. Apocrypha - https://youtu.be/HYlZk4Hv-E8 5. Gospels & Acts - https://youtu.be/Z6PrrnhAKFQ 6. Epistles - https://youtu.be/2UMlUmlmMlo 7. Daniel & Revelation - https://youtu.be/fTURdV0c9J0 8: Summary Chart - https://youtu.be/9uIXzUEwrOg

To emphasize where source based analysis ends and personal opinion begins characterizes a true scientist. Keep up the great work, Matt.

This is very well done. Kudos!

I'm an Orthodox rabbi and still found this very intriguing. Especially the part about the name Jacob being associated with the Southern Kingdom.

I love these charts. Thank you for your work, visual representations like this are extremely useful for understanding the timelines, bloodlines, and general history. So, thanks!

Several people have commented on the strangeness of the Northern Kingdom seeming to have more connections with Egypt and the Southern Kingdom seeming to have more connections to Mesopotamia (considering that Egypt is to South and Mesopotamia is to the North). Well, keep in mind that one must consider time as well as geography. It is likely that the Northern Kingdom was older and originated in the days when Egypt was more dominant, whereas the Southern Kingdom lasted longer and reached its peak when Assyria (followed by Babylon) was dominant.

I don’t really have much in the way of prior interest or knowledge about this subject, but something about the way you speak and present the material makes it very engaging.

Sending much love to Jews and Christians. As a Muslim, I am always interested in the similarities among the three faiths.

I've tried to research this on my own, but was unable to find this much information. Very unbiased and educational. Thank you for your help!

This is terrific.

The real history is so much more fascinating than the literal myths/legends. Understanding how groups were able to synthesis a single narrative to unify and come together is dope

I have your first chart up in my office. Love it

I really like your video. I’m a very secular person myself and I don’t really believe much in any religious teachings so your secular take on how the Bible was written really taught me some stuff

I have studied these theories 10 years ago, too difficult without an illustration though. I am amazed at how you present these things. We need more content like this. Keep it up.

I’m as atheist as it gets but I still find your religious videos very interesting Matt! So much history in them

I find all of this absolutely mind-bending. People who try to understand this kind of matters have to cross and weigh data from different eras, different disciplines (archeology, historiography, exegesis and what may be chronicles as well as pure legend), all with a lot of stratification. And the output can be just as messy and intertwined with the classification (hence the validity) of the input! So crazy, so cool.

I love how objectively you explain the topics, there is so much research behind it. Thank you so much for your work

i realy like your videos about religion, they are very neutral and fact based and dont offend anyone :) a perfect example how to talk about religion

Reminds me of the duality in Egyptian mythology which came from the period Egypt was divided into a lower kingdom and an upper kingdom, which were then unified. That's how the feline deity became bast in one kingdom and Sekhmet in the other. With the Reunification causing them to share their role where one was a domestic cat feline goddess: bast and the other a lioness feline goddess: Sekhmet.

I read 'Who wrote the Bible?' by R. E. Friedman recently. He is a proponent of Documentary hypothesis, and after reading the book I must say he is rather convicing. But whatever hypostesis you prefer the book itself is rather fun read :)