Cover of Prolegomena to the History of Israel

Prolegomena to the History of Israel

by Julius Wellhausen

Reading level
Plain English
Price
Free

About the book

"Prolegomena to the History of Israel" by Julius Wellhausen is a biblical study published in 1878. This groundbreaking work formulated the documentary hypothesis, proposing that the Torah emerged from distinct sources written at different historical periods. Wellhausen argues that ancient Israelite religion evolved dramatically over time, with the Priestly laws traditionally attributed to Moses actually written during the Babylonian exile. His controversial analysis challenged fundamental assumptions about biblical origins, earning comparisons to Darwin's revolutionary impact on evolutionary science.

  • Jews
  • Judaism
  • Bible. Old Testament

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #4732. Prolegomena to the History of Israel on Wikipedia.