Celsus

Hi all,

Dating the Old Testament may seem like a foolhardy task, but here is my attempt, which is mostly for personal reference since I can't seem to find any (non-apologetic ones) around. This conversion from a table has been a tedious and thankless task, but I didn't know how else to do it. Comments would be greatly appreciated (though I would object to any comments that include the words, "get", "a", and uh... "life" in that order), and obviously these dates are nowhere near to set in stone.

Torah
J Events: Prehistory till c.1200BCE
Date of Composition: As early as 10th Century BCE, probably under Solomon (c.962-922BCE). Scholarly consensus is c.850BCE
E Events: c.4000BCE-c.1200BCE
Date of Composition: 8th century BCE, c.750BCE, possibly under Jeroboam I (922-901BCE), Jehu (842-815BCE) or Jeroboam II (786-746BCE). Redaction of J and E: c.650BCE
D Events: 13th century BCE
Date of Composition: Just prior to reform of 621 BCE. Redaction of JE and D: c.550BCE
P Events: 13th century BCE
Date of Composition: 7th Century BCE or c.450BCE. Redaction of JED and P c.400BCE
NB: Attempts to date P early and pre-Exilic are to explain the Samaritan Bible (which contains P, the reasoning being that they probably would not have accepted the returning exiles' Torah), while most scholars link it with Ezra and post-Exilic traditions (where genealogies, that comprise much of P, are extremely important for the returning Jews). I am undecided as to which theory is better.

Deuteronomic History:
Joshua Events: Late 13th century BCE
Date of Composition: Between 597BCE (Exile) and 516BCE (restoration of Temple), contain (redacted?) JE elements
Judges Events: 1200-1020BCE
Date of Composition: 597 BCE-516BCE Largely a collection of myths - total timescale of 410 years is too long to fit historical timescale - probably amalgamates Canaanite myths.
1&2 Samuel Events: 11th-10th Century BCE
Date of Composition: 597 BCE-516BCE Two sources are identified: earlier is pro-monarchical, later source is anti-monarchical. May contain post-Exilic interpolations.
1&2 Kings Events: 10th-early 6th century BCE
Date of Composition: 597 BCE-516BCE

Ruth Events: 11th century
Date of Composition: Post-exilic, probably end of 5th century BCE. May have been propaganda against Nehemiah and Ezra's racial purity codes. Myth of a Moabite ancestor of David is seems too far-fetched to have been wholly artificial.

The Chronicler:
1&2 Chronicles Events: c.1020BCE-c.539BCE
Date of Composition: 4th century BCE, although 300BCE may be too early to conclude genealogy in 1 Chronicles. Final form probably in 2nd century BCE.
Ezra Events: c.398-397BCE
Date of Composition: Soon after Chronicles.
Nehemiah Events: c.445-444BCE
Date of Composition: Soon after Chronicles. The general consensus is that Ezra returned from exile after Nehemiah in contrast to the Biblical order of books.

Esther Events: 6th century BCE
Date of Composition: 2nd century BCE
NB: Inclusion into canon and celebration of Purim were resisted as late as 3rd Century CE.
Job Events: Mythical
Date of Composition: Ch.1-2;42:7-17 (prologue and epilogue) are from 8th to 6th century BCE; 3-31 from 6th to 4th century BCE; 32-37 later addition. Completed c.6th century BCE
NB: Author has knowledge of Egypt, and the story itself has Babylonian and Egyptian roots.

Wisdom Literature
Psalms Date of Composition: Persian/Maccabean Period. Some may date to pre-Exilic times, but most are post-Exilic.
Proverbs Date of Composition: Post-exilic; Ch.1-9 is latest, 10:1-22:16 is oldest, 22:17-24:22 based on 'Instruction of Amenemope' (c.1000-600BCE), 25-29 was probably written c.700BCE (in Hezekiah's Court).
Ecclesiastes Date of Composition: Early Hellenistic Period (late 4th Century, early 3rd Century BCE), definitely before 2nd Century BCE. Ben Sirach is reliant on this book.
Song of Songs Date of Composition: 3rd Century BCE

Major Prophets
Proto-Isaiah Events: c.740-700BCE (Ch.1-39)
Date of Composition: Towards 700BCE, but ch.24-27 are Exilic and 33-35 are post-Exilic (c.500BCE) additions. Ch.36-39 draws on Deuteronomic sources.
Deutero-Isaiah Events: 740-700BCE (Ch.40-55)
Date of Composition: c.539BCE (Defeat of Babylon by Persians)
Trito-Isaiah Events: 740-700BCE (Ch.56-66)
Date of Composition: Post-Exilic, c.500BCE although internal evidence suggests that it was written prior to the reconstruction of Temple (i.e. pre-516BCE)
Jeremiah Events: 626-580BCE
Date of Composition: Towards 586BCE (before and during fall of Jerusalem), but ch.40-44 are separate exilic additions.
Lamentations Events: 586-537BCE
Date of Composition: Pre-539BCE Possibly early exilic period, written in Babylon.
Ezekiel Events: 593-571BCE
Date of Composition: Towards 571BCE with later (heavy) redactional gloss. (ch.1-24 may be based on pre-586BCE material)
NB: Because Ezekiel appears to be moving (preaching) between Jerusalem and Babylon, some have postulated that the book is in fact a 3rd century fiction.
Daniel Events: 6th century BCE
Date of Composition: 168-165BCE (Between desecration of Temple and restoration by Judas Maccabees) NB: Detailed prophecies about Antiochus IV drop in accuracy after 165BCE

Minor Prophets
Hosea Events: 783-741BCE
Date of Composition: End of Jeroboam II's reign (towards 741BCE) or c.735-722BCE
Joel Events: Unknown
Date of Composition: Persian Period (539-331BCE) or later.
NB: Dates depend on what Joel meant by the swarm of locusts. Greeks are mentioned, making the earliest postulated dates unlikely.
Amos Events: 783-741BCE
Date of Composition: Jeroboam II (783-741BCE) maybe 763 or 750BCE
Obadiah Events: Early 5th century BCE
Date of Composition: Post-586BCE, 1st half of 5th century BCE
Jonah Events: Exilic, mythical fable?
Date of Composition: 500-350/250BCE Protest against Nehemiah and Ezra's racial purity codes?
Micah Events: 8th century BCE
Date of Composition: 7th or 8th century BCE
Nahum Events: c.626-612BCE
Date of Composition: Towards 612BCE
Habakkuk Events: 7th century BCE
Date of Composition: 609-597BCE, or 625-612BCE
NB: Dates depend on whether "Kittim" refers to Assyrians or Babylonians.
Zephaniah Events: 7th century BCE
Date of Composition: 2nd half of 7th century BCE; pre-Deuteronomic reform of 621BCE, 626BCE
Haggai Events: 520BCE
Date of Composition: 520BCE
Proto-Zechariah Events: 520BCE (Ch.1-8)
Date of Composition: Ch.1:1-6 - 521BCE; 1:7-6:8 - 519BCE; 7-8 - 518BCE.
Deutero Events: 520BCE (Ch.9-14)
-Zechariah Date of Composition: Hellenistic Period
Malachi Events: 500BCE
Date of Composition: 500-450BCE

Apocrypha:
Tobit Events: Post 721BCE
Date of Composition: 200-180BCE
NB: Based on Near Eastern "Grateful Dead" and "Demon in the Bed Chamber" myths.
Judith Events: Mythical (historicized to 6th century BCE)
Date of Composition: c.150BCE originating in Persian myths.
NB: Intentional anachronisms and inaccuracies imply this book was only ever intended as fiction.
Add. to Esther Events: 6th century BCE
Date of Composition: 114BCE
Wis. of Solomon Date of Composition: 1st century BCE
NB: The author has knowledge of the Septuagint
Ben Sirach Date of Composition: c.185BCE, translated by grandson in 132BCE
NB: Relies on Ecclesiastes. Does not mention Daniel or Esther in its list of great Israelites (ch.44-51).
Baruch Events: 7th-6th century BCE
Date of Composition: Ch.1:1-3,8 - Persian/Pre-Maccabean; 3:9-5:9 - Hellenistic
L. of Jeremiah Events: Exilic
Date of Composition: Pre-160BCE, Hasmonean Period
Add. to Daniel Events: 6th century BCE
Date of Composition: Translated from Hebrew, pre-100BCE
NB: Bel & the Dragon was probably a parallel tradition of Daniel in the Lion's Den.
1 Maccabees Events: 2nd century BCE
Date of Composition: 135-104BCE (Reign of John Hycarnus) c.104BCE or after
2 Maccabees Events: 2nd century BCE
Date of Composition: 1st century BCE, mentions letter dated 124BCE.
NB: Based on lost work of Jason of Cyrene.
1/3 Esdras Events: 5th century BCE
Date of Composition: 4th century BCE, or 150BCE
NB: Translation based on unknown redaction of Chronicler
Pr. Of Manasseh Events: Towards 639BCE
Date of Composition: 1st century BCE, Hasmonean Period
3 Maccabees Events: 221-203BCE
Date of Composition: End of 1st century BCE
NB: Clearly mythical events
2/4 Esdras Events: 5th century BCE
Date of Composition: 80-150CE
NB: Ch.1-2, 15-16 are Christian interpolations from later date.
4 Maccabees Events: 2nd century BCE
Date of Composition: 1st century BCE
NB: Author has knowledge of Septuagint.
1 Enoch Date of Composition: Late 2nd century BCE Not covered Quoted in Jude 1:9

The dates listed as "Events:" are garnered from internal textual evidence only, with the exception of Judges as the timescale is too long to fit between Joshua's conquest and Samuel. I have tried to list the books according to the Biblical order (+1st Enoch), accept for J, E, D, and P, and where Ruth disrupts the Deuteronomic history (Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings). Chronologically, the order of composition/compilation could look like this:

J (c.920BCE*). End of Solomon's reign, split of kingdoms (922/1BCE)
Amos (c.763BCE)
E (c.750BCE*)
Hosea (c.741BCE)
Proto-Isaiah (pre-700BCE). Fall of Samaria (722/1BCE)
Proverbs 25-29 (c.700BCE). Hezekiah's reign and reforms (721-694BCE)
Micah (c.700BCE*)
JE (c.650BCE) Redaction
P (c. pre-600BCE*)
Zephaniah (c.626BCE)
D (pre-621BCE). Josiah's reign and Deuteronomic reforms (621BCE)
Nahum (c.613BCE)
Habakkuk (c.605BCE)
possible JEPD (c.600BCE) Redaction
Jeremiah (c.580BCE). Fall of Jerusalem (586BCE)
Ezekiel (c.571BCE)
Lamentations (c.570BCE)
possible JED (c.550BCE) Redaction
Deutero-Isaiah (c.539BCE). Defeat of Babylon by Persians (539BCE)
Deuteronomic History (c.537BCE*) Return from Exile (537/6BCE)
Haggai (c.520BCE)
Proto-Zechariah (c.518BCE)
Trito-Isaiah (c.516BCE). Completion of Second Temple (516/5BCE)
Job (c.500BCE*)
Compilation of Proverbs (c.500BCE*)
Ruth (c.490BCE*)
Obadiah (c.475BCE)
Malachi (c.475BCE)
P' (c.450BCE*)
Compilation of Psalms (c.435BCE*)
possible JEDP' (c.400BCE*) Redaction. Last of Prophets (officially 400BCE)
Chronicler (c.400BCE) Initial form
Jonah (c.375BCE*)
1 Esdras (c.350BCE*)
Joel (c.330BCE). Defeat of Persians by Greeks (331BCE)
Ecclesiastes (c.300BCE)
Baruch (c.300BCE*)
Song of Songs (c.250BCE*)
Deutero-Zechariah (c.250BCE*)
Chronicler' (c.200BCE*) Final form
Tobit (c.190BCE)
Ben Sirach (c.185BCE)
Daniel (c.165BCE). Beginning of Jewish struggle for independence (162BCE)
L.Jeremiah (pre-160BCE)
1 Esdras' (c.150BCE)
Esther (c.150BCE)
Judith (c.145BCE). Jewish Independence and Hasmonean dynasties (Maccabean rule, 142BCE)
Add. Esther (c.114BCE)
1 Enoch (c.110BCE)
1 Macabbees (pre-104BCE)
Add. Daniel (pre-100BCE)
Pr. Manasseh (c.90CE)
2 Macabbees (c.80CE)
Wis.Solomon (c.60BCE*). Pompey's conquest and Pax Romana (63BCE)
4 Maccabees (c.50BCE*)
3 Maccabees (c.10BCE)
2 Esdras (c.110CE)

NB: If two widely divergent dates have been cited earlier, the latter suggested date is indicated with '. If an exceptionally large range is given, where no other evidence is available, the average of two extremes is taken. Alternatively, based on the sources, I used hints as to which end of the spectrum books were more likely to be. Since many books are simply listed by century, or as 'Exilic' or 'Post-Exilic' compositions, the dates seem to coincide, but this was obviously not the case. Such overly-accurate dates are noted with an asterisk. Any more precise dates (and reasons behind them) would be welcome. Apocrypha is italicised.


Sources:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1980, Macropaedia, Vol. 2 "Biblical Literature", 15th edition, Helen Hemingway Benton. (abbrev. EB)
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1980, Macropaedia, Vol. 10 "Judaism, History of", 15th edition, Helen Hemingway Benton.
LaRue, Gerald A., 1968, <a href="http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/gerald_larue/otll/index.shtml" target="_blank">Old Testament Life and Literature</a>

Edited: shit, tab doesn't work. This post is really ugly.
Edited: The second chronological list has events that were contemporary added alongside, but I can't seem to make it look any better.

[ October 29, 2002: Message edited by: joejoejoe ]

[ October 29, 2002: Message edited by: joejoejoe ]

[ October 29, 2002: Message edited by: joejoejoe ]</p>

WRW Mattfeld

[QUOTE]Originally posted by joejoejoe:
[QB]Hi all,

Dating the Old Testament may seem like a foolhardy task, but here is my attempt, which is mostly for personal reference since I can't seem to find any (non-apologetic ones) around. This conversion from a table has been a tedious and thankless task, but I didn't know how else to do it. Comments would be greatly appreciated (though I would object to any comments that include the words, "get", "a", and uh... "life" in that order), and obviously these dates are nowhere near to set in stone.

Dear Joe,

I too have an interest in this subject, dating the books of the Bible. You appear to be UNAWARE that in the past 20 years a number of leading scholars have parted ranks with the JEDP paradigm and have denounced it, listing its shortcomings and failures. My research has concentrated on dating the various books in what is called by scholars The Primary History (Genesis- 2Kings). My research suggests that this is a single composition made at one go, circa 562BCE in the Exile. For the arguments cf. the following urls at my website, <a href="http://www.bibleorigins.net" target="_blank">www.bibleorigins.net</a>

<a href="http://www.bibleorigins.net/archaeologydatestexts.html" target="_blank">http://www.bibleorigins.net/archaeologydatestexts.html</a>

<a href="http://www.bibleorigins.net/PrimaryHistory562BCE.html" target="_blank">http://www.bibleorigins.net/PrimaryHistory562BCE.html</a>

<a href="http://www.bibleorigins.net/oneauthorprimaryhistory.html" target="_blank">http://www.bibleorigins.net/oneauthorprimaryhistory.html</a>

Celsus

Thanks for your comments. I have actually looked at your site before, but only gave it a cursory glance so far. It's an interesting theory, but I would like to know whether your single composition hypothesis is a single composition or a redactional composition of different materials?

If the former, what do you think of the doublets, particularly relating to Abram's covenant? What about the different versions of the same myths (for example, why is Goliath killed by two people?) What about stylistic difference (anthropomorphism of Yahweh, which visibly reduces as Genesis goes on)? What about the different names attributed to God? What about etiological myths defending certain pre-Exilic cultic practices (e.g. the bronze serpent)

If the latter, what were the original sources?

I tend to think multiple authorship gives much better answers to these questions, and secondly, if it was a synthesis of various traditions/myths, then a single Exilic authorship seems to beg the question of where the originals came from.

Thanks for your comments anyway. I haven't made my mind up yet, being new to this, but would appreciate what you think.

Joel

[ November 02, 2002: Message edited by: joejoejoe ]</p>

WRW Mattfeld

Joel,

I undertsnd that the narrator had access to conflicting traditions, and incorporated them in his work, much like Herodotus also incorporates conflicting traditions in his history. I would argue that it is these conflicting traditions that misled scholars to think that the Primary History and its so-called "Pentateuch" is the product of four different authors, JEDP.

Celsus

I don't doubt that you've read much more on this than I, but from what I've seen so far, it raises the many of the old questions of single authorship that the Documentary Hypothesis solved. Just to clarify, I doubt anybody thinks there were merely 4 authors, but that there are four broad themes that are identifiable with JEDP. Some problems I have:

1. The Samaritan Bible, consisting solely of the Pentateuch. It seems difficult to imagine that the Samaritans would accept the entire Pentateuch if it was a Exilic composition, given tensions between them and the post-Exilic Jews. If there was significant textual variation, then it could still be concluded that the originals were pre-Exilic. This I believe is also fairly strong evidence against linking P with Ezra.

2. That differing traditions are picked as source materials is quite obvious, and I don't think anyone other than fundamentalists would disagree with that. However, someone who states that the redaction (or composition) took place during the Exile (as Encyclopaedia Britannica does) would pretty much come to a similar conclusion as yourself. However, there seems to be no real reason to discard JEDP on that basis.

3. As I asked in my first reply to you, it still begs the question as to the writer's sources. Is it possible that JED (and maybe P, although you dispute P as a source) were these sources? Most importantly, what alternatives do you propose? If you do accept (broadly) JED, then how is that a single authorship? Obviously since JEDP are tangled horribly throughout the Pentateuch, a single redactor (or group of redactors) must have eventually worked on it. That is undisputed.

4. Why wouldn't this single author, with variant sources, not have ironed out inconsistencies better, and why would he have repeated material unnecessarily?

5. Why do Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy differ so markedly in writing style? A single author, as opposed to a copyist, would have made at least some stylistic impact, otherwise we wouldn't attribute it to single authorship.

6. The tone of the Deuteronomic history is usually pro-Judah, but the stories of Egypt focus on Joseph, the hero, whose tribes later became the most powerful of the Israelites. For example, Genesis 38: Judah sleeps with his sister Tamar, whom he believes is a prostitute (that make things ok?). Hence Perez and Zerah are inbred. A Biblical author with knowledge of the Law and a long tradition of prophets (if both had existed at the time of authorship) would probably not have been so unjudgemental. On the other hand, Genesis 37 mentions that Judah is the one who saved Joseph's life (and hence Israel) by suggesting selling Joseph to the Midianites/Ishmaelites rather than killing him. This story originally had etiological significance which has been lost over the centuries, but for Israel, not Judah. A redactor would probably not have so willingly soiled their patriarch's name, unless it had reached some sort of (equivalent to) canonical status by the point of the redaction. Hence multiple authorship.

7. If I understand correctly, you use the word "traditions", not "authors" as your single authorship suggests. On the one hand, there is the theory that scrolls were not brought to Babylon with the exiles, hence the Pentateuch (and I assume you include the Deuteronomic history) must have been written there. However, given the importance of the Law to the priests (who were on a similar level to nobles), it's like saying several baptist preachers didn't think to bring a single Bible with them when they went to a foreign country. Remember, also that books like the "Annals of the Kings of Judah" (and of Israel) etc. are cited in the Deuteronomic history frequently, as if there were readily available source materials.

Sorry to go on like this, the last two points may be straw men. My point is this: different traditions = different authors. If you argue for a single Exilic redactor, I doubt anyone will disagree with you strongly (except maybe on point 1). If you argue for a single Exilic author (i.e. he must drastically change or adapt his sources, and introduce his own style to qualify as being more than a redactor), then I think you raise the same old problems related to the Mosaic authorship, except that you don't have to deal with the anachronisms.

Joel

[ November 02, 2002: Message edited by: joejoejoe ]</p>

WRW Mattfeld

Joel, For me the terms "redactor" and "author" are synomonous. ALL historians are in some sense "redactors", bringing together earlier bits and pieces of knowledge and traditions, whether it be folk tales, traditions, beliefs or even written down myths and annals. As I pointed out, Herodotus did this ca. 450-425 BCE. I undertsnd that the Primary History was written ca. 562 BCE as this is the LAST datable event (2 Kings 25:27).

As noted by Whybray, this author WAS NOT disturbed by the "unevenness" of his work, or its "internal contradictions." One has to remember that this is the EARLIEST surviving prose history that we have, and this historian should be allowed some leeway in that he is not adhereing to our modern day standards of just how a historian "ought" to write and marshal his sources and give commentary on them (like Herodotus later did, "noting" discrepencies for his readership).

Celsus

Hi,

It seems we have two different basic assumptions at work. You believe that the Primary (or Deuteronomic) History was the work of a historian, while I think it was the work of theologians. Can the two be differentiated this far removed from the events? Perhaps not. However, an important distinction shows up in the Deuteronomic History, which is that other works are cited, which are now lost. The only way we may be satisfied is if we did eventually recover these (slim chance). The author(s) seem to refer to them, and from internal evidence, these would probably be deemed more 'historical', while the work that eventually made its way into the Bible would be deemed more 'theological'. In that sense, I would say the author(s) probably did not consider himself/themselves to be historians, inasmuch as they were interpreting history through a specific theological lens. Anyway, I may yet be convinced otherwise.

I don't want to accuse you of merely regurgitating the works of others, but you have not really answered the questions, particularly the Samaritan Bible. You note that Whybray claims the author was not "disturbed" by uneveness in the text. I think this is quite a poor argument at best, or an unsubstantiated assertion at worst, used to defend the single authorship theory. The only other evidence I see so far is that primitive history did not match our modern standards, which is fair enough, but the changes in style are glaring enough that it still leaves the important question unanswered: his sources. Your other post mentioned Josiah's court (noting borders in Joshua, part of the Deuteronomic History), which is of course, what most people consider as the "D" material. You have not said why JED should not be considered the sources.

Conflating "redactor" and "author" is also not helpful in trying to determine all we can know about the composition of the texts. I think it is an important distinction, otherwise we wouldn't need to use the term "redactor" in the first place.

Joel

Celsus

Maybe another question will clarify this single vs. multiple authorship question. Do you consider Isaiah and Zechariah to be the works of single authors, or multiple authors?

[ November 03, 2002: Message edited by: joejoejoe ]</p>

WRW Mattfeld

I am not satisfied with the notion that the primary history (Genesis-2 Kings) is a document that under went continuous redactions by four different authors or redactors. It flies in the face of commonsense. I suspect that One author, took earlier compositions and brought them together for his history. These earlier works have been misunderstood to be "proof" that the Primary History "evolved" over a period of 500 years via various accretions- utter nonsense ! At best, I would say that the "putative" JEDP are merely tags identifying differing traditions, some oral, some written, that the author has brought together in composing his work. That ayou are not satisfied with my explanations or Whybray's is fine- We will jsut have to agree to diasagree.

Celsus

Why? It did not undergo continuous redactions, or only 4 redactions either. JEDP were written separately, and whenever they were joined together to form larger wholes was when the redaction took place. It's quite common throughout ancient Judaism that different sects interpreted different documents differently. (e.g. the Dead Sea sect, with their numerous peshers) Is it not also possible that they altered the originals at some point to make them better fit into the compound work, and that the originals are still identifiable? (as JEDP)

So really what you mean is not one author, but one redactor. These are two very different things: the author is responsible for the original, the redactor takes and adapts the works of others. I'm only asking you questions that any theory must be able to explain. I'm also not saying they evolved, but that whenever they were put together, some redaction took place, but not so well done that we can no longer trace the originals.

This argument need not get heated. I think you have a case here, you only need to be able to answer these questions I (and Baidarka) asked better, which you don't seem to want to attempt. Remember, your thesis rests on place names in certain books (Joshua, etc.), on Evil Merodach, and on other parts that are really quite a small proportion of the Deuteronomic History (which most scholars agree underwent exilic redaction). If exilic redaction took place, I don't have a problem with that, but I think I should repeat the important points:

1. Where are the originals from? Why are they not JEDP, and not mostly written (how else could he be so sure about years and dates)? If we can see stylistic differences, and you admit the author borrowed from different sources, what are these sources?
2. Why would Samaritans adopt the exact Pentateuch (but not Deuteronomic History) of their enemies after the exile? I don't think the account of sending missionaries to the Samaritans in 2 Kings 17 is a coincidence. By this point, the Pentateuch must at least been near to its final form.
3. Doublets, doublets, doublets. Therefore different written traditions. If they had been oral, then they would probably have not been repeated (or at least not as frequently) as redaction is much easier.

As I've said before, there's nothing wrong with your theory, but all theories' acceptance rest on whether they can answer the questions of sceptics. Perhaps your sources have these answers, and you should look for them. This is a good opportunity for you to tighten your thesis. For one, you have said that it was an original work, but on the other hand, you have agreed that it was redactional. Alternatively, we might call such an "author" a plagiarist.

You must be technically accurate with your definitions, and not just announce that redaction and authorship are synonymous. I think what you have identified as proof of exilic authorship is merely proof of exilic redaction. You'll need to explain much more comprehensively the rest of the Primary and Deuteronomic History to prove exilic authorship.

Joel