Published: 2025-11-13

Jerusalem and the Question of the Origin of the Pentateuch

Janusz Lemański Profil ORCID autora Janusz Lemański
Collectanea Theologica
Section: Articles
DOI https://doi.org/10.21697/ct.2025.95.4.01

Abstract

The lack of mention of Jerusalem in the Pentateuch and the absence of the theology of Zion in it – that is, topics important in the period of the so-called second temple – leads to the question about the validity of the thesis that this work was written in that period in the territory of Judah. The already widespread awareness that a pre-Samaritan version of the Hebrew Torah existed and that it was a joint work not only of the community associated with Jerusalem and its sanctuary, but also of the intellectual elites from Samaria, allows us, on the one hand, to find some hidden allusions to Jerusalem in the Pentateuch, and on the other hand, to put forward the thesis that the Torah itself – contrary to what is usually assumed – originated in Samaria. This article justifies the thesis that the elites of both Judah and Samaria were responsible for the creation of the Torah, and the lack of mentions of Jerusalem is the result of change in theological paradigms (sanctuary in the wilderness – YHWH is where His people are).

Keywords:

Pentateuch, Jerusalem, Theology of Sion, sanctuary in the wilderness

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Citation rules

Lemański, J. (2025). Jerusalem and the Question of the Origin of the Pentateuch. Collectanea Theologica, 95(4), 659–685. https://doi.org/10.21697/ct.2025.95.4.01

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