Ephraimite History
The second of the four Pentateuch narratives is known as the Ephraimite History. The author is designated by the letter E for two reasons. E is the first letter in the word Ephraimite, which is used interchangeably with the northern kingdom. Because the place names in this history belong to the northern kingdom, it is assumed that the author was a native of this place. The second reason that E is designated for this material is that E is the first letter in the word Elohim, which is the name for the deity in that part of the history that precedes the story of Moses and the burning bush. In our bibles today, the J and E histories have been interwoven to present a single narrative. However, careful analysis reveals with a fair degree of accuracy the materials that belong to each of the original histories. The E narrative has several distinctive characteristics, including the use of the term Elohim, place names that belong to the north, a more advanced conception of the deity, higher ethical standards implied in the stories concerning the patriarchs, strong opposition to idol worship, and an unfavorable attitude toward the establishment of a monarchy.
This history is believed to have been written about 750 B.C., a century later than the J narrative. Although these two histories are in many respects parallel versions of the same events, the E version begins with the story of Abraham and makes no references to what may have happened prior to that time. The stories pertaining to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are told in a more favorable light than in the J narrative, indicating something of an advance in ethical ideals, for these heroes of the Israelite people are not regarded as guilty of acts of deception as they are in the J account of the same events. The story of the sacrifice of Isaac occurs only in the E narrative. Here, the purpose of the story is twofold: The author wants to illustrate perfect obedience to the will of God on the part of Abraham, and he also wants to make it clear that the deity no longer requires human sacrifices. Animals may be substituted in their place.
