Deuteronomic tradition

Scheme of the Documentary Hypothesis.

The deuteronomic tradition is, according to the documentary hypothesis, one of the four sources from which the books of the Tanakh or Old Testament were written. Dated around the 6th century B.C. C., arises at a time of crisis of the unity of Israel.

From the research of Martin Noth, it is believed that the Deuteronomic part of the Torah and Deuteronomy were originally composed as a single work. Some scholars attribute two different phases to the text (the first called Dtr1, and the second Dtr2), although most still consider that both were by the same author. Martin Noth held that there was no unity in the underlying language and cultural content of the books of Deuteronomy and II Kings (Noth 1943). The Deuteronomic Tradition would be from a single author and known before the Babylonian exile, but the editing and writing would be from the time of the Babylonian exile, mid-century VI a. c.

The true identity of the author of the Deuteronomic Tradition is doubtful: scholars estimate the author to be Baruch (the son of Neriyah), Jeremiah the scribe, or perhaps Jeremiah, due to the similarity in style between Jeremiah and the inclusions Jeremiah's direct (unattributed) in D, as well as Jeremiah's affiliation with the priests of Shiloh, in the period that Jeremiah lived.

He has a style of preaching, insisting that Israel is God's chosen people for his deliverance. Almost all of this tradition is collected in Deuteronomy, although there are fragments of his works in other texts. This tradition would have its origin in the reform of King Josías.