Priestly tradition

The priestly tradition (abbreviated P for the German Priesterschrift) is, according to the Documentary Hypothesis, the most recent of the four sources from which the books of the Tanakh or Old Testament were written, dated between the 6th centuries B.C. C. and V a. C. It is estimated that this source dates from a time close to the fall of the kingdom of Israel in the north; its authors would be the priests of Jerusalem. He is interested in genealogies, rites, laws and dates. Not to be confused with presbyterial.

Scheme of the Documentary Hypothesis.

Other theories believe that the oldest documents of the priestly tradition were produced after the Babylonian exile. Its origin would be found in the religious reform of Ezra and Nehemiah after the return from the Babylonian captivity.

Nature of priestly tradition

It is considered that the priestly tradition is, to a large extent, the genesis of the book of Leviticus. They would be the opinions of the priests and of Aaron, and the presence of the latter is always indicated when Moses is fulfilling obligations in the name of God, which suggests that the proper functioning of the miracles depends on both; sometimes, the capacity of Moses to take the functions of leader is also doubted; for example, specifying that after receiving the Ten Commandments, he had changed so much that no one could see it.

The priestly tradition is recognizable by repetitive lists, long and laborious interruptions in narrative, cold, emotionless descriptions, and generally rather poor literary quality. The priestly tradition refers to God in terms of Elohim or El Shaddai, and is treated as a transcendental and distant being, who communicates through priests, in opposition to the documents of the Yahvist tradition.

In the priestly tradition God is just, but he is also ruthless and brutal and applies severe punishments when laws are broken, such as the massacre of 12,000 people in a plague, for the sole reason of have expressed their complaints. His style is also considered, by most researchers, very inelegant and most think that, as a consequence, a text from the priestly tradition can be recognized at first glance.