Julius Wellhausen (1844–1918)

Julius Wellhausen was a German biblical scholar whose work decisively shaped modern study of the Hebrew Bible. He is best known for his classic formulation of the Documentary Hypothesis, presented most influentially in Prolegomena zur Geschichte Israels (1878). In this work, Wellhausen argued that the Pentateuch developed through a long literary and religious process, reflecting successive stages in Israel’s history rather than originating as a single Mosaic composition.

Wellhausen’s scholarship combined literary criticism, historical reconstruction, and the study of Israel’s religious institutions, especially law, cult, and prophecy. He proposed a developmental model in which Israel’s religion evolved from charismatic prophetic traditions to a priestly, law-centered system after the exile. Although many of his specific conclusions have been revised or challenged, his methodological rigor and historical approach remain foundational for critical biblical scholarship.

I authored a biographical entry on Julius Wellhausen for The Encyclopedia of Christian Literature, a two-volume reference work edited by George T. Kurian and others (Lanham: Scarecrow Press, 2010), pages 636-637 of volume 2. A PDF version of the biography is available for download (Click here).

Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

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