Final answer:
The Documentary Hypothesis pertains to the origin of the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Option A is correct. The hypothesis suggests these books were compiled from multiple documents over time and have similarities to earlier legends.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Documentary Hypothesis is a scholarly theory concerning the origins of the first five books of the Bible, which are also known as the Pentateuch. According to this hypothesis, these books are a compilation of documents from different sources written over several centuries. The four main sources postulated by the Documentary Hypothesis are the Jahwist (J), Elohist (E), Deuteronomist (D), and Priestly (P) sources.
Regarding Which Books of the Bible are the subject of the Documentary Hypothesis? The correct answer is option A: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and also includes Deuteronomy, though not listed explicitly in the given options. These books contain various accounts of history and law which the Documentary Hypothesis suggests were compiled from the identified sources.
The stories within these books have similarities with earlier Mesopotamian legends, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. The flood narrative in Genesis is a particularly notable example. This comparative aspect of the texts adds to the hypothesis that the Pentateuch is a composite work. It is important to note that while the Documentary Hypothesis concerns the first five books of the Bible, other books like those of the prophets (such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel) and wisdom literature (such as Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon), as well as the Gospels from the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), are not the subject of this hypothesis.