The anonymous 1753 publication titled Conjectures sur les memoires originaux dont il paroit que Moyse s'est servi pour composer le livre de la Genese marked a shift in biblical scholarship. Written by French physician Jean Astruc, this work introduced a structural methodology for analyzing ancient texts that provided the basis for the modern documentary hypothesis.
Medical Education and Early Career
Born in 1684 in Sauve, France, Jean Astruc received his medical training at the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier. At age 19, he completed his dissertation on decomposition, incorporating contemporary research from Thomas Willis and Robert Boyle. Following his studies, Astruc held positions at the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier starting in 1707 before joining the Collège de France, where he remained from 1731 until his death in 1766.
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Astruc maintained an active career as a physician and writer, producing various medical texts throughout his life. He authored a significant treatise on syphilis and venereal diseases, establishing his reputation within the medical community. In 1766, he also published Elements of Midwifery, which included a response regarding the conduct of Adam and Eve during the birth of their first child.
Textual Analysis and the Documentary Hypothesis
Astruc applied techniques used for secular classics to the book of Genesis. He observed that certain verses referred to God as YHWH while others used the term Elohim. By arranging these verses into parallel columns, he proposed that Moses had compiled Genesis from four distinct source manuscripts. While he intended to defend Mosaic authorship against 17th-century critics like Baruch Spinoza and Thomas Hobbes, his systematic source identification provided the foundation for subsequent critical exegesis.
Fast facts
- Born: 1684, Sauve, France
- Died: 1766, Paris, France
- Education: Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier
- Academic Positions: Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier; Collège de France
- Primary medical field: Syphilis and venereal diseases
- Major critical work: Conjectures sur la Genese (1753)
Questions readers ask
What is the documentary hypothesis?
It is a theory of textual criticism, pioneered by Astruc, which posits that the book of Genesis was composed using multiple source documents rather than a single narrative.
Why did Astruc publish his biblical work anonymously?
He published the book in 1753 under a Brussels imprint to avoid potential repercussions from French authorities during a period when the Catholic Church did not tolerate biblical criticism.
Achievements
- Held posts at Collège de France and Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier
