Rethinking Genesis: The Sources and Authorship of the First Book of the Bible

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Summary: The death-knell of the Graf-Wellhausen hypothesis
Review: This study on the origins of the book of Genesis boldly opposes prevalent critical perspectives and presents an alternative theory that is both carefully documented and comprehensive in scope, describing all aspects of the transmission, assembly and structuring of Genesis. In this book, Garrett argues for the exodus-related setting of Genesis and a Mosaic redaction of historical sources, resulting in what he calls "Urgenesis" which was slightly expanded by later redactors. In proposing this hypothesis, Garrett methodically exposes the inadequacies of the Documentary Hypothesis and its spawn throughout the book and devotes an entire section to an evaluation of the same before presenting his own theory. The outcome of the work is a convincing refutation of the critical approach to the Pentateuch (and Genesis in particular), a nuanced affirmation of the traditional understanding of Mosaic authorship and the book's antiquity, and a realistic assessment of the structure and composition of Genesis that honestly and seriously considers the appearance of varying sources throughout the book.