The inter-relationship between various significant ancient manuscripts of the Old Testament (some identified by their siglum). LXX - the original septuagint (Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, translated in stages between the 3rd and 2nd Centuries BC in Alexandria). MT - Masoretic Text
Documentary hypothesis: proposes that the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) was derived from originally independent, parallel and complete narratives, which were subsequently combined into the current form by a series of redactors (editors). The number of these narratives is usually set at four, but the precise number is not an essential part of the hypothesis. Sources: Jahwist (J), Elohist (E), Deuteronomist (D), Priestly (P).
Dead Sea Scrolls: text dating 150 BCE - 70 CE; some are "the earliest known surviving copies of Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents and preserve evidence of great diversity in late Second Temple Judaism". Found 1947-1956. Written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek on parchment and some on papyrus.
