The “E” stands for “Elohist,” the author who uses the Hebrew word elohim for God. The “J” is for “Yahwist”—because in German j makes the sound “y”—who calls God “Yahweh.” (We return to God’s name in more detail in chapter 13.) The “D” is a “Deuteronomist” who wrote Deuteronomy, and the “P” is a priestly source who advocated for the priests.
