German biblical scholar best known for his analysis of the structure and dating of the Pentateuch (Torah).

Wellhausen studied at the University of Göttingen and taught there briefly before becoming professor of the Old Testament at Greifswald in 1872, a position he resigned 10 years later because of conflicts with his academic superiors. After teaching at other German universities, he returned to Göttingen in 1892, remaining there until his death.

His major writings put forth the view that the books of the Pentateuch were not written by Moses but were the result of oral traditions that evolved over time from a nomadic religion through the prophets to the law, rather than from the law through the prophets, as it is presented in the Old Testament. He dissected two distinct narrative structures from Genesis, determining that these narratives were the oldest portion of the Pentateuch, while the laws and rituals were the latest elements.

His New Testament studies, particularly his assertion of the priority of the Gospel According to Mark over the hypothetical “Q” document believed to be the basis for the gospels of both Matthew and Luke, were not as well accepted as his Old Testament work.