Jahwist

[10] J has a particular concern with Judah, including its relationship with its rival and neighbor, Edom; on Judahite cities such as Jerusalem; and strongly supports of the legitimacy of the Davidic monarchy.

J is also critical of the other tribes of Israel, suggesting that the Northern Kingdom's capital of Shechem was established after a massacre of the original inhabitants (Genesis 34).

In Genesis 3:22, by eating the forbidden fruit, man and woman become like gods and are banished from the Garden of Eden, extinguishing their immortality and divine blessing.

This theme is also seen in Genesis 6:1–4 in the sexual union of the sons of God with human women: Yahweh declares this a transgression and limits the life span of their offspring.

God creates a world that is "very good", without predation or violence, but Eve's disobedience is followed by Cain's murder of his brother Abel, until Yahweh resolves to destroy his corrupt creatures with the Flood.

[12] Julius Wellhausen, the 19th century German scholar responsible for the classical form of the documentary hypothesis, did not attempt to date J more precisely than the monarchical period of Israel's history.

[17] These chapters make up the so-called Primeval History, the story of mankind prior to Abraham, and J and P provide roughly equal amounts of material.

[20] The vast majority of scholars attribute almost the entirety of Leviticus to P.[21] J begins with Numbers 10–14, the departure from Sinai, the story of the spies who are afraid of the giants in Canaan, and the refusal of the Israelites to enter the Promised Land—which then brings on the wrath of Yahweh, who condemns them to wander in the wilderness for the next forty years.

It is generally also believed that J provides large portions of chapters 21 to 24, covering the story of the bronze serpent, Balaam and his talking ass (although Friedman attributes this to E), and finally ending with the first verses of the Heresy of Baal Peor.