Linguistic Evidence for the Pre-exilic Date of the Yahwistic Source

For the past few decades a growing number of scholars have attempted to overthrow the traditional Wellhausian view that the socalled 'Yahwist' or 'J' source of the Pentateuch is the oldest of the four major sources. These scholars have argued that 'J' was composed during the exilic or post-exilic periods of ancient Israel.