JEDP and their friend Ezra

"Who wrote the books of Moses?" There are still some out there who hold that Moses wrote the Torah (or if not, that he was somehow involved in parts of it), people who believe in Mosaic authorship. And there was a long-running consensus for the documentary hypothesis with pieces known as J,E,D,P, cobbled together in what I would call mosaic authorship. (Ok, yes, I've been waiting for a long time to use that pun.) I gather that the documentary hypothesis is having its consensus challenged, with the scholarly community not quite sure whether there are really 4 separate strains there (JEDP) or whether some other scenario is more likely (supplements, fragments, etc). At any rate there's uncertainty and lack of agreement over where the Torah came from, which plays its own part in the conversations here lately on Genesis and the "page one" problem.

When I research a thing, I like to check what information is available. When it comes to researching history, I like to start at the oldest available sources. In my opinion, one of the most persistent areas of hubris for scholarship in our era is acting as though nobody before our era knew or said anything worth considering even when the question on the table involves ancient history. So with that in mind, I'd like to mention what the Jewish sages of the classical era had in their own awareness about the questions that puzzle us: changes in script or alphabet, changes in language / rewrites, what happened during the Babylonian era, was there any memory of a cuneiform script on baked bricks, all that. I'm not making any assertions about whether any current reader should take their comments at face value; I'm suggesting that if we're seeking answers to questions, it's at least worth considering what was reported among people who were closer to the source.

So I'd like to present some relevant excerpts from the Talmud without either vouching for them or disparaging them in their introduction. This excerpt discusses changing alphabet scripts and the role of Ezra around the time of the exile:

Mar Zutra or, as some say, Mar ‘Ukba said: Originally the Torah was given to Israel in Hebrew characters and in the sacred [Hebrew] language; later, in the times of Ezra, the Torah was given in Ashshurith script*{footnote: Assyrian; modern Hebrew square writing} and Aramaic language. [Finally], they selected for Israel the Ashshurith script and Hebrew language, leaving the Hebrew characters and Aramaic language for the hedyototh. Who are meant by the ‘hedyototh’? — R. Hisda answers: The Cutheans.*{footnote:  ‘The Samaritans’, so called because they were brought by Sargon, king of Assyria, from Cuthea, to take the place of the exiled Israelites. (V. II Kings XVII, 24 ff.). The reason for the change from Hebrew to Assyrian characters, was to build a greater barrier between the Samaritans and the Jews. V. Weiss, Dor, v. I, 59.} And what is meant by Hebrew characters? — R. Hisda said: The libuna'ah script.*{footnote: Rashi: Large characters as employed in amulets. R. Tam, in Tosaf. s. v. c,f recognises in ‘libuna'ah’ an adjective from the name of some locality. (Lebanon, or Libya?) Another opinion is that libuna'ah is derived from ‘lebenah’, brick; hence writing found on clay-tablets. V. J.E. I, p. 445.} 

It has been taught: R. Jose said: Had Moses not preceded him, Ezra would have been worthy of receiving the Torah for Israel. Of Moses it is written, And Moses went up unto God, and of Ezra it is written, He, Ezra, went up from Babylon. As the going up of the former refers to the [receiving of the] Law, so does the going up of the latter. Concerning Moses, it is stated: And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments; and concerning Ezra, it is stated: For Ezra had prepared his heart to expound the law of the Lord [his God] to do it and to teach Israel statutes and judgments. And even though the Torah was not given through him, its writing was changed through him, as it is written: 

| page break in Talmud |  

And the writing of the letter was written in the Aramaic character and interpreted into the Aramaic [tongue]. And again it is written, And they could not read the writing nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. Further, it is written: And he shall write the copy [mishneh] of this law, — in writing which was destined to be changed. Why is it called Ashshurith? — Because it came with them from Assyria. It has been taught: Rabbi said: The Torah was originally given to Israel in this [Ashshurith] writing. When they sinned, it was changed into Ro'az. But when they repented, the [Assyrian characters] were re-introduced ... 

(San Hedrin 21b-22a)

I find it interesting that in the middle of a discussion of changing scripts and religious boundary-marking with changed scripts, there's an extended discussion of Ezra as parallel to Moses, re-establishing the Torah. It's not the only time a connection like that is made in the Talmud: 

For in ancient times when the Torah was forgotten from Israel, Ezra came up from Babylon and established it. [Some of] it was again forgotten and Hillel the Babylonian came up and established it. Yet again was [some of] it forgotten, and R. Hiyya and his sons came up and established it. (Sukkah 20a)

There are also some who assume that the ancient Israelites had never noticed that Moses died before the end of the Torah, and that his death had implications for who wrote the parts of the Torah after Moses' death. Give the ancients a little credit, folks: 

The Master has said: Joshua wrote the book which bears his name and the last eight verses of the Pentateuch. This statement is in agreement with the authority who says that eight verses in the Torah were written by Joshua, as it has been taught: [It is written], So Moses the servant of the Lord died there. Now is it possible that Moses being dead could have written the words, ‘Moses died there’?
(Baba Bathra 15a)

I don't think that the complete history of the documents is kept in their archives. But I think there is enough that sheds light on our questions to merit consideration. As they say: Test everything; hold on to that which is true.