Pentateuch is that of an author or of a redactor. But his view of the major narrative complexes of the Old Testament, including the Pentateuch, as complete and satisfying literary creations carrying a clear and purposeful message is certainly compatible with a theory of single authorship for the Pentateuch, and indeed provides a detailed picture of what such an author might have been seeking to achieve, and of the methods by which he carried out his intentions. As a literary critic, Alter regards