Gerhard von Rad

Who was Gerhard von Rad?

Gerhard von Rad was a German Lutheran pastor, University professor, and Old Testament scholar.

With the experience of two World Wars, the German-speaking world began to turn "anti-Old Testament", as anti-Semitic feeling grew. Disturbed by this, Rad turned to the study of the Old Testament and gradually started to bring back its message.

His lively papers achieved a renewal of interest and research in Old Testament studies. Along with Martin Noth, he applied research into the Pentateuch's oral tradition to the explanation of its origin.