Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1887. By FUNK & WAGNALLS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C. FUNK & WAGNALLS, NEW YORK THE Baptist, the Congregational, the Episcopalian, the Lu- I. Introductory Historical Sketch of Pentateuchal Criti- II. The Hebrew Religion not a Natural Development.— 65 IV. Pentateuchal Analysis.-PROF. GREEN, of Princeton. 101 V. Testimony of the Pentateuch to Itself, Direct and In- direct.-PROF. SCHODDE, of Capital University, Ohio. 139 VI. Testimony of the Historical Books, save Chronicles.- PROF. BEECHER, of Auburn Theological Seminary.. 173 VII. Testimony of the Books of Chronicles.-PROF. M. S. . 211 VIII. Testimony of the Prophetical (and Poetical) Books.— PROF. HARMAN, of Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa. 247 IX. Bearings of the New Hypothesis on Questions of Bib- X. Credulity or Faith, or the Difficulties of the New Hy- 277 SUMMARY OF THE ESSAY. 1. Introductory. 2. Ancient Opinion. 3. View of Dr. Astruc. 4. The Same enlarged by Eichhorn. 5. The Fragmentary Theory-Geddes and Vater. 6. The Supplementary Theory-Bleek, Tuch. 7. Hupfield's Opposition." 8. Reactionary Works-Knobel and Keil. 9. Documentary Theory-Popper and Graf. 10. Its Constituent Elements. 11. Its Relation to History. 12. The Three Codes. 13. Their Differences from Each Other and from Their Surroundings. 14. The Question at Issue. 15. The Plan of this Series of Essays. 16. Resume of Objections to the Modern View of the Subject. 17. The Conservative View-What it Denies and what it Admits. AN HISTORICAL SKETCH. I. THIS essay claims to be nothing more than a sketch. It avoids details as far as possible, and seeks merely to indicate the main line along which scholars have proceeded in their investigations into the origin and formation of the first portion of the Old Testament. The compilation has been made from various sources, and the language of others has been freely used wherever it seemed advisable. Even such a rapid outline may be useful to persons not familiar with the subject, in enabling them to follow with ease and intelligence the further discussions in the succeeding essays. The importance of the subject cannot well be over estimated. The Scrip tures are a complete whole, with a beginning, a middle and an end, the result being an historical revelation of the will of God and his relations to men. Its various parts are so closely interlocked together that none can be removed without serious damage to the rest. Especially does this hold good of the early portions which in position resemble the base of a pyramid. If this be taken away, what is left is a column floating in the air. The certitude on which Christian faith rests is gone, and men are given over to a calculation of probabilities in reference to their most important interests. This is a sad change from the tone of assured and absolute conviction which character ized New Testament believers. They knew in whom they had believed, and were persuaded that they had not followed cunningly devised fables. It is well worth while therefore to consider whether there is any real ground for departing from the steadfast belief of all past generations in regard to the Mosaic record. 2. In the last chapter of Luke's gospel, our Lord, referring to the Old Testament, calls it, "the law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms." The last of these stood for the poetical books in general, the second for the histories and prophecies from Joshua down, while the first was appropriated to the opening books of the volume, now generally known as the Pentateuch (the five-fold book), a name which it has borne ever since the time of Origen. This portion is referred to by Nehemiah (viii:1, 2, 3; ix:3; xiii:1) as the Law, or the Book of the Law, and as such it has been regarded and styled by the Jews of all ages. Its division into separate books is as old as the Septuagint version, but how much older cannot be determined. The historian Josephus in his work against Apion, speaking of the books which are justly believed to be divine, says that "five of them belong to Moses, which contain his laws and the traditions of the origin of mankind till his death" (i: 8). This opinion, with which everything in the New Testament is in accord, was accepted by Jews and Christians alike for many centuries. Discordant voices are not heard until after the Reformation save from a few obscure |