II. THE POETRY OF THE BIBLE NOT OUR PROSE
III. TRUTH OF IDEA TRUER THAN TRUTH OF FACT
IV.

MISLEADING ORDER AND TITLES OF BIBLICAL BOOKS

V. EARLY MAN AND HIS CREED
VI. BABYLONIA, ITS INFLUENCE ON ISRAEL

PAGE

3

14

25

33

X. AMOS, HOSEA, ISAIAH, AND MICAH .
XI. THE BOOK OF THE LAW, AND JEREMIAH.

CHAPTER

XII. THE CAPTIVITY; EZEKIEL ; II ISAIAH

PAGE

. 181

XIII. THE RETURN FROM EXILE; THE PRIESTLY CODE 199

214

238

XIV. MORAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUES OF PRIESTLY CODE.
XV. (I) THE "HOLY WRITINGS": INTRODUCTORY.
XVI. (II) THE "HOLY WRITINGS" EXAMINED: PSALMS 253
XVII. (III) THE "HOLY WRITINGS": JOB, ECCLESIASTES,

XVIII. (IV) THE "HOLY WRITINGS": CANTICLES, RUTH,
ESTHER, LAMENTATIONS

XIX. MESSIANIC HOPE-DANIEL AND APOCALYPSES

INDEX .

289

306

337

KEY TO THE SYMBOLS J, E, D, H, P

As stated and explained in Chap. IV., pp. 41-55, the Hexateuch (i.e.
Gen. to Josh.) is not by one author, but a composite work, formed out
of several documents wide apart in date and representing distinct stages
of development. These various groups were gradually welded together,
till at last the Hexateuch assumed its present form about 450-400 B.C.

J = the Jehovistic narrative, so called because it regularly uses the
term Jehovah (or Yahweh) for God. Date c. 850 B.C.

E = the closely cognate Elohistic narrative, so called because it prefers
Elōhîm for the Divine Name, never using Jehovah till Exod. iii.
14 sqq. (where God reveals it to Moses), and very sparingly after
that. Date c. 750 B.C. J (of Judah origin), and E (of Northern
Kingdom, or Israel, origin), are independent parallel narratives
drawing mainly on a common stock of tradition.

JE=J and E skilfully welded together into one narrative. The symbol
JE is used when it is not possible, or not necessary, to distinguish
the two sources. Date c. 700 B.C. or shortly after.

D = Deuteronomy, the "Book of the Law" discovered in the Temple in
621 B.C. It was written some little time before its discovery.

H = the "Law of Holiness," i.e. roughly speaking, Lev. xvii.-xxvi. It is
the oldest part of the Priestly Law, and its kernel; "holiness" is
its keynote; its date is the age of Ezekiel, say, c. 580 B.C.

Pthe Priestly narrative, the work of the legalistic school of the
latter part of the exile and later, though based on older material.
Date c. 500 B.C.

[For C, E, JED, and full details of the above symbols, refer to
Index.]

PART I

INTRODUCTORY

B