CHAPTER VII.

THE HISTORICAL ELEMENT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

Moral and Religious distinct from Historical Inspiration--Myth and Allegory--The Higher Criticism--All Ancient History unconfirmed by Monuments untrustworthy--Cyrus--Old Testament and Monuments--Jerusalem--Tablet of Tell-el-Amarna--Flinders Petrie's Exploration of Pre-Hebrew Cities--Ramses and Pi-thom--First certain Synchronism Rehoboam--Composite Structure of Old Testament--Elohist and Jehovist--Priests' Code--Canon Driver--Results--Book of Chronicles--Methods of Jewish Historians--Post-Exilic References--Tradition of Esdras--Nehemiah and Ezra--Foundation of Modern Judaism--Different from Pre-Exilic--Discovery of Book of the Law under Josiah--Deuteronomy--Earliest Sacred Writings--Conclusions--Aristocratic and Prophetic Schools--Triumph of Pietism with Exile--Both compiled partly from Old Materials--Crudeness and Barbarism of Parts--Pre-Abrahamic Period clearly mythical--Derived from Chaldæa--Abraham--Unhistoric Character--His Age--Lot's Wife--His double Adventure with Sarah--Abraham to Moses--Sojourn in Egypt--Discordant Chronology--Josephus' Quotation from Manetho--Small Traces of Egyptian Influence--Future Life--Legend of Joseph--Moses--Osarsiph--Life of Moses full of Fabulous Legends--His Birth--Plagues of Egypt--The Exodus--Colenso--Contradictions and Impossibilities--Immoralities--Massacres--Joshua and the Judges--Barbarisms and Absurdities--Only safe Conclusion no History before the Monarchy--David and Solomon--Comparatively Modern Date 209