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Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Probably that was done by
the LXX. translators. Some modern critics speak of a Hexateuch,
introducing the Book of Joshua as one of the group. But this book is of an
entirely different character from the other books, and has a different
author. It stands by itself as the first of a series of historical books
beginning with the entrance of the Israelites into Canaan. (See JOSHUA.)
The books composing the Pentateuch are properly but one book, the ?Law
of Moses,? the ?Book of the Law of Moses,? the ?Book of Moses,? or, as
the Jews designate it, the ?Torah? or ?Law.? That in its present form it
?proceeds from a single author is proved by its plan and aim, according to
which its whole contents refer to the covenant concluded between Jehovah
and his people, by the instrumentality of Moses, in such a way that
everything before his time is perceived to be preparatory to this fact, and
all the rest to be the development of it. Nevertheless, this unity has not
been stamped upon it as a matter of necessity by the latest redactor: it has
been there from the beginning, and is visible in the first plan and in the
whole execution of the work.?, Keil, Einl. i.d. A. T.
A certain school of critics have set themselves to reconstruct the books of
the Old Testament. By a process of ?scientific study? they have
discovered that the so-called historical books of the Old Testament are not
history at all, but a miscellaneous collection of stories, the inventions of
many different writers, patched together by a variety of editors! As
regards the Pentateuch, they are not ashamed to attribute fraud, and even
conspiracy, to its authors, who sought to find acceptance to their work
which was composed partly in the age of Josiah, and partly in that of Ezra
and Nehemiah, by giving it out to be the work of Moses! This is not the
place to enter into the details of this controversy. We may say frankly,
however, that we have no
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