Part I, Chapter 1, 1

Introduction concerning the Compilers of the books of the Old Testament.

When Manasses¹ set up a carved image in the house of the Lord, and built altars in the two courts of the house to all the host of Heaven, and practiced enchantments and witchcraft, and consulted familiar spirits, and for his great wickedness was invaded by the army of Asserhadon King of Assyria, and carried captive to Babylon, the book of the Law was lost until the eighteenth year of his grandson Josiah. Then² Hilkiah the High Priest, upon repairing the Temple, found it there; and the King lamented that their fathers had not done after the words of the book, and commanded that it should be read to the people, and caused the people to renew the holy covenant with God. This is the book of the Law now extant.

When³ Shishak came out of Egypt and plundered the temple, and brought Judah into subjection to the monarchy of Egypt (which was in the fifth year of Rehoboam), the Jews remained under great troubles for about twenty years: being without the true God, and without a teaching Priest, and without Law; and in those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries, and nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God did vex them with all adversity. But⁴ when Shishak was dead, and Egypt fell into troubles, Judah had quiet for ten years; and in that time Asa built fortified cities in Judah, and raised an army of 580000 men, with which, in the 15th year of his reign, he met and overcame Zerah the Ethiopian, who had conquered Egypt and Lybia, and Troglodytica, and came out with an army of 1000000 Lybians and Ethiopians, to recover the countries conquered by Sesac. And after this victory⁵ Asa dethroned his mother for idolatry, and he renewed the Altar, and brought new vessels of gold and silver into the Temple; and he and the people entered into a new covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers, on pain of death to those who worshiped other Gods; and his son Jehosaphat removed the high places, and in the third year of his reign sent some of his Princes, and of the Priests and Levites, to teach in the cities of Judah: and they had the book of the Law with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people. This is that book of the Law which was afterwards lost in the reign of Manasses, and found again in the reign of Josiah, and therefore it was written before the third year of Jehosaphat.

The same book of the Law was preserved and handed down to posterity by the Samaritans, and therefore was received by the ten Tribes before their captivity. For⁶ when the ten Tribes were taken captive, a Priest of the captivity was sent back to Bethel, by order of the King of Assyria, to instruct the new inhabitants of Samaria in the manner of the God of the land; and the Samaritans had the Pentateuch from this Priest, as containing the law or manner of the God of the land, which he was to teach them. For⁷ they persevered in the religion which he taught them, joining with it the worship of their own Gods; and by persevering in what they had been taught, they preserved this book of their Law in the original character of the Hebrews, while the two Tribes, after their return from Babylon, changed the character to that of the Chaldees, which they had learned at Babylon.

And since the Pentateuch was received as the book of the Law both by the two Tribes and by the ten Tribes, it follows that they received it before they became divided into two Kingdoms. For after the division they did not receive laws from one another, but remained at variance. Judah could not reclaim Israel from the sin of Jeroboam, and Israel could not bring Judah to it. The Pentateuch, therefore, was the book of the Law in the days of David and Solomon. The affairs of the Tabernacle and Temple were ordered by David and Solomon according to the Law of this book; and David, in the 78th Psalm, admonishing the people to give ear to the Law of God, means the Law of this book. For in describing how their forefathers kept it not, he quotes many historical things out of the books of Exodus and Numbers.

The race of the Kings of Edom, before there reigned any King over Israel, is set down in the book of⁸ Genesis; and therefore that book was not written entirely in the form now extant before the reign of Saul. The writer set down the race of those Kings until his own time, and therefore wrote before David conquered Edom. The Pentateuch is composed of the Law and the history of God's people together; and the history has been collected from several books, such as the history of the Creation composed by Moses, Gen. ii. 4, the book of the generations of Adam, Gen. v. i., and the book of the wars of the Lord, Num. xxi. 14. This book of wars contained what was done at the Red Sea, and in the journeying of Israel through the Wilderness, and therefore was begun by Moses. And Joshua might carry it on to the conquest of Canaan. For Joshua wrote some things in the book of the Law of God, Josh. xxiv. 26, and therefore might write his own wars in the book of wars, those being the principal wars of God. These were public books, and therefore not written without the authority of Moses and Joshua. And Samuel had leisure in the reign of Saul to put them into the form of the books of Moses and Joshua now extant, inserting into the book of Genesis the race of the Kings of Edom, until there reigned a King in Israel.

The book of the Judges is a continued history of the Judges down to the death of Sampson, and therefore was compiled after his death, out of the Acts of the Judges. Several things in this book are said to be done when there was no King in Israel, Judg. xvii. 6. xviii. 1. xix. 1. xxi. 25; and therefore this book was written after the beginning of the reign of Saul. When it was written, the Jebusites dwelt in Jerusalem, Jud. i. 21; and therefore it was written before the eighth year of David, 2 Sam. v. 8 and 1 Chron. xi. 6. The books of Moses, Joshua, and Judges contain one continued history, down from the Creation to the death of Sampson. Where the Pentateuch ends, the book of Joshua begins; and where the book of Joshua ends, the book of Judges begins. Therefore all these books have been composed out of the writings of Moses, Joshua, and other records, by one and the same hand, after the beginning of the reign of Saul and before the eighth year of David. And Samuel was a sacred writer, 1 Sam. x. 25, acquainted with the history of Moses and the Judges, 1 Sam. xii. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and had leisure in the reign of Saul, and sufficient authority to compose these books. He was a Prophet, and judged Israel all the days of his life, and was in the greatest esteem with the people; and the Law by which he was to judge the people was not to be published by less authority than his own, the lawgiver not being inferior to the judge. And the book of Jasher, which is quoted in the book of Joshua, Josh. x. 13, was in being at the death of Saul, 2 Sam. i. 18.

At the dedication of the Temple of Solomon, when the Ark was brought into the most holy place, there was nothing in it but the two tables, 1 Kings viii. 9; and therefore when the Philistines took the Ark, they took out of it the book of the Law, and the golden pot of Manna, and Aaron's Rod. And this and other losses in the desolation of Israel by the conquering Philistines might give occasion to Samuel, after some respite from those enemies, to gather together the scattered writings of Moses and Joshua, and the records of the Patriarchs and Judges, and compose them in the form now extant.

The book of Ruth is a history of things done in the days of the Judges, and may be looked upon as an addition to the book of the Judges, written by the same author at the same time. For it was written after the birth of David, Ruth iv. 17, 22, and not long after, because the history of Boaz and Ruth, the great-grandfather and great-grandmother of David, and that of their contemporaries, could not well be remembered above two or three generations. And since this book derives the genealogy of David from Boaz and Ruth, and omits David's elder brothers and his sons, it was written in honor of David, after he was anointed King by Samuel, and before he had children in Hebron, and consequently in the reign of Saul. It does not proceed to the history of David, and therefore seems to have been written immediately after he was anointed. Those judge well, therefore, who ascribe to Samuel the books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth.

Samuel is also reputed the author of the first book of Samuel, until the time of his death. The two books of Samuel cite no authors, and therefore seem to be originals. They begin with his genealogy, birth and education, and might have been written partly in his lifetime, by himself or his disciples the Prophets at Naioth in Ramah, 1 Sam. xix. 18, 19, 20, and partly after his death by the same disciples.

Introduction concerning the Compilers of the books of the Old Testament.

When Manasses¹ set up a carved image in the house of the Lord, built altars in the two courts of the house for all the host of Heaven, used enchantments and witchcraft, and called up familiar spirits, the army of Asserhadon King of Assyria invaded the land because of his great wickedness, and he was carried off captive to Babylon. The book of the Law was then lost until the eighteenth year of his grandson Josiah. Then² Hilkiah the High Priest found it there while repairing the Temple. The King was grieved that their fathers had not followed what the book said. He ordered the book read to the people, and had the people renew the holy covenant with God. This is the book of the Law that still exists.

When³ Shishak came out of Egypt, plundered the Temple, and put Judah under the rule of Egypt (this was in the fifth year of Rehoboam), the Jews stayed in great trouble for about twenty years. They were without the true God, without a teaching Priest, and without Law. In those times no one who went out had peace, and no one who came in had peace either. Great troubles fell on all the people of the countries. One nation destroyed another, and one city another, because God troubled them with every kind of adversity. But⁴ once Shishak died and Egypt fell into troubles, Judah had ten years of quiet. In that time Asa built fortified cities in Judah and raised an army of 580000 men. In the 15th year of his reign he met and defeated Zerah the Ethiopian. Zerah had conquered Egypt and Lybia and Troglodytica, and he came out with an army of 1000000 Lybians and Ethiopians to take back the countries Sesac had conquered. After this victory⁵ Asa removed his mother from the throne because of her idolatry. He renewed the Altar, brought new vessels of gold and silver into the Temple, and he and the people entered into a new covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers, on pain of death for those who worshiped other Gods. His son Jehosaphat removed the high places, and in the third year of his reign he sent some of his Princes, and some of the Priests and Levites, to teach in the cities of Judah. They had the book of the Law with them, went through all the cities of Judah, and taught the people. This is the book of the Law that was later lost in the reign of Manasses and found again in the reign of Josiah. So it was written before the third year of Jehosaphat.

The Samaritans kept this same book of the Law and passed it down, so the ten Tribes had received it before they were taken captive. For⁶ when the ten Tribes were captured, the King of Assyria ordered a Priest of the captivity to be sent back to Bethel. His job was to teach the new inhabitants of Samaria about the way of the God of the land. The Samaritans got the Pentateuch from this Priest, because it held the law or way of the God of the land that he was to teach them. For⁷ they stuck to the religion he taught them and added the worship of their own Gods to it. By holding to what they had been taught, they kept this book of their Law in the original Hebrew writing, while the two Tribes, after their return from Babylon, changed the writing to that of the Chaldees, which they had learned at Babylon.

Both the two Tribes and the ten Tribes took the Pentateuch as the book of the Law. So they must have received it before they split into two Kingdoms. After the split they took no laws from each other, and they stayed at odds. Judah could not pull Israel back from the sin of Jeroboam, and Israel could not bring Judah to it. So the Pentateuch was the book of the Law in the days of David and Solomon. David and Solomon ordered the affairs of the Tabernacle and Temple according to the Law of this book. In the 78th Psalm David tells the people to listen to the Law of God, and he means the Law of this book. When he describes how their forefathers did not keep it, he quotes many historical things from the books of Exodus and Numbers.

The list of the Kings of Edom, before any King reigned over Israel, is set down in the book of⁸ Genesis. So that book was not written all in its present form before the reign of Saul. The writer recorded the line of those Kings down to his own time, so he wrote before David conquered Edom. The Pentateuch puts the Law together with the history of God's people. The history was gathered from several books, such as the history of the Creation composed by Moses, Gen. ii. 4; the book of the generations of Adam, Gen. v. i.; and the book of the wars of the Lord, Num. xxi. 14. The book of wars covered what happened at the Red Sea and during Israel's journey through the Wilderness, so Moses began it. Joshua may have carried it on to the conquest of Canaan. Joshua wrote some things in the book of the Law of God, Josh. xxiv. 26, so he may have written his own wars in the book of wars, since those were the main wars of God. These were public books, so they were not written without the authority of Moses and Joshua. In the reign of Saul, Samuel had the time to put them into the form of the books of Moses and Joshua we now have. He inserted into the book of Genesis the list of the Kings of Edom, down to the time when a King reigned in Israel.

The book of the Judges is a continuous history of the Judges down to the death of Sampson, so it was compiled after his death out of the Acts of the Judges. Several things in this book are said to have happened when there was no King in Israel, Judg. xvii. 6. xviii. 1. xix. 1. xxi. 25. So this book was written after the reign of Saul began. When it was written, the Jebusites lived in Jerusalem, Jud. i. 21, so it was written before the eighth year of David, 2 Sam. v. 8. and 1 Chron. xi. 6. The books of Moses, Joshua, and Judges make up one continuous history, from the Creation down to the death of Sampson. The book of Joshua starts where the Pentateuch ends, and the book of Judges starts where the book of Joshua ends. So all these books were put together from the writings of Moses, Joshua, and other records, by one and the same hand, after the reign of Saul began and before the eighth year of David. Samuel was a sacred writer, 1 Sam. x. 25; he knew the history of Moses and the Judges, 1 Sam. xii. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12; and in the reign of Saul he had both the time and the authority to compose these books. He was a Prophet, and he judged Israel all the days of his life, and he was held in the highest esteem by the people. The Law by which he judged the people could not be published by an authority lower than his own, since the Law-maker is not below the judge. The book of Jasher, quoted in the book of Joshua, Josh. x. 13, was in existence at the death of Saul, 2 Sam. i. 18.

At the dedication of Solomon's Temple, when the Ark was brought into the most holy place, it held nothing but the two tables, 1 Kings viii. 9. So when the Philistines took the Ark, they had taken out of it the book of the Law, the golden pot of Manna, and Aaron's Rod. This loss, and other losses in the ruin of Israel at the hands of the conquering Philistines, may have led Samuel, once he had some relief from those enemies, to gather the scattered writings of Moses and Joshua, and the records of the Patriarchs and Judges, and to put them together in the form we now have.

The book of Ruth tells of things that happened in the days of the Judges. It can be read as an addition to the book of the Judges, written by the same author at the same time. It was written after the birth of David, Ruth iv. 17, 22, and not long after, because the history of Boaz and Ruth, the great grandfather and great grandmother of David, and the history of their contemporaries, could not be remembered much past two or three generations. This book traces David's genealogy from Boaz and Ruth, and it leaves out David's elder brothers and his sons. So it was written in honor of David, after he was anointed King by Samuel and before he had children in Hebron, and therefore during the reign of Saul. It does not go on to the history of David, so it seems to have been written right after he was anointed. So those who give the books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth to Samuel judge correctly.

Samuel is also thought to have written the first book of Samuel, up to the time of his death. The two books of Samuel name no authors, so they seem to be originals. They begin with his genealogy, birth, and education. They may have been written partly in his lifetime, by himself or by his disciples the Prophets at Naioth in Ramah, 1 Sam. xix. 18, 19, 20, and partly after his death by those same disciples.