A SERIES OF WORKS FROM THE SACRED SCRIPTURES PRESENTED GENESIS EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND Notes BY RICHARD G. MOULTON, M.A. (CAMB.), PH.D. (PENN.) New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., LTD. All rights reserved 5183 .1899 v.1 COPYRIGHT, 1896, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and electrotyped July, 1896. Reprinted January, Norwood Press INTRODUCTION THE History of the People of Israel as presented by themselves, this is the purpose of the present series. It will be understood that this is something different from the History of the People of Israel in another sense of the term according to which their historical books are subjected to analysis, with a view to harmonising discrepancies, appraising authorities, filling up gaps from independent sources of information, and by a variety of means arriving at the actual facts and their connections. The latter is the function of the historical critic. But to appreciate the history of a great people as they themselves understood it is an interest of universal literature. It might seem that such a purpose as I have described is easy of attainment; the Bible, with historical books extending from Genesis to Chronicles, is in the hands of all they have but to read. To read is easy; but to read with full appreciation is made difficult by certain differences in the form in which books are presented to the eye in ancient and in modern literatures. The differences, it is true, involve no great mystery; they are such as an intelligent reader can correct for himself. But it V JAN -31917 379753 5183 1899 |