TABLE VI. Year of the Jewish lunar cycle, the golden number, the first day of the Jewish passover, Easter Sunday, and the commencement of each Jewish year according to the Gregorian calender, from A. D. 1812, to A. D. 1900. 565 Commencement of the Easter Sunday. Jewish year, according to the Greg. Calender. Sept. 19, 1811 7, 1812 25, 1813 First day of the (15 Nisan.) March 28 Thursday, April 15 March 29 April 5 10 11 Tuesday, April 25 March 26 15, 1814 5576 B 1816 9 12 Saturday, April 13 April 14 Oct. 5, 1815 Tuesday, April 1 6 Sept. 23, 1816 Tuesday, April 21 March 22 11, 1817 Saturday, April 10 April 11 Oct. 1, 1818 Thursday, March 30 2 Sept. 20, 1819 Tuesday, April 17 22 9, 1820 18 Saturday, April 6 7 19 Thursday, March 27 March 30 Tuesday, April 13 April 18 April 3 3 19 3 Saturday, April 22 Thursday, April 12 April 15 Tuesday, April 1 6 Saturday, April 18 19 Thursday, April 8 11 Oct. 27, 1821 16, 1822 6, 1823 23, 1824 · 13, 1825 2, 1826 Sept. 22, 1827 9, 1828 28, 1829 Tuesday, March 29 3 Sunday,. April 15 22 10 Thursday, April 4 7 Thursday, April 24 March 30 18, 1830 8, 1831 25, 1832 14, 1833 12 Tuesday, April 14 April 19 April 2 3 April 20 March 26 April 10 April 15 March 30 March 31 Oct. 4, 1834 Sept. 24, 1835 12, 1836 30, 1837 20, 1838 April 18 April 19 9, 1839 18 Tuesday, April 6 11 28, 1840 April 15 April 16 5, 1842 April 4 7 25, 1843 19 Tuesday, April 22 March 23 14, 1844 Saturday, April 11 2, 1845 Thursday, April 1 4 5608 B 1848 Tuesday, April 18 23 Saturday, April 7 8 Sept. 21, 1846 11, 1847 28, 1848 Thursday, March 28 March 31 17, 1849 9 Thursday, April 17 April 20 10 Sunday, April 4 11 7, 1850 27, 1851 April 23 March 27 14, 1852 Thursday, April 13 5615 1855 Tuesday, April 3 8 Sept. 23, 1854 14 Sunday, April 20 March 23 13, 1855 15 Thursday, April 9 16 Tuesday, March 30 4 19, 1857 17 Tuesday, 9, 1858 18 Saturday, April 7 8 29, 1859 19 Tuesday, March 26 Tuesday, April 15 Saturday, April 25, 1862 Thursday, April 21 Tuesday, April 11 March 27 Saturday, March 31 1 Sept. 21, 1865 Saturday, 10, 1866 Tuesday, April 7 12 30, 1867 Saturday, March 27 Saturday, April 16 April 17 6, 1869 10 Thursday, April 6 11 Tuesday, April 23 12 Saturday, April 12 9 March 31 April 13 13 Thursday, April 2 5 Sept. 22, 1873 Sunday, April 20 9 March 28 12, 1874 13, 1875 Thursday, March 29 1 19, 1876 Thursday, April 18 21 8, 1877 Tuesday, April 8 Saturday, March 27 March 28 18, 1879 Thursday, April 14 April 17 6, 1880 Tuesday, April 4 9 24, 1881 Sunday, April 22 Thursday, April 10 April 13 Tuesday, March 31 5 Tuesday, Saturday, April 9 10 Oct. Sept. 20, 1884 10, 1885 30, 1886 2, 1883 Tuesday, March 27 1 Tuesday, April 16 21 Saturday, April 5 6 Thursday, April 23 March 29 Tuesday, April 12 April 17 Oct. Saturday, April 1 2 Sept. 22, 1892 Saturday, April 21 Tuesday, April 9 March 25 March 29 5 Saturday, April 17 18 Thursday, April 7 10 March 26 2 Saturday, April 14 151 Thursday, April 4 7 EXPLANATION OF THE PRECEDING TABLES. BEFORE the reader enters upon the particular uses of each of the preceding tables, it will be necessary to give a detailed account of the rabbinical computation of time upon which they have been constructed. The year used by the Jews contains 12 or 13 lunations, which are so artificially disposed, that its commencement constantly happens about the time of the autumnal equinor. In order to effect this, they have been obliged to have recourse to the sun's revolution through the twelve signs of the Zodiac, or, to speak more properly, to the quantum of time which the earth takes up in making one complete periodic revolution round the sun. This period of time, according to the rabbins, (which is the same that is used in the construction of their calendar,) is 365 days, 5 hours, 997 chelakim (points) and 48 moments; which reduced to our time, is equal to 365 days, 5 hours, 55 minutes, and 25 seconds-1080 chelakim being contained in one hour, and 76 moments in a chelek.See Bibl. Rabb. Part II. 407. p. The quantity of the synodical revolution of the moon, according to the rabbins, is 29 days, 12 hours, and 793 chelakim, which, also reduced to our time, is equal to 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 seconds; and twelve times this quantity, or 354 days, 8 hours, 48 minutes, and 40 seconds, is equal to the Jewish common year, which is nearly 11 days short of the solar revolution; consequently, to keep the seasons of the year in their respective months, the rabbins employ an embolismic or leap year, of 13 lunar months, every second or third year; by means of which, with other corrections, which will be hereafter noticed, their years are found to correspond so exactly with the Gregorian calendar, as not to deviate from it materially, through the course of some centuries. In the lunar cycle of 19 years, which embraces the principal variations in the motion of the moon, they have 12 common years of 12 lunar months, and 7 embolismic years of 13 lunar months; and, in order that all their months may begin as nearly as possible with the day of the conjunction of the sun and moon, they have, alternately, for the most part, 29 and 30 days. Thus Tisri, their first month, contains 30 days; Marchesvan, their second month, 29 or 30; Cisleu, 29 or 30; Tebet, 29; Sebat, 30; Adar, 29; Nisan, 30; Ijar, 29; Sivan, 30; Tammuz, 29; Ab, 30; and Elul, 29. In the embolismic year, the thirteenth month, which is named Veadar, always consists of 30 days. The reason why an embolismic year, for the most part, succeeds two common years, is evident from the circumstances of the lunar year being nearly 11 days shorter than the solar; so that in three years the latter gains from the former not fewer than about 32 days; and as only a month of 30 days is intercalated in that time, at the commencement of the lunar cycle, it is manifest that two intercalary years must sometimes happen with only one common year between. Accordingly, the 3d, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years of every lunar cycle, are denominated embolismic. See Table I. If the lunar synodic revolution consisted precisely of 29 days 12 hours, the assigning to the Jewish months 29 and 30 days alternately, would be sufficient to fix the commencement of the different months about the day of the conjunction, ad infinitum; but as the synodic revolution, according to rabbi Adda, contains 44 minutes, 3 seconds more than 294 days, it is demonstrable that the assignment of 29 and 30 days alternately to the months must be insufficient, and in the course of a few years must produce a very sensible error. Thus, in order to make this circumstance obvious to the lowest capacity, let the first paschal full moon in the lunar cycle, be supposed to commence precisely at mid-day, then it is evident, from the quantity of a synodic revolution, as ascertained by the rabbins, that the nineteen paschal full moons, which are contained in every cycle, will in this case happen as in the following table: where the first column points out the year of the cycle; the second, the precise point of time in the lunar cycle of the respective paschal full moons; the third, the nearest corresponding day, omitting the fractional parts; and the fourth, the differences of the numbers in the third column, or, in other words, the interval of time, expressed in whole numbers, which elapses between each successive paschal full moon. 1 6939 16 33 1 6940 355 From the last column of the preceding table, it is evident that the paschal full moons happen constantly after an interval of 354, 355, 383, or 384 days, omitting the fraction parts; but the length of the Jewish year may be either The reason of this 353, 354, 355, 383, 334, or 385 days. discordance between the length of the Jewish year, and the interval between two consecutive paschal full moons, arises chiefly from the circumstance of never beginning the year on the first, fourth, or sixth day of the week. Hence, if the new moon, which regulates the commencement of the year, should happen on the first day of the week, the year does not begin till the following day: and if on the 4th or 6th, the commencement of the year is dated from the 5th or sabbath. The reason why the Jews never begin their year rence of the celebration of the festival of Hosanna Rabba on the first day of the week, is, to prevent the occuron the Sabbath-day: as some parts of this festival are the sabbath enjoined on them by the fourth commandment. deemed by them incompatible with the strict observance of The reason why the year is never begun on the 4th or 6th days of the week, is to prevent the occurrence of the great day of atonement on the 6th or Lord's day: for, as the Jews are bound to keep this fast on the 10th of Tisri, and this case, two sabbaths, as it were, would come together, also to observe it as strictly as they would the sabbath, in and produce great inconvenience, as, in their estimation, it is not lawful to bury their dead, or boil their food, on either of these days. Hence arises the necessity of adding or subtracting, from time to time, an entire day, to or from the mean length of the common or embolismic year; which correction is always made in the month Marchesran, or Cisleu, just in the same manner as the intercalated day in the Gregorian calendar, is always attached to the end of February. Marchesvan and Cisleu, connected with the day of the From the different varieties in the length of the months week upon which the year begins, are produced fourteen are common years, and the other seven embolismic; for different kinds of years among the Jews, seven of which sometimes these two months have each only 29 days; sometimes they have each 30 days; and at other times year may commence with the sabbath, or the 2d, 3d, or 5th Marchesvan has 29, and Cisleu 30 days; and the new day of the week. The indexes by which these different years are distinguished in the preceding tables, are, for the common years, 5 P 1, 5 d 7, 7 D 1, 7 P 3, 2 D 3, 2 P 5, and 3 d 5; and for and 2 D 5. The first figure of the index denotes the day of the embolismic, 5 D 1, 3 d 7, 2 P 7, 5 P 3, 7 D 3, 7 P 5, the week upon which the year commences; thus, 5 denotes 3 the third day of the week, or Tuesday, &c. &c. the letter the year to begin on the fifth day of the week, or Thursday; of the index determines the length of the months Martwo months are both perfect, each containing 30 days; D chesvan and Cisleu; thus, P stands for perfect, i. e. these stands for defective, i. e. each of these months contains months is defective, which, in this case, is always Maronly 29 days; and a small d denotes that one of these chesvan. The last figure of the index shows the day of 539 the week upon which the passover happens; just in the same manner as the figure denotes the day of the week upon which the year begins. For a farther explanation of the index, let it be required to find upon what day of the week the rabbinical year of the world 5817 begins; upon what day of the week the passover is held in that year; and also the length of the months Marchesvan and Cisleu. To solve this question, we have only to refer to Table I. where we find the index of the year to be 2 D 5, i. e. the year commences on Tuesday, the passover is held upon Thursday, and the months Marchestan and Cisleu are both defective, i. e. have only 29 days each. Having premised thus much respecting the mode of constructing the Jewish calendar, we now come to explain the chief object of the preceding tables, which is to determine the order of reading the Pareshioth and Haphtaroth, or sections of the Law and the Prophets for any given year. For this purpose Tables I. II. and V. are chiefly constructed. In Table I. the index for every Jewish year of the world from 5568 to 5314 (both inclusive) is given; and as these years correspond to all the years of our Lord from 1807 to 2054, (botli inclusive,) it will be 242 years before this table, in its present form, will be entirely antiquated and it may be rendered perpetual, by affixing the same routine of indexes to the 247 years, begining with A. D. 2055, and ending with A. D. 2301; and to the 247 years subsequent to A. D. 2301, &c. &c. ad infinitum. Table II. contains a calendar of sabbaths, for the 14 different kinds of years made use of by the Jews; together with the Pareshah or Pareshioth read on the different sabbaths of each. In the first column of the months, the black circle, or astronomical signs of the conjunction of the sun and moon, points out the figure annexed to it to be the day of the week upon which the month begins; and when two numbers are affixed, it is to show that the conjunction of the luminaries corresponds to both days; the latter of which is always taken for the commencement of the month. All the other numbers in this column are the days of the month upon which the sabbaths happen, except sometimes in the month of Tisri, where two numbers occur together, the first of which is the day of the week, and the latter the corresponding day of the month. In order, therefore, to find what Pareshah or Pareshioth are read on any given Sabbath, nothing more is necessary than to look into Table I. for the index of the given year, and with it to enter Table II. where, against the given sabbath, in the column of Pareshioth, will be found the given Pareshah or Pareshioth required. Examp. 1. Required the Pareshah or Pareshioth appointed to be read in the synagogue on the second sabbath of the month Sivan, A. M. 5572.-In TABLE I. the index for the year is 5 d 7; from which it appears, by Table II. that it is the second Jewish common year; and the second sabbath of Sivan, in this year, is upon the 12th day of the month, over against which, in the column of Pareshioth, is 35, the number of the Pareshah required. By a reference to the list of Pareshioth given at the end of the Commentary, on the last chapter of Deuteronomy, we find that this section of the Law commences with Numb. iv. 21. and ends at vii. 89. of the same book. The Haphtorah read on this sabbath, appears by the same list, to be the xiiith chapter of Judges, from the 2d to the 25th verse; in Table V. the 12th of Sivan, A. M. 5572 is the same with the 23d of May, 1812. Examp. 2. Required the Pareshah or Pareshioth, appointed to be read on the fourth of Tammuz, A. M. 5584.— În TABLE I. the index for the year is 7 D3; which index corresponds to the fifth embolismic year in Table II. consequently the fourth sabbath of Tammuz falls on the 28th of the month; and the Pareshioth for the given day are the 42d and 43d. The former commences at the second verse of the xxxth chapter of Numbers, and the latter is continued from it to the end of the book. By a reference to Table V. the 28th of Tammuz, A. M. 5584, answers to the 24th of July, 1824. N. B. The figure and capital letter found in the first column of Table V. at the beginning of each Jewish year, show to which of the fourteen kinds of years, according to their disposition in Table II. the said year belongs; thus 1 C stands for the first common year; 5 E, the fifth embolismic year, &c. &c. &c. When, in the column of Pareshioth, or Haphtaroth, in Tables II. and V. the word chippur is affixed to any particular sabbath, it points it out to be the great day of ATONEMENT, for which a particular service is appointed. The portion of the Law read on that day begins with the 27th verse of the xxiiid chapter of Leviticus, and ends with the chapter. The Haphtorah for this day is the book of the prophet Jonah. When the word succoth is affixed to any particular sabbath, if it be the 15th of Tisri, it is the day upon which the feast of tabernacles commences; the portion of the law for which occasion begins at the 34th verse of the xxiid chapter of Leviticus. The Haphtorah is the xivth chapter of the prophet Zechariah; but on the sabbath which follows the 15th of Tisri, if it be within the octave of the feast of tabernacles, the portion of the prophets which is read is the xxxviiith chapter of Ezekiel, according to the German Jews; but the other Jews read from Ezek. xxxviii. 18. to xxxix. 16. The capital letters B. L. which are affixed to the fiftyfourth section of the law, in the third column of Table V. stand for book of the Law. This section is read on the 23d of Tisri, which is contrived so as never to happen on the sabbath, as the day upon which it is read is a time of great festivity among the Jews, for their having completed the reading of the fifty-four Pareshioth, which comprise the whole book of the Law. The asterisk affixed to the 23d day of 'Tisri, in Table V. and its corresponding time in the Gregorian computation, is designed to show that this day happens on a week day, and not on the sabbath, as all the other days in the same columns do. When 1 Pas. or 2 Pas. is affixed to any particular sabbath, it is the first or second sabbath of the passover, upon which, if the 15th of Nisan be the sabbath day, the portion of the prophets read on the occasion is the vth chapter of Joshua, all but the first verse. If there be only one sabbath in the feast of the passover, the Haphtorah is the 14 first verses of the xxxviith chapter of Ezekiel; to which some add the three following. If there be two sabbaths in the feast of the passover, the latter is termed the octave, upon which they read the whole of the Canticles, and also the prophet Isaiah, from the 32d verse of the xth chapter to the end of the twelfth. When Pent. is affixed to any particular sabbath, it is the second day of the feast of pentecost, upon which oecasion the iiid, ivth, vth, and vith chapters of the prophet Habakkuk, together with the book of Ruth, are read. Besides the 54 sections of the law which are regularly read through in the course of a Jewish year, whether it be common or embolismic, there are four minor PARESHIOTH which are generally read in the month Adar of a common, and in Veadar of an embolismic year. These are Shekalim, Zachor, Para, and win Hachodesh ; and are marked down in Tables II. and V. by their initial letters S, Z, P, and H. The minor Pareshah, SHEKALIM, commences with the 11th verse of the xxxth chapter of Exodus, and ends at the 16th verse of the same; ZACHOR begins with the 17th verse of the xxvth chapter of Deuteronomy, and contains the divine malediction upon the Amalekites; PARA begins with the xixth chapter of Numbers, and ends with the chapter; and HACHODESH begins with the 10th verse of the xiith chapter of Exodus, and ends at the 20th verse of the same chapter. When the Jewish year commences on the sabbath, (which circumstance is noticed in the third column of Table V. whenever it occurs,) Lev. xxiii. 24. and Numb. xxix. 1-7. are read. When the 25th of Cisleu falls on the sabbath, the contraction En. for encania, dedication, is affixed to the number of the Pareshah in Tables II. and V. to show that it is the day to be held in commemoration of the altar's being dedicated afresh to the service of God, after its purification from its pollutions by Antiochus. Tables III. and IV. are constructed to determine the day of the week upon which the principal Jewish fasts and feasts are held for any given year. One example will be sufficient to illustrate these tables. Examp. Required the day of the week upon which the principal Jewish fasts and feasts happened in the Jewish year of the world 5573.-By a reference to TABLE I. this year corresponds to A. D. 1813; and in TABLE III. in the same square with 1813, is the capital letter C, which shows that the numbers in column C, of Table IV. over against the different fasts and festivals, are the days of the week required. Thus, the commencement of Tisri is on the second and third days of the week; the fast of Gedaliah on the 14th; the fast of ATONEMENT on the 14th; the feast of tabernacles on the 2d; Hosannah Rabba on the 1st; the Lætitia Legis, or joy for the Law, on the 3d; the commencement of Marchesvan on the 3d and 4th; the commencement of Cisley on the 5th; the Encania on the 1st; the commencement of Tebet on the 5th; the fast of the 10th of Tebet on the 1st; the commencement of Sebat on the sabbath; the commencement of Adar on the 1st and 2d; the commencement of Veadar on the 3d and 4th; the fast of Esther on the 2d; the feast of Purim on the 3d; the commencement of Nisan on the 5th; the feast of the passover on the 5th; the commencement of Ijar on the 6th and 7th; the 33d such tables, even with the extensive work of Bartolocci's Bibliotheca Rabbinica before him, to which the present collection of tables acknowledges high obligations. The writer could not consider his comment on the Pentateuch as even tolerably complete, without such an apparatus as is here produced, which it is hoped every minister of the word of God will find of the utmost use to him, in various matters connected with the Jewish affairs: but on this subject nothing need be added, as the tables and their uses have been already so largely explained. In his prospectus, the author promised "every requisite table;" and had he not added these, he must have considered the pledge given to the public not redeemed. Omir on the 3d; the commencement of Sivan on the first; concise in the execution. Those who best understand the the feast of pentecost on the 6th; the commencement of work will perceive, that it required no common industry, Tammuz on the 2d and 3d : the fast of the 17th of Tam-to say nothing of other requisite qualifications, to construct muz on the 5th; the commencement of Ab on the 4th; the fast of the 9th of Ab on the 5th; and the commencement of Elul on the 5th and 6th days of the week. Table VI. needs little explanation; the titles of its different columns being sufficient for this purpose. The first column shows the year of the world according to the Jewish reckoning: the second column the year of our Lord, the letter B, in the same column, shows each bissextile or leap year. The 3d and 4th columns contain the lunar cycle and golden numbers. The fifth column shows the month, and day of the month, on which the Jewish passover falls, from the present year, 1812, to the year 1900. The sixth column marks the day on which Easter falls during the same period. The seventh column shows the year of our Lord corresponding with the beginning of the Jewish year in the first column; and also on what day of what month the Jewish year, according to the Gregorian calendar, commences. By the slightest inspection of these tables, any person may at once see the day on which the Jewish passover, and the Christian Easter, falls for any year of the above period from 1812 to 1900. On the subject of the preceding tables there will be, doubtless, various opinions among the readers of this work. Some may even think them useless, while others will judge them of considerable importance. The writer has only to say, that no other part of the work has occasioned so much labour and so much expense. Nothing of this nature, on the same plan, has ever before met the eye of the English reader; nor does any other language afford a similar subject, at once so extensive in the plan and so On the subject of the accompanying map, a good deal has already been said:-it is scarcely necessary to add, that great care and pains have been taken to make it even generally correct. It will be found, in some particulars, to differ from that of Dr. Shaw, placed at the end of Exodus; and, perhaps, in the situation of some places, from the comment itself. This was unavoidable; the comment was formed from the sacred text, the map was constructed from other authorities: to have forced them to an agreement in every particular, would have been to do violence to the respective authorities on which they are founded; and the words of God must not yield to the sayings of men. We have not an accurate geographical knowledge of the promised land: and, therefore, are not certain of the real names, and true situation, of various places mentioned in the Pentateuch: add to this, that many of the places are long since extinct; and others have changed their names, so as to be no longer discernible, &c. 541 PREFACE TO THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. JOSHUA, the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, was first called Oshed, or Hosheâ y Numb. xiii. 16. which signifies saved, a Saviour, or Salvation; but afterward Moses, guided no doubt by a prophetic spirit, changed his name into ya Yehoshuâ, or Joshua, which signifies, he shall save, or the Salvation of Jehovah: referring, no doubt, to his being God's instrument in saving the people from the hands of their enemies, and leading them from victory to victory over the different Canaanitish nations, till he put them in possession of the promised land. On the change and meaning of the name, see the note on Numb. xiii. 16. By the Septuagint he is called Incovs Navn, Jesus Naue, or Jesus son of Nave; and in the New Testament, he is expressly called Ingovs, JESUS. See Acts vii. 45. Heb. iv. 8. Joshua was denominated the servant of Moses, as he seems to have acted sometimes as his secretary, sometimes as his aid-du-camp, and sometimes as the general of the army. He was early appointed to be the successor of Moses, see Exod. xvii. 14. and under the instruction of this great master, he was fully qualified for the important office. He was a great and pious man, and God honoured him in a most extraordinary manner, as the sequel of the history amply proves. From the preceding books it appears that he became attached to Moses shortly after the exodus from Egypt: that he was held by him in the highest esteem; had the command of the army confided to him in the war with the Amalekites; and accompanied his master to the mount, when he went up to receive the law from God. These were the highest honours he could possibly receive, during the lifetime of Moses. Commentators and critics are divided in opinion, whether the book that goes under his name, were actually compiled by him. It is argued by those who deny Joshua to be the author, that there are both names and transactions in it, which did not exist till considerably after Joshua's time. The account we have chap. iv. 9. of the twelve stones set up by Joshua in the midst of Jordan, remaining to the present day, seems to prove that the book, at least this verse, was not written till after Joshua's time; the same may be said of the account of Ai, that Joshua made it a heap for ever, even a desolation to the present day, chap. viii. 28. which is a proof, however, that the book was not written after the time of the Kings, as Ai subsisted after the return from the captivity, see Ezra ii. 28. The men of Beth-el and Ai two hundred twenty and three. It is supposed also, that the relation of the marriage of Achsah, daughter of Caleb, with Othniel, the son of Kenaz, necessarily belongs to the time of the Judges; Josh. xv. 16-19. as also the account of the capture of Leshem by the Danites, chap. xix. 47. compared with Judges xviii. 7, 29. "What is related chap. xv. 63. concerning the Jebusites dwelling with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day, must certainly have been written before the time of David; for he took the strong hold of Zion, and expelled the Jebusites. See 2 Sam. v. 7-9. Also what is said chap. xvi. 10. they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but they dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day-must have been written before the time of Solomon; for in his time, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had taken Gezer, burnt it with fire, slain the Canaanites that dwelt in it, and gave it a present to his daughter, the wife of Solomon, 1 Kings xix. 16. The country of Cabul, mentioned chap. xix. 27. had not this name till the time of Solomon, as appears from 1 Kings ix. 13. and the city called Joktheel, chap. xv. 38. had not this name till the reign of Joash, as appears from 2 Kings, chap. xiv. 7. it having been previously called Selah. The like may be said of Tyre, chap. xix. 29. and of Galilee, chap. xx. 7. and xxi. 32." These are the principal objections which are made against the book, as being the work of Joshua. Some of these difficulties might be so removed, as to render it still probable that Joshua was the author of the whole book, as some think to be intimated, chap. xxiv. 26. And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of the Lord: (but this probably refers to nothing more, than the words of the covenant which was then made, and which is included in ver. 2-24.) but there are other difficulties that cannot be removed on the above supposition; and therefore it has been generally supposed that the book was written by some inspired person after the time of Joshua, and positively before many kings had reigned in Israel. The book has been attributed to Samuel; though some give this honour to Ezra. After all, I cannot help considering the book, in the main, as the composition of Joshua himself. It is certain that Moses kept an accurate register of all the events that took place during his administration in the wilderness; at least from the giving of the Law to the time of his death. And in that wilderness he wrote the Book of Genesis, as well as the others that bear his name. Now, it is not likely that Joshua, the constant servant and companion of Moses, could see all this, be convinced, as he must be, of its utility, and not adopt the same practice; especially as, at the death of Moses, he came into the same office. I therefore take it for granted, that the Book of Joshua is as truly his work, as the Commentaries of Cesar are his, and all the real difficulties mentioned above, may be rationally and satisfactorily accounted for, on the ground, that in transcribing this book in after ages, especially between the times of Joshua and the Kings, some few changes were made, and a very few slight additions, which referred chiefly to the insertion of names by which cities were then known instead of those by which they had been anciently denominated. This book therefore, I conceive to be not the work of Ezra, nor of Samuel, nor of any other person of those times; nor can I allow that "it is called the Book of Joshua, because he is the chief subject of it, as the heroic poem of Virgil is called the Encis, because of the prince whose travels and actions it relates," but I conceive it to be called the Book of Joshua, 1. Because Joshua wrote it. 2. Because it is the relation of his own conduct in the conquest, division, and settlement of the promised land. 3. Because it contains a multitude of particulars that only himself, or a constant eyewitness, could possibly relate. 4. Because it was evidently designed to be a continuation of the Book of Deuteronomy, and is 80 connected with it in narrative as to prove that it must have been immediately commenced on the termination of the other. 5. I might add to this, that with the exception of a few individuals, the whole of the ancient Jewish and Christian Churches have uniformly acknowledged Joshua to be its author. The Book of Joshua is one of the most important writings in the Old Covenant; and should never be separated from the Pentateuch, of which it is at once both the continuation and completion. Between this book and the fire books of Moses there is the same analogy as between the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The PENTATEUCH contains a history of the ACTS of the great Jewish Legislator, and the LAWS on which the Jewish church should be established. The Book of JOSHUA gives an account of the establishment of that church in the land of Canaan, according to the oft-repeated promises and declarations of God. The GOSPELS give an account of the transactions of JESUS CHRIST, the great Christian Legislator, and of those LAWS on which his church should be established, and by which it should be governed. The ACTS of the APOSTLES give an account of the actual establishment of that church, according to the predictions and promises of its great Founder. Thus then, the Pentateuch bears as pointed a relation to the Gospels, as the Book of Joshua does to the Acts of the Apostles. And we might, with great appearance of probability, carry this analogy yet farther, and show that the writings of several of the Prophets bear as strict a relation |