AN

INTRODUCTION

TO

THE OLD TESTAMENT.

A DISCUSSION OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS BELONGING
TO THE SEVERAL BOOKS.

BY

SAMUEL DAVIDSON, D.D.,

OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HALLE, AND LL.D.

WILLIAMS AND NORGATE,

14, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN,

AND

20, SOUTH FREDERICK STREET, EDINBURGH.

1862.

18.5.7

HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY

1863, March 30.

CONTENTS.

THE HISTORICAL BOOKS.

THE BOOKS OF KINGS.

I. Name.-II. Contents.-III. Unity and diversity.-IV. Sources.-V. Date

and authorship.—VI. Nature of the history.—VII.—General scope.-VIII. The

prophets in 1 Kings xxii. 6.—IX. Elisha's conduct to the children......

PAGE

1

THE BOOKS OF CHRONICLES.

I. Name.-II. Contents.-III. Sources.-IV. The books of Samuel and

Kings among the Chronicler's sources.-V. Examination of 1 Chron. i.-ix.-

VI. Relation of Chronicles to the other historical books of the Old Testament.-

VII. Scope.-VIII. Apologetic spirit and historical credibility.-IX. State of
the text.-X. Date and author.-XI. Elijah's letter, in 2 Chron. xxi. 12-15 ... 47

THE BOOK OF EZRA.

I. Union of Ezra and Nehemiah.-II. Contents.-III. The number of sacred

vessels stated to have been taken from the temple by Nebuchadnezzar.—IV.

Lists of the numbers of returned exiles.-V. Authorship.-VI. Alleged unity

and independence

121

THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH.

I. Contents. II. Comparison of Nehemiah xi. 3–24, with 1 Chron. ix. 1–22.

-III. Examination of Nehemiah x. 2–28.—IV. Time of Nehemiah's adminis-

tration.-V. Authorship and date.-VI. Summary of authorship in the books of

Ezra and Nehemiah.-VII. The so-called seventy years' captivity in Babylon... 133