An Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament

1916. From the Preface: The aim of the present volume is to furnish an account, at once descriptive and historical, of the Literature of the Old Testament. It is not, I ought perhaps to explain, an Introduction to the Theology, or to the History, or even to the Study, of the Old Testament: in any of these cases, the treatment and contents would both have been very different. It is an Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament; and what I conceived this to include was an account of the contents and structure of the several books, together with such an indication of their general character and aim as I could find room for in the space at my disposal. The treatment of the material has been determined by the character of the different books. The contents of the prophetical and poetical books, for instance, which are less generally known than the history, properly so called, have been stated more fully than those of the historical books: the legislative parts of the Pentateuch have also been described with tolerable fulness. A comparative study of the writings of the Old Testament is indispensable, if their relation to one another is to be rightly apprehended: accordingly the literary and other characteristics which connect, or distinguish, as the case may be, particular groups of writings have been indicated with some care.