(6) Frequent dlscrepnnrici and inconsistencies. — The Creation story beginning with Gn 2^'' differs from that of l'-2*' in almost every particular, but most notably in the order of creation, the manner in which man is created, and in the creation of one single woman after that of a single man. The Flood according to 7'^- " 8'- "• " busted 54 days, according to 7'" 8* at lea.st 150. [For other discrep- ancies see Flood]. Abraham's incredulity with reference to the possibility of Isaac's birth is men- tioned in 17" without comment, a-s though iiuite a natural thing. Precisely the .sjime incrcdnlity on Sarah's part is severely reprimanded in IS'-"", and a dill'erent occasion and explanation of Sarah's laughter is given in '21'-''. The youth of Sarah implied in 12'""-" '2tl'"' is inconsistent with Sarah's age as stated in 17" ; and it is strnnge that Aiirahani, so old that his begetting of Isaac ia regarded as an unheard of miracle in 17" 18", should after Sarah's death have married a second wife, and had several children 25'**. The caravan
3G4
HKXATEUCH
HEXATKUCH
which hoii{;ht Joseph consisted according to 37*"" 39' of Isliniaelites, according to 37^- *> of Midian- ites. Often totally dillerent exidanations are given of the same name, as of Issaehar, wliich in SO'*- " is connected witli the hire for the love-aiioles given liy Leah to Kuchel, in 30'" with tlie litre given by tiod to I.eah for giving her handmaid to her husband. In 30-°* Zeimhin is so named because God liad given Leah a good dowry (i3i), in v.*"" to express the liope that Jacob would dwell (^3i) with her. Joseph is so called in 30^ liecause God had taken away (i^n) Rachel's reproach, in ver.'-** in the hiipe that J" would add ('■,c') another son. In 3'J'' Malianaim is so called because of the i-mnyanics of angels which Jacob met there, in 32''"' there is a signilicant mention of the two companies of people, flocks, etc., that were with Jacob. In the early history of Exodus we find a certain number of incidents which imply that the Israelites were living among the Kgj'ptians, as the story of the midwives l"--, and especially the events of the Passover night, when the houses of the Israelites had to be marked 12'- ", and the Israelitish women were able to ask for jewels of their Egyptian neighbours 12''- **. In many other passages the Israelites are described as living in Goshen, a country quite separate from the rest of Egypt, and distinguished by immiinitv from plagues (see esp. Gn 46", Ex 8- 0-*). The law requiring that altars should be made of earth or unhewn stones. Ex 20-^, is inconsistent with the directions given so soon after for the altar of acacia wood overlaid with brass in 27'''' ; and the permission to erect such altars as the first in every place where J" should record His name, implying a largo number of sanctuaries, does not accord with the frequent liirections in Dt that ofl'erings should be made only in the place which J" should choose, Dt 12^"" etc. Many other inconsistencies of the same kind will be noticed in the course of this article. [See Exodus, Lkviticus].
((■) Want of continuity and order in the narra- tive.— A history of Noah should have begun, not at Gn 6', but certainly before G", and most probably before 5-'". A history of Noah's sons Gn lo' should have included 9"'". In Gn 20' 'Abraham journeyed from thence,' should naturally have followed some statement mentioning the place where he was, instead of a chapter dealing with the history of Lot. Ch. 35" implies that Jacob had just returned from Paddan-aram, and precludes the events of ch. 34. At any rate, it is out of place after the revelation in 35'. In 37"'' ' Joseph being seventeen years,' etc., in the present text follows what is evidently the beginning of a history, or more probably a genealogy, of Jacob. Ex 7'"" follows awkwardly after 7'"'. It would be naturally at the first interview that Pharaoh would demand a wonder. Ch. ll*, in which Moses speaks as a matter of cour.se to Pharaoh, comes strangely after 10-'", in which he agrees never to see Pharaoh's face again. In the Sinaitic narrative as it now stands, it is almost impossible to get any intelligent idea of the order of events. In Ex 19 alone, Moses, the old man of 80, ascends and descends the mount no fewer than 4 times iga- '• 8i>. sb. u.so. a c|j. 20 follows very abruptly upon 19^. Moses ascends agaia apparently in 2u-', and no fewer than 3 times in ch. 24, without any descent being mentioned between 24»- '3- 's In ch. 33 there is obviously no connexion between w.'- and ", and it is dLfficult to see the connexion between vv.'-" and the rest of the chapter, and throughout there is a want of any definite order in the various pleadings of Moses with God. Lv 26 '« marks the conclusion of the Sinaitic legislation, and yet other cases follow in ch. 27, and a second similar conclusion is given at the close, 27". Nu 7'"' seems to imply that prepara-
tions for the jonrnev from Sinai were made directly after the completion and consecration of the tabernacle, and it is dillicult to see what room is left for the legislation containeil in the whole of Leviticus. The account of the sjiics in ch. 13 and the rehcllion of Korali, Dathan, and Abirain in ch. 16 involvcnumerouspetty ilillicultiesif read as con- tinuous narratives (see below, iii. 2. (,'). The writing of Moses' song in Dt 31- and of the law in 31-^ are dearly out of place, the former referring to the following chapter, the latter to the laws given in previous chapters. The breaks in Joshua are not so obvious at first sight, but a careful reader will see that the book represents two diflcrent conceptions of the conquest of Canaan — one a rapid and complete conquest of almost the whole land under Josliua, and a subsequent allot- ment of the conquered portions ; the other a gradual settlement carried out by the independent action of several tribes, an allotment having taken place before the conquest. The latter conception IS more in agreement witn Jg 1. But the accounts in Joshua which embody these two ideas have been so carefully interwoven that if that book stood alone it would be difficult to fouud an argu- ment upon them.