V. Date of Composition. — Most Roman Catho- lic authorities, relying on 12™ 13', ascribe the book to the 7th cent. B.C. Ilgen maintains that 1-3' 13'"' was written by Tobit in B.C. 6S9, and the rest in Palestine about B.C. 280. Ewald fixes it B.C. 350. Graetz assigns it to the time of Hadrian (A.D. 130), and Kohut to A.D. 2'26. 'The chief reason alleged for the last two dates is that it is considered that the one principal object of the book is to insist on the duty of burying the dead. Twice in Jewish history was this prohibited : after the fall of Bether, so valiantly defended by Bar Cochha, and in Persia under Ardeshir I. Both these dates are probably non- suited by the fact that Tobit is cited by Polycarp (t 155). The following considerations suggest the 2nd cent. B.C. as the probable date :— (1) Unless it could be shown that 14' is prophetic, it implies that the writer was living at the time of a temple which was inferior in grandeur to Solomon's, ».«. before the time of Herod. (2) The law of marriage with relatives, so strongly insisted on also in the Book of Jubilees, fell into desuetude before the 2nd cent. A.D. (Rosenmann, Studien z. B. Tobit). (3) The prominence given to the duty of interring the dead may well have been caused by the action of Antiochus Epiphanes, who, we are told (2 Mac 6'"), ' cast out a multitude unburied.' (4) Marriages with Gentiles still needed discouragement, 4" 6". (5) It contains no bright eschatology, and no
TOEIT, BOOK OF
TOGAR.MAH
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Messianic hope, from wliich it seems to have been written beforu the persecution of Antiochus. (0) Its soteriolugital and ethical tone closely resembles that of otlier works known to have been written ttbout a century B.C. This we will now try to prove.
vL TOBIT AND CONTIiMPORARV JEWISH LlTERA- TOUE. — 1. Sirach. There is, as Fuller has shown [Speaker's Apucr. i. lUO), a great resemblance between the thought of Tobit and Sirach.
(1) Aa to the saving value of good works. Both emphasize the value of almsgiving : it is a good gift in God's sight, To 4ii, fills the doer with life, cleanses away all sin and delivers from death, 12^ ; of. Sir 320 2912 ^0'^, Sinners are enemies of their own life, 12"> ; cf. Sir IS" ;is'». (2) The eschatology of Sir. and of Tobit are on the same plane. Both regard Sheol as the abode of joyless shades : it is a tt^(i,>iet ToTet, 3*^, where even the righteous fo, 310 132 ; cf. Sir 4«'» 14i« 1728. (3) Both insist on reverent interment of the dead. Very pathetically does Tobit ask to be buried, 43, and for Sarah to be buried beside him, 44 ; he risks his life to inler his brethren, 117 2^- 7, and urges bis son to place cakes (and wine, Aram., ilF, It, Vulg.) on the graves of the righteous (of. Tyler's Primitive Culture, i. 4S.'>ff., iL 30fT.]; ct Sir 7'.» 30'" 3810. (4) Both set value on the same ethical duties :
Suritv of marriage, 4i2f- ijO. Sir 72G 3ti24 ; honesty to sen.'ants, 414, ir 7^-; the true e.stinmte of wealth, 51^^, Sir 51 ; benevolence, 47. 14. 17, Sir 4lJ> W 3.-.i". (5) Both base all virtue on the fear of God, 46 8- 19, Sir 637 3310 :j;i5.
2. The Story of Ahilcar. — In this work, recently published by Cainb. Univ. Press, Ahiltar is a pious vizier of Sennaclierib, who, bein;,' childless, adopted a boy, Nadan,and took much pains with his instruc- tion ; but when Nadan grew up he incriminated his adoptive father bj' false letters, and caused him to be sentenced to deatli. The e.xecutioner sp.nred his life, and imprisoned liira in a cellar under his (Ahilfar's) house. At length lie was released, and vengeance was executed on Nadan. This is the story which ia alluded to in 141", i],ore fully in N than B.
A^ikar, in * the Story,' bemoans himself thus : * I have no son to mtrym^, nor a daughter, and ray possessions no one inherits.' Bead with this To I's '27 3i» 43. 'There are many features of resemblance between Ahikar's moral teaching to Nadan, and Tobit's to Tobias. In the Syriac Version of Ahijjar [op, ciL 61) we read : * My son, eat thy portion, and despise not the righteous ' (cf. To 4isi ; ' Do not eat bread with a shameless man * (cf. To 417 Vulg.): 'Associate with a wise man and thou wilt become like him'(ct To 411); 'My benevolence has saved me* (cL To 41O) ; • My son, flee from whoredom " ipp. cit. 5) ; cL 412 ; and notably, ' Pour out thy wine on the graves of the righteous. rather than drink it with evil men' ; cf. 4i7 • Pour . . . give (it) not to sinners.' Harris discusses the two texts of M and B In the Story of Ahikar^ oh. v., and also iu the Amer, Joum, q/ Theology, iiL 54 L
3. The Book of Juhiler-i contains passages prob- ably known to the author of Tobit.
To 412 states that Noah took a wife from his relatives. Of course there is no Scripture warrant for this ; but Jubilees (ch. 4) furnishes us with the names of the wives of all the patriarchs from Adam to Nuuh, and each one married a very near relative. Again, when Jacob left home for Haran, Isaac (Jub 271") uses words to Uebekah which resemble To b'i>'- 10» My sister, weep not ; he has gone in peace, and in peace will he return (so K 62l)^ The Most High will preserve him from all evil For I know his way will be prospered . . . and he will return in peace to us (To 6-<i), for he \s on the straight path (419^ He is faithful (K 10'-), and will not perisli.' In Jub 2:^11 we read, ' Separate thyself from the nations, and eat not with them, and beconie not their associate (To 1 1"> : they offer their sacrifices to the dead, and eat over their graves ' (To 417).