PENTATEUCH
915
PENTATEUCH
If there were any knowledge of this art, its application would entirely depend upon the particular circumstances of a given period. Some writers seem to entertain the opinion that the materials for writing were yet, in the days of Moses, too clumsy for the execution of larger works. This opinion is refuted by the fact that the Hebrews became acquainted, just in the Jlosaical pe- riod, with the use of very good materials for writing, such as papyrus, byssus, parchment, etc. (comp. Herod- otus, V, 58). There are, indeed, mentioned in the Pen- tateuch some more solid materials for writing, such as tables of stone (Exod. xxiv, 12; xxxi, 18; xxxiv, 1, etc.); but this does not prove tliat in those days nothing was written except upon stone. Stone was employed, on account of its durability, for specific purposes. See Whiting.
The arguments on which the authorship of the Pen- tateuch is denied to Moses are, it will be perceived, wholly of an internal character (except that noticed above, and the one drawn from 2 Chron. xxxiv, 14 sq.). They liave varied considerably witli the taste and the information of those who urged them. There are some which were advanced very confidently a generation ago, but now are scarcely mentioned. But of those which have been urged with greatest confidence and plausibil- ity, and still continue to be so, we believe the following to be the chief:
(1.) The sujKi-natural character of much of the book — namely, the miracles and prophecies occurring abun- dantly in the history. This realh' is the great objec- tion, even in many minds which have not been fully aware that it was so; and they have therefore been propping up their opinion with other arguments, that would never have had much of even apparent solidity and strength if they had been destitute of this founda- tion. But this objection need not be discussed in this article, for it concerns the entire Bible. See Miracle; Prophkcy.
(2.) The alleged inaccuracies and impossibilities in the history, even apart from the miracles with which it is interspersed. This is a line of argument which has in general been found very difficult to manage; and in connection with which, therefore, there has not been very much attempted by learned and cautious writers. It has, however, recently attained to a temporary prom- inence and importance by the writings of bishop Colen- so. Tlie particular instances are not of a nature wliich really requires much consideration, though the most important may be briefly noticed.
(«.) The vast increase of Jacob's descendants in Egypt, and the difficulty as to the proportion between the whole number of tiiem and that of tlic first-born. On these and some other matters, see the article Num- bers.
(6.) The chronological difficulty that the census was not taken till the second month of the second year of the Exodus, Avhile yet the tabernacle is represented as having been finished a month sooner, and the silver used in its construction as having been obtained by a poll-tax of half a shekel on occasion of the census being taken. In this there is nothing very puzzling; for it is evident that before the formal and exact census, in the course of which all the names were written down, there was a preliminary enumeration of the people, by which a close approximation was made to their number; and if the payment of the poll-tax did not take place earlier, or was not superseded as unnecessary on account of the superabundance of voluntary offerings, which the people needed to be restrained from bringing, there could be no difficulty in finding those who would advance the monej' in the certainty of speedy repayment.
(c.) The other chronological difliculty, that such a multitude of events are crowded into the short space between the death of Aaron on the first day of the fifth month of the last year of the wandering and the deliv- ery of the prophetic message in Deuteronomy on the first day of the eleventh month. A calm examination,
however, will show that they are not so crowded as has been supposed. Yet no doubt there was a marvellous concentration of interest and hastening of the course of Providence during those six months of grace and power manifested on behalf of the young faithful generation of Israelites who were to enjoy the blessings of their re- demption from the house of bondage and to take pos- session of the Land of Promise. In like manner our Lord hints that events may be crowded and carried forward with marvellous rapidity when the glory of the latter day is to be ushered in, and when he is to come again (Matt, xxiv, 22).
((/.) The difficulties connected with the extent to which the sacrifices and other Levitical institutions were set up and kept up in the wilderness. But the very letter of the law many a time shows that these institutions were not meant to be set up till the people entered the Land of Promise; and at other times the intention is at least doubtful. The difficulties are unspeakably diminished when we take into account the sin of the people in re^ fusing to go forward after the report of the unbelieving spies, and the semi-excommunication or suspension frorq Church privileges for the rest of the forty j-ears undei which in consequence thej^ were laid (comp. Josh, v, 4-9).