THE MICHIGAN HISTORICAL REPRINT SERIES Reprints from the collection of This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the text that can both be accessed online and used to create new print copies. This book and thousands of others can be found in the digital collections of the University of Michigan Library. The University Library also understands and values the utility of print, and makes reprints available through its Scholarly Publishing Office. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu. The Scholarly Publishing Office seeks to disseminate high-quality, cost-effective scholarly content through both print and electronic publishing. Information about the Scholarly Publishing Office can be found at http://spo.umdl.umich.edu. THE SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING OFFICE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY M Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1843, by THEODORE PARKER, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. PART III. PARTICULAR INTRODUCTION TO THE CANONICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. § 125. A SURVEY AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. THE classification of the literary productions of a nation must be made in the spirit of that nation's history, and in accordance with an accurate conception of that history. Just, though not perfectly clear and pure ideas of classification may be found in the Jewish division into the Law, Prophets, and Other Writings. According to the most accurate principles, it seems the two first divisions the Law and the Prophets — must be put together, for they contain a cyclus of theocratic writings. In this cyclus it is easy to separate the theocratic-historical from the theocratic-inspired writings. To the former belong the Law, the first Prophets, as they are called, that is, the historical books; and from the third miscellaneous division, the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Ruth, Esther, and Chronicles, are added as appendices and a supplement. To the latter belong the later Prophets, as they are called, and, from the third division, the later prophetical production, the book of Daniel. |