New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-03

missioned to announce the final and COM
plete ruin of Neneveh. Next came Zepha-
niah, the son of Cushi,' who prophecied,
about the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign.
before he had reformed the corruptiOns of
his kingdom. The wickedness of Judah and
the Babylonish captivity were foretOld.
AS we now approach the period of cap
|. tivity, as it is called, it may be well in a
word to explain it. The ten tribes that re-
volted after Solomon, We're already captives
in Assyria and their nationally gone. Judah
yet remained kingdom, but 1t, too, was to
20 into captivity. This began in the year
SOC, when ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, King of Baby
lon, invaded Judah. One invasion and de-
portation of Israalites followed another I'M
til in the year 5SS b. G., the Temple was
destroyed, and all the people of God ex-
cept a few of the poor classes were carried
into captivity beyond the Euphrates
Daniel was among the first captives
Ezekiel also was a captive. This captivity
lasted seventy years. Several OF the books
of the Bible were written near and during
this period. jeremiah began to prophecy
! before this sad event, and continued to
write until after the destruction OF Jeru-
salem. His prophecies cover period OF
f0rtv-two years, and are found III the book
of jeremiah. He also wrote Lamentations,
| in which he mourns the destruction of
Jerusalem. Habakuk and Obadiah wrote
at une Sdile lliuc, tdCu uWtllIuS VIZ SoIiio
| divine dispensation. Daniel wrote his
book in captivity. So. too, did Ezekiel.
1t was during this period that probably.
Jeremiah completed and wrote the books Of
Kings, in which the history OF the Israelltes
is brought down from the time OF David to
the captivity.
How were the sacred writings preserved
during this period! All the prophecies writ
ten before the destruction of the Temple were
al ..l1f Al,
copies were destroyed However, there is
no proof OF this and there are some indica-
lions that they were not. One thing is Ger
tain-tlIat copies of the Scriptures were pre-
served during the captivity. 1t must be
remembered that there were probably many
copies of the sacred books among the
people, and that even if the original copies
were destroyed, these would remain. At
any rate. Daniel GX. ll-l3) quotes from the
the prophecies Of Jeremiah Xix. y, which he
could not have done had he not seen them.
jeremiah labored with Gods people who re-
manned in the Holy Land, and Ezekiel
| labored with those III captivity, each seek
ing to keep he people true to God. Places
of worship We're established Ezekiel XXix.)
| in Chaldea. Here. perhaps, we have the
beginning, or. at least, fullest development
| thus far of the system Of Jewish syna-
gogues, by which the people worshipped in
many places. II is but reasonable to sup
pose that in these places certified copies OF
the Scriptures were kept and read. We
read in Ezra that when the Temple was re-
built in the sixth year of Darius reign the
Jewish worship was fully restored as it is
| written in the law OF Moses. And what is
still more conclusive, when the people re-
auested Ezra tActs, viii. y. after their re-
turn from Babylon, to produce the law OF
Moses. they asked that he should bring
forth the law of Moses as the Lord had
commanded to Israel. SO we have positive
evidence that the sacred books were pre-
| served during the captivity.
After the captivity came the period
of restoration when a portion of the
Jews returned to Psiestineand re-
| built Jerusalem, the Temple and re
stored The Jewish worship as in
former times. This period comprises l39
years. and extends to the time when the
last book Of the Old Testament was written
by Malachi. The period began with the
decree of Cyrus. b. c. 336, permitting the
Jews from any part of Baby lonia to return
to their native country. At first $4,000 went
under Prince Zerubbahel and the High
Priest Joshua. Fifty-eight years after
ward t45S) a second colony went up under
Ezra, aud thirteen years later still another
under Nehemiah. Nehemiah completed his
work of reformation, which only carried
ont what was begun by Ezra. b. c: AS,
and tue final prophecy of the Old Tesla
ment was made b. c. 391.
During this period of the restoration the
remaining books Of the Old Testament
were written. and the work of compiling
them all nearly or quite finished.
Haggai and Zachariah prophccied dur
ing this building OF the Temple under
der Zerubbabel. The work was to encour-
age the people. Malachi prophecied after
the restoration of the Jewish polity was
complete. and made the final prediction OF
the coming Messiah. His words were like
these: Unto you that fear my name shall
the sun OF righteousness arise with healing
in his wings
The other books written or compiled dur
ing this period are Esther, Ezra, /. and III.
Chronicles, Psalms and Nehemiah. One
peculiarly of this book of Esther is that it
has not the name of God in it. This may
he accounted for on the supposition that it
was probably extracted from the records of
the Persians.
Ezra, written by the great reformer of
that name. gives the history of the return
of the Jews and of his journey to Jerusalem.
!. aud ii. Chronicles were compiled by Ezra,
and include "things omitted in the his
tories of the two books of Samuel and
Kings. The book of Psalms. although
mostly written by David. was. as a book.
probably completed by Ezra, who, it is
quite certain. compiled it from other and
smaller collections. Nehemiah takes up the
Jewish history about twelve years after
Ezra leaves it, and gives an account of the
improvements of the city and of retnrna-
tiaus carried ON by Nehemiah, recorded by
himself.
We have now canvassed the entire Old
Testament and marked the starting point
Of each book, and seen how each and all
,rpl IN, tl,p of
most important question here arises. Who
arranged these books i'll their present form,
and gave them forth as one book to the
people as the Word of God!
Popular belief has ass gned this important
work to Ezra and his associates as a part of
their work in organizing the Jewish Church.
This is the opinion now generally accepted
II could not have been done later than the
restoration period, for then ceased the spirit
OF prophecy among men until John, Christ 5
folcTunner.
Its equally true that the necessity for s(eh
a work existed in that period. The work of
completing the compilation was % great one.
The divine authority of each book had to be
tested. Certain additions had to be made
to complete the record and unite all in one:
as. for example. the death of Moses and of
other writer's. The compiling of the books
Of Chronicles and Psalms was probably a
part OF the work.
Judging from remark made by Nehe-
miah, viii. IL, it is evident that Ezra bad
associated with him {, company OF inspired
men, who interpreted the law. Haggai,
Zachariah, and, probably, Malachi, were
among the number The great bulk of tine
work was completed under Ezra, who.
among the Jews, is esteemed next to Moses,
and is said to have lived 100 years. Nehe-
miah. according to III. Macchabe, H. 10,
founded a library and gathered together
Acts Of the Kings, and of the Prophets
and OF David, and the Epistles of the