The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-03-11
SEDALIA, Mo-,
TIE BIBLE AND JOSEPHUS.

Inc following letter mas Deen re.
ceived by the BAzoo:
GEORGETOWN NO, March 9Th. 1884.
Editor of Sedslia BAzoo:
DEAR SIR-As YOU sometimes In.
dulge in biblical disputations l wish
to propose a question.
Josephus in his frrt chapter. and
first book against Apion says
We have not an inpumerable mall
titsde of books among us disagrssing
from and contradicting one another
Gas the Greeks have, but only twenty
two books which contain the records
of all past times which are Justly be-
lisved 30 We divine and Of them FIVE
belong to Moses which contain his
laws and the traditions of the origin
Of mankind till his death
This interval of time was little
short of 5000 years, but as 10 the
time from the death of Moses till the
reign of Artsxerxes king of Persia
whe reigned after Xerxss. The prop
bets who were after Moses wrote down
what was done in their times in thir-
teen books The remaining four books
contain hymns to God and precepts
fer the conduct of human life.
Now | wish some reverend gentle
man or other biblical expert to tell
RE how We come to have in our col
lection thirty-nine sacred books a. Jo-
sepbus with his twenty-five hooks COW
ers all the time intervening from
Mosss to the B,bylonish captivity A
true. logical, or historical answer, give
and much oblige ysurs,
JAMES FRANCIS.
p. S.-Please insert answer in your
Sunday or Weekly.
We do not propose to answer all the
biblical questions that may be asked,
even if We were capable of doing so.
Our time and space would not per-
NIT And it is not in our line. But,
as We publish a paper for the people
How on earth, We have no objection 10
answering, our friends question, hoping
to aid him on his road to heaven.
The scriptures of the Old Testament,
as We have them in our common and
version Of the bible, is the
same as the twenty-five sacred books
of the Jews spoken of by Josephus.
Entil the time of Ezra and Nehsm-
iah, the sacred books Of the Jews, now
found In our version of the Old Tesla
ment, were in detached parts, without
having been collatsd. This was done
by Ezra principally, and arranged un-
der three principal devisions First
the law second the prophets third
the topographic, that is the holy
writings, First the law contains-1
qenesis--2 Exodus-3 Leviticus--4 Num-
bers-5 Deuteronomy. Second, the writ
ngs of the prophets which are--lJosh-
ua-2 Judges with Ruth--3 Samuel-4
Isiah--6 Jeremiah--7 Ezekiel-S
Daniel-9 the twelve minor prophets
10 Job-11 Ezra--12 Nehemiah--13 |
Esther. Third. the hageographia con-
si.ts of the Psalms 2 Proverbs--3
Ecclesiastss the songs of Solomon.
These divi-ions were made for the
purpose of reducing the number of
the sacred books to the number of the |
alphabet, which was twenty-five. They
were numbered A B & &c. This in
cludes first and second Samuel, first
and second Kings, FIRST and second
Chronicles and the Lamentations with
prophecy &c. Other divisions have
been made but the writings are the
same.
The bible il a great book, most i'm
portant and grand book in the world.
Study it closely and live according to
its teachings and it will show you the
- bo.~.p