Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-05-02
"HIGuER CRITICISM"

10 be pass.d by In silence. IL was
modcstIy headed "A Mistake About
the SUM-" but on tht really to have
read Gan Error In the Word OF Cod"
for that Idea It intended to convoy.
The article attempts to explain away
the miracle Of the arrest Of the cour'e
OF the sun aud the moon, related In the
Book Of Joshua. The event IL thus
s,corded, Josh. x. 1914, revised
version;
Then spake Joshua to the Lord In the
day when the Lord delivered up mo
Amoritea before the children OF Israeli
and no said in tho sight OF Israel,
Sun, stand thou still upon .Gibeon;
And thou. Moon. In tho valley Of Auhon.
And the aun stood gtll, aud the moon sthyeui
until thu nation had avenged themselves OF
their enemies
Is notthia written In tho Book OF JasherY
And tho sun stayed In the midst OF the
heavens, and hastod not 10 20 down for
about whole day. And thore was no
day like that before u or after II, that tho
Lord hoark ened unto the voice OF mani
for the Lord fought for Israel.
Now, we are told that according to
the rules OF what IL styled the "hlghcr
criticism" the portion OF the text
which is given in verse, Is part OF 40
ancient poem, which Joshua reciteu,
and that what follows is an addition Of
= later editor OF the book, who-n'pd'
bile northumberland the whole
thing.
The author OF tho "Mistake about
the Sun" Ia hardly bold enough In MS
outlines OF the situation on that re-
markable day In the history OF israeli
An effort at bringing the iicus ou'
according TO tho rules Of tue "higher
criticism" must be Attempted al all
hazards. We turn to tho sacred text
1t 10 day on which n decisive battle
b fought Five oil the principal rulers
OF Palestine are combined against one
OF lsrael's allies, Joshua hhstens 10
his support. The combineu FORCES OF ule
enemy make hrm resistance out are
.'''sy sNN" W 49, -. 49,
The sun lie. already nearing the
western horizon ana the moon Is
rising over the plain In the east inc
question comes TO the mind oil lsraePs
brilliant general, Shall these hngs
escape and DO given nm opportunity 10
form n Sill more formidable alliance
against Israel, or shall the victory De
complete nj once? But what could ne
doY Evening was coming on'anu tielr
pursuit wouid Dc imprhcuehoie' ln
this preuicament-that "higher criti-
cism" tells us-deneraI Joshua sudden
yrememoers piece OF poetry In an o'u
book, whereupon he calls his soldiers
together ana recites IL Tor their euihca'
lion before returning 10 campi Is
there any PROBABILITY Whatever in u
suggestion OF TINS kihu' Just nancy
Napoleon NJ jena or uuhAVus
Auoiphus ~ Leips'o stopping ms VIC
torious armies Tor u lew moments whiie
listening 10 piece OF poetfy' Inc idea
iS absurd on It's very surface.
oiher sacred writer's must also De
mistaken u 'he "highet cfitlcism" IL
rgh'' In the fshims we are informed
thatthe ihraeii'es ala not OBTAIN posses
hioh OF the PROMISED ishu through ,heif
own sword' but through the power oil
the Loru anu "the hsh1 OF HIS count
ehahce'" tfsaims XIV, % Isaiah
refers 70 inc miracle Oh 'hls Jay Us 'he
Loru's "s'range ao'," his STRANGE
work." lisaian Axviii, 2i') These
authors had evidently no Idea that the
narrative In the book OF joshua Is all a
mistake. Had they known anything
about tho higher CRITICISM" they
would have been aware that the
flight" and the "s1range work" by
which tho armies OF hve kings were
routed was only piece OF poetry. but
the question is,whom are we to believe,
the sacred writer's or tho higher criti'
cismG There ought to be no doubt on
this subject.
1t 10 not true that as general rule
songs quoted are held to be Of more
ancient date than the nara.
iives In which they are EN-.
bodied. Often these songs were
composed for the occasion EN-.
bodying the evont narrated. Tn,
Book OF Jasher Is by eminent author.
tiles held 10 be collection OF stat,