The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-22

VI anOtncr the ldtneT Ol
steal instruments, anu the third Is the
rather of mechanics. All spring up out OF
one family Read the charming delightful
history Of Joseph. What is it written for?
What is its animus? What its purpose?
What the spirit of the narrator? Read the
story with an unprecedented mind: IL Is a
story of wonderful dramatic simplicity and
beauty. This boy. betrayed by his broth
ers, cast into "a pit. succored strangely,
carried OH into Egypt. pu1 INTO dun ,sHi
TO leave his dungeon, to go out TO meet
the court. he stops. takes time to shave
himself and dress properly before he goes
before the king 1t shows "a man who is
level-headed. and knows what he is about.
He comes before the king. gives him coun-
post in the kingdom and still keeps his
wise head on his shoulders. No man in
the Scripture history could so truly say
be abased and how to abound The breth-
rem come. He wants but one. Benjamin,
the son of his own mother. And the story
is told how ne tries to get Benjamin there,
attempting TO send all the others back
without disclosing himself. and how at last
and he does disclose himself and brings
his father and the sons all to Egypt and
provides for them. Was the object of this
story TO give an exact fact, or was II TO
tell story that should stir our hearts with
the romance of the olden time?
DISCOVERIES IN GENESIS.
If we take this book of Genesis and go
below the surface and examine it care
fully, we are able to discover the elements
of which it is composed. In the first cen
tury after Christ Tatian took the four gos-
pels and wove them together in one mar
rative. 1t is known as the Diatesseron. 1t
has been recently unearthed in the Vati-
can, translated and published. If the four
gospels had disappeared, you would have
had in this one gospel instead of four.
Now scholars have come to the conclusion,
oIxr tIn hro IL IF
esis is harmony, composed principally of
existing narratives, the DiatesSeron is,
we know, composed of the four gospels,
and they have been able TO carry the anal
ysis so far to make tolerably clear what
are the different elements in the book Of
Genesis. They are clear that there were
at least two documents-more probably.
One of them is known as the Eloist, or
priestly document 1t comes very near be-
chronicle and annals. Much more truly
than the other. You will observe as you
read the book of Genesis that the phrase
the book of the generations OF so and So
frequently occurs. That is the beginning of
an Eloist chapter. The other is written by
the name Jehovah for God; he is prophetic,
and in his writing is found the poetic ele-
ment. the epic element .,,.
last week the two accounts of the crea-
ton. They are there perfectly apparent
1t is difficult for one not to see them-at
least 1t seems so TO me. AT the same time,
Ii is right to inform you that DR.. Greene,
of Princeton one of the most eminent bib
ncal scholars of this country holds that
there are not two documents, and that the
book of Genesis was written by one man.
But l do not know any other eminent
America, who agrees with DR.. Greene in
this view, There are two accounts of the
though not as clearly indicated in our En-
glish version, and because l do not see any
better way to bring, what l wish in this
matter before you | read these two ac-
counts, woven together in our English BIZ
BILE into one.
THE PRIESTLY ACCOUNT
/ read one of them simply in the words
of the Bible, and then the other account
simply in the words of the Bible, without
attempting to show you how they have
been woven together. This is the Eloist,
or priestly account:
These the generations of Noah. Noah a
righteous man tandD perfect in his generations
Noah walked with GOd And Noah begat three
sons. shem. Ham and Janheth And the earth earth
with violence. And God saw the earth. and,
behold. IL was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupt
ed his way upon the earth.
ADD God said unto Noah: The end :, Of s,; al
with violence through them; and. behold | will
destroy them With the earth at f me 5se am i'm a fb
ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with
pitch. And this is how thou shalt make il: The
breadth OF it fifty cubits and the height of it
thirty cublts light shalt thou make TO the
a ss nd do to epR the ha r ss shea set nv M
side thereof; with lower, second and third sto-
bT ss sf fse oo Su Of er uon the eer ao
stroy all flesh. wherein is the breath of life from
under the heaven; everything that Is in the
earth shall die. But | will establish my cove
sons wives with thee. And OF every living thing
of all esh two of ts GTt shalt t thSg hra
shall be male and female. OF the fowl after their
kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every
ind ind fyvp
of every shall come unto thee. to keep them
IL eaten, and gather it to thee: and 1t shall be
for food for thee, and for them Thus did
him. so did he
And Noah was six hundred years old when the
In the six hundredth year of Noahs life in the
second month, on the seventeenth day of the
the great deep broken up. and the windows of
heaven were opened
In the self-same day entered Noah, and Shem.
and Ham. and Japheth. the sons of Noah. and
Noah's wife. and the three wives of his
with them, into the ark; they. and every beast
after its kind. and all the cattle after their kind
and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the
earth after its kind. and every fowl after its
kind. every bird of every sort. And they went
in unto Noah into the ark: two and two of all
that went in, went in male and female of all
flesh. as God commanded him. And the flood
And the waters prevailed. and increased great
ly upon the earth; and the ERIK went upon the
face of the waters. And the waters prevailed
exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high
mountains that were under the whole heaven
covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the
waters prevail; and the mountains covered.
And all flesh died that moved upon the earth,
both fowl and cattle. and beast, and every creep
ing thing that creepeth upon the earth. and ev-
cry
THE JAHVIST ACCOUNT.
Now L turn to the Jahvist account:
And it TO pass. when began to null
tiply the face Of the ground and daughters
were born unto them. that the sons of God saw
the daughters of men that they fair: and
they took them wives of all that they chose.
And Jahweh said Ny spirit shall not strive with
man forever. for that he also is flesh; yet shall
his days be an hundred and twenty years. The
Nephilim in the cS>fth in those days and
also after that. when the of God came in
unto the daughters OF men, AID they bare chill
dren TO them the same We're the mighty men
which of old. the renown. And
Jshweh that the wickedness OF man was
great in the EARTH and that every imagination
Of the thoughts of his heart only evil contn-
uaily. And il repented Jahweh that He had
made man on the earth. and il grieved Him at
His heart And Jahweh said, | will destroy
whom L have created from the
ground both and beast. and creeping thing
and fowl OF the air. for it repenteth me that
have made them. But Noah found grace in the
eyes Jahweh
And Jahweh said unto Noah. Come thou and
all thy house into the ark; for thee have | seen