Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-01-10
STORY OF THE BIBLE.
HOW 1T MAS CodPlL-o, PRESERVED
AND BROUGHT DOWN.

The Records Began With Abraham and
Were Collected by Ezra-It Was Born
In the Little Land of Canaan--Conguered
Israel's Gift to the World.
New discoveries about the Bible are
being made almost daily. The religious
world is startled every now and then
by the announcement that some old
manuscript has been found or some clay
tablet co1roborating Biblical history has
been deciIhered. The last few years
have beel! especial notable for remark
able finds, hot the least of which has
been single leaf of papyrus bearing a
few sayings of Jesus-logia, as they
have been calle,; These discoveries
arouse a questio ing .rame of mind.
We ask, how dill we get the Bible,
whence did it come, what was the
Rethod If it's transmission to us2
Learned volumes have been written, but
only scholars read them. One of the
latest of these is by DR.. William A.
Coppinger, but ii is so expensive vol
ume-only 100 copies have been printed
for sale-that few can read it, even il
they would The much talked of poly
chrome Billie edited by leading Biblical
scholars of the world, is an answer to
this demand. Still, the question, how
did the Bible come down TO US? ought
to be answered briefly, so that the mass
es of the people can read and under
stand. 1t is irrev erent to the Bible and
the inspired men who gave US this
world classic--the classic-dealin2 with
the eternal theme of the relation be-
tween man and Cod to think of it as
ready made volume dropped down from
heaven bound and gilt edged.
The Bible was born in the little land
of Canaan as the weary caravan. Led ly
Abraham from IN of the Chaldees,
pitched ia tents and the patriarch wrote
down the promises Of the Eternal OH
the palm leaves which he found at hand.
This was more than 1000 years ago,
and that writing was i'll use 50 carly is
proved by inscriptions found Gu Egyp-
tian steles or Assyrian tablets from
5000 to s, 600 years old.
The records kept by Abraham and
his immediate descendants undoubtedly
formed the basis of the book of Genesis
and the earlier chapters of Exodus, to
be later utilized by the hand of Moses
and his successors. With the advent of
this great legislator of the Hebrews the
nation was formed, with his legislation
as its heart and center. 1t is probable
that Moses wrote his portion OF the BIZ
BILE upon the linen used for such pur-
poses i'll Egypt, for many large pieces
of this linen covered with hieroglyphic
writing have come down to us wrapped
around mummies. The inscriptions are
still legioic. The pentateuch vas the
nucleus OF our Bible, the only Bible
known to the Hebrews for many gener-
atoms. 1t was written in the ancient
Ibri character, closely resembling the
PhGnician, as proved by the Sloan in
scription discovered near Jerusalem and
some ancient ccins which have been
| found Leaders like Joshua. Gideon and
| Samuel were needed in the promised
land. Singers and prophets. too, arose,
| and the scribes of the leaders recorded
| what was done. the pets wrote down
L
| their be-: Songs. lie prophets words
| were treasured up by their disciples and
! followers The official records were kept
| in the nstienal archives, and the songs
| of the poets and the speeches of the
| prophets were passed from hand to
| hand " Len tie ln-do1t vas tliNid !,
records were certainly kept boia Il tle
| southern klnsdoia of Jr!ah and the
northern kingdom of Israel. But much
of the earlier literature was forgotten
| In the catastrophe of thu destruction Of
the kingdoms Of Israel and Judah, and
| the exiles refused 10 sing the songs OF
Zion as they ''sat by the waters of Ba-
| bel and weptn When at last the term
| of exile was over and some of the more
| devoted Jews returned to rebuild the
| walls and fempleof Jerusalem, the law
had to be .,rought back to them.
/ Ezra was the man for this work. and
he and his coadjutors, the elders, oil
/ lected the scattered records of eaIiler
days AMI made the first canon OF the
Pentateuch They wrote it In a new
! script--Kethav Ashuris, the Assyrian
or square character brought back from
! Babylon with them and read and
taught it TO the people. By this time
some of the speeches delivered by the
prophets of the exile, the second Isaiah
| and his disciples, had become so dear TO
the hearts of the people that they were
esteemed as classics. Some had presery
| ed the addresses of the earlier prophets,
| and gradually second set of accepted
writings was added to the law. The
older songs. too, were found again, and
new singers we're insuired for the ssry-