Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-30
HOW The BlBLEWAS WRITTEN
Rev. Newton Yam, Pastor Of Unity
Church, Writes Book,
OLD TRADITIONS nEScHEssLY AssAlLED

OLD TRADITIONS MsRClLEsSLY AsSAlLED
Author of the Newest Natural History
of the Bible. Dissects It's
JonE-Revered Features
Incisively.
For several years past Rev. Newton Mann
OF Unity church, Omaha, has devoted him
| self to a series of lectures on The History
Of the Bible" These lectures he has care
| fully edited and now publishes in an at
tractive volume Of 3s1 pages He has given
to his work the title: 1.-THE Evolution Of
a Great Literature" to which he has APP
pended q helpful index. The book has just
been issued by James II. West Company,
| publishers Of Boston, and can be had OF the
booksellers The importance of such a con-
tribution to the serious discussion of vital
questions OF belief makes the publication
one OF exceeding interest. and the further
fact that its scholarly author has been for
so many years identified with our own COM
munity and with leading church deserves
for the work an extended review.
At the outset Mr.. Mann states his posi-
| ton, to treat the Bible as the surviving
religious literature of an ancient people. He
discards entirely its divine inspiration and
revelation and deals with the subject purely
as scientific study. Forewarned of Mr..
Mann's attitude we we'll know that the
scientific investigator has no reverence for
| tradition
Tradition IL Discounted.
! He lays rough hands on accepted doc
trines. Whether he scratches the rocks OF
| the earth for evidence Of its age or surveys
the stars of the heavens to determine the
constitution Of the universe, with critical
eye and with mathematical precision lie
measures each step Of his way. He is more
over a respecter OF no person. and many of
the hallowed traditions Of the past crumblo
! to dust under his microscopic analysis.
The Bible. which the human race for ages
has accepted on faith has not escaped the
burrowing Of thu scientific mole. satisfied
with nothing II not the truth. Where scien-
| ti1c investigation is applied to the Book OF
! Books, II is called, in the language OF the
| learned, 1.-THE Higher Criticism" During
the last half century European and Ameri.
can scholars have been eager rivals in
searching the scriptures and in applying the
rules of historical criticism.
| Mr.. Mann has been close student oi
them ALL and in his carefully written book
sets up no claim to originality. His pur-
pose is to present for the general reader
the main conclusions of advanced scholar.
ship touching the composition of the vari
Gus parts of the Bible, both OF the Old and
New Testament. and TO place in historical
relation, as near as can be done, the events
therein narrated. In this he has succeeded
admirably The book is both interesting
and suggestive.
Making of Bible Is DiHErammed.
In simple narrative style the story OF
the making of the Bible is told. or. as Mr.
Mann calls 1t, 1.-THE Natural History of the
Jewish and Christian Scriptures" in which
is traced step by step the evolution of
great literature. Written in a pleasing
manner, easily understood. the book never
theless keeps in sight the point OF view Of
the scientist and not of. the theologian
Something of this kind has long beer
needed for the general reader.
The work appeals to reason and confirm,
the experiences OF men as one knows his
tory and human life. 1t explains the ap
parent inconsistencies and contradiction,
found in the Bible, which have puzzled
theologians for ages, It is, indeed, a guild,
for the perplexed. And the Bible student
whether or not he agrees with the author
will at least have the Scriptures from I
new point Of view. Infallibility for the bool
is not claimed. Further research and in
CURRY will. OF course. correct errors anC
make more certain what is now vague OF
questioned.
with the instinct OF the naturalist. tht
author dissects the Bible in as cold-bloodeC
a manner as a physician dissects a rabbit
It may Jar ones nerves to be told tina
David was an memorable barbarian ant
| Ia1A
wrote a line of the Bible: that the laws o
Moses were modelled on the code OF Ham
murabi. king of Babylon; that Jonah is ,
dash Of fiction; that Esther is myth. an,
like Daniel and many other revered storie
OF the Bible, was written for purpose b,
some unknown writer centuries after tn
events were supposed to have happened. II
other words, Jonah, Esther and Daniel wer
works OF fiction written during the trouble
some times of the Greek domination anC
Maccabeean revolt for independence, jus
as "Uncle Toms Cabin was a work of nc
ton written in much later times for. pur
pose, as popular protest against slavery
Uses Historical Methods.
The quarrel with Mr.. Mann over thes
things is TO quarrel with the geologist AM
with the astronomer for telling US the az
of the earth. And to find fault with hin
is to find fault with historical investigation
which finds the Scotch Irish gentleman
OF the twentieth century TO be a lineal de
scendant Of the long-haired savage man
sacrificing Druids. The historical metho,
has been recognized as the only proper an,
sensible way 10 study the development o
civilization. whether that of Greece or o
Rome or of England. or OF any other PEG
pie ancient or modern; and the question
naturally suggests itself in this age, VIII,
should the Scriptures not be searched Will
the same light? It cannot lessen the rever
ence for the Bible 10 know that 1t is tn,
work of many hands and tells of the strug
giles OF man for higher ideals and noblei
conception OF life and duty to his fellows.
II rather strengthens ones respect fol
human nature to learn how man has beer
able in the course of the long centuries Il
lift himself gradually above brute creation
This process is called evolution. and evolu
ton is defined as the growth OF lower 4
higher forms. 1t is a law OF nature. I
governs the formation of worlds OF plants
OF animals and OF mind. II is an orderl,
development from the simple to the com