Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-03-28
WHO WROTE THE
BIBLE?


There IS an abundance of proof that
the billie was inspired by God and that
tie directed that il he prepared and
arranged as His message to the world.
ana vet there is considerable mystery
as to just how and by whom il was
prernrcd. Many are under the impress
sion that because the books are on
tanned in one volume that they were
produced at the same time. or at least
put into the present shape within "A few
years.
B0t instead it might he properly
described as the spiritual transcript of
the Hebrew people for more han two
centuries. The historical part begins
with the 18th chapter of the Book of
Genesis. where Abram receives his
mission. The purpose of writing the
old testament was to set O the en-
tire record uf the progress of the He
brcws from. their very beginning. The
chapters hat precede these are used
more especially to show the descent of
Abram from Adam.
Ahranl. who was later called Abra-
nam. is supposed to have i've about
Zoo years before Christ, "A fact now
established by the discovery OF uni
form tablets bearing the names of
Kings mentioned I'm Genesis as con
teInpnTarics nf Abraham. This proves
that the bible began about 90 centuries
before Christ. but it is uncertain who
hrst wrote down that early record.
The old theory that Moses and other
biblical writer's received the bible in
the form OF dictatiun from God has in
4 great measure been abandoned. 1t
lE plain that Moses would have been
able to have written the books attrilb-
uted to him. for he had the benc is
OF princcly tutelase at the court of
Egypt n" nation wa* further adj
vanccd I'm science and literature at that
time. but discoveries IN tho last 20
nave proved that writing was
very common in his day. and he GER
tainty had every opportunity to learn.
After the time of Moses the record
IL moro or less continuous. though the
writer's are anonymous. with the cx-
ceptiOn of the Irop,etical books: After
the Babylonian exile. which ceased
with the permission given the Hebrews
ny cyrus to return to PalestinC-morc
than five centuries; before Christ. CON
siderable literary activity took place.
the speeches OF the various prophets
who had spoken before and during cap
tlvitN being collected. ard more or less
shaped under the, hand IF Ezra. the
famous scribe.
A Hebrew tradition states thai Ezra
decided which books were to he sc
copied as sacred and which to h re-
5ected as unworthy. but nanny schol-
ars agree that some OF tlsc psalms. the
nook OF Daniel and other books like
NGcleSiaEteS ;tnG Job, We're either wit
ten OF added to as late as the Mac
cabean period. only l67 Years Is. e..
Che facts seem to- Indicate that tho
old testament WAS not closed Until after
that time. as it took some. s.G00 year.
to write all that is coataine.. IN ~
books.
The composition o: the neH. i.:sts,.
lnent covers a much Shorter neyiui.
1t has to do With the life ,f .,esas
and Tho. doings of Ills iMmel:st,
apostles Only. 40 not Mors than q ZEN
FURY is given to it's composition. Ti,.
I0ur gospels We're written w., Matthew,
Mark. Luke and John rrciahl. J,Esar,l
n end OF the first rentur%, although
the earliest date assigned IS the COM
pietiOn OF any of them is new s..cn
AZ 100 A. n.
1t was at least Il century ,ater be-
lore the canon of the new testament
was at AL xed by the church. isu.
tnis was not made really detiuit. .,.iti5
S67. when the church decided which
were tO\be accepted AS sacred looks.
and which had no divine authority be-
hind them.
II IL clear now that som, thing more
n q 200 years were required for the
writing OF the whole bible. and that.
therefore. 1t ia necessary to take this
into consideration when STUDYING tn.
bible. as II was natural for different
IDEAS to prevail ut such widely sep
arate points OF time and in the minds
OF q different men.