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  • Author: Committee of the American New-Church Sabbath-School Association
    (Rev. Frank Sewall, Rev. J. C. Ager, Rev. L. P. Mercer, WM. N. Hobart, Francis A. Dewson)
  • Publisher: The New-Church Board of Publication
  • Publication Date: 1888
  • Total Pages: 237

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Bible Manual (I)

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EXCERPT

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION

THE JEWISH PEOPLE FROM MALACHI TO THE COMING OF THE LORD

THIS portion of their history, not being recorded in the letter of the Holy Word, is not representative of spiritual things, and possesses no peculiar sacredness of character. We can however observe in it all, the careful supervision of Divine Providence, in the preservation of the Holy Archives, the arranging of events for the bridging over of affairs from one dispensation of Divine Truth to another, and wonderful preparations for the further extension of His kingdom.

The four hundred years thus occupied may be most conveniently divided into four distinct periods, and so studied will be most easily understood and remembered.

I. The first of these periods extends from the death of Nehemiah to just after the conquests of Alexander the Great, and covers a space of not far from one hundred years. During this time the Jews remained under the Persian rule, enjoying comparative quiet, peace, comfort, prosperity. In the settlement of the Colony in and around Jerusalem, and the restoration of the ancient worship under Ezra and Nehemiah, the contents of the Divine Word were newly appealed to for direction and guidance, the law was read aloud in the ears of the poeple, and its strict observance enjoined upon them. In order to give it full force, certain "oral ordinances" were put in practice, explaining and extending its provisions. So that it is believed that for a considerable period after the restoration, the national religion attained a more complete establishment than it had done at any time under the kings; in apparent fulfilment of the prophecy that the glory of the latter temple should exceed that of the former.

The supreme ecclesiastical authority was vested in the "Great Synagogue," a society of pious and learned men founded by Ezra, and to whom was confided the care of the holy writings and institutions. This became a great school for the study and production of sacred literature. To this period we owe the beginnings of the Targums or Jewish commentaries on the Scriptures, and the first stages of what is known as the "rabbinical literature."

As early as in the lifetime of Nehemiah the separation of the Samaritans from the Jews had been accomplished, a rival temple, worship, and priesthood, having been set up, upon Mount Gerizim.

During all this period the external incidents connected with the history of Judaea are very few and slight. Under the protection of the Persian monarchs, it enjoyed security and order, with general immunity from the wars and contentions going on around them. Although the Greeks were then at the full meridian of their political and literary greatness, the colony at Jerusalem and the Hebrew writings were as yet too insignificant in the eyes of the world to attract their attention. So that extended period of rest was given by the Jews to the excercise of the national religion, the cultivation of scholarship, and to copying and commenting on the sacred writings. All which was a profound preparation for the vast number of literary productions which so suddenly made their appearance in the succeeding generations.

About 332 before Christ, Alexander the Great made his appearance in Syria and Palestine. After he had laid siege and taken the ancient city of Tyre, he moved southward and captured Gaza, then a strong out-post of the Egyptians. The Greek historians do not mention the fact that in passing by, Jerusalem also attracted his attention. But Josephus relates that he did advance against it with hostile intentions, and that the high priest, Jaddua, went forth to him on a peaceable mission, and dissuaded him from making the conquest. It appears however that Jerusalem submitted to the conqueror without resistance; and Alexander so far condescended to the national religion as to have sacrifices offered to the God of the Hebrews, in his own behalf. And when he went into Egypt he carried large numbers of Jews and Samaritans with him, planting them in colonies in that country. It is said that when the new city Alexandria came to be built one-third of its population were Jews. Thus was laid the foundation of thos famous schools of learning which were to introduce the sacred Scriptures to the knowledge of the Greek and Roman world, and play so important a part in the early history of Christianity.

After the departure of Alexander, Jerusalem appears to have enjoyed a good measure of independence for the next thirty years. For when in 301, B. C., Ptolemy Soter, son of one of Alexander's generals, having become king of Egypt, went up into Palestine, he was obliged to retake it. After its capture he caused one hundred thousand of the inhabitants of the city and surrounding country to be removed, partly to Alexandria and partly to countries on the Mediterranean west of Egypt.

Table of Contents

SUBJECT NO.                            PAGE
Historical Introduction ........................ i
     I. General Introduction ................... 5
    II. Origin of the New Testament ............ 8
   III. The Written Word of the New Testament .. 16  
    IV. The Languages of Palestine in the Days
          of Our Lord and His Apostles ......... 21
     V. John the Baptist ....................... 27
    VI. The Four Gospels as a Whole ............ 35
   VII. Matthew ................................ 42
  VIII. Mark ................................... 51
    IX. Luke ................................... 59
     X. John the Evangelist .................... 69
    XI. The Book of Revelation ................. 91
   XII. Acts of the Apostles ................... 106
  XIII. Life and Writings of Paul .............. 112
   XIV. The Seven General Epistles ............. 153
    XV. The Apostolic Fathers .................. 175
   XVI. Post-Apostolic or Ante-Nicene Age ...... 195
  XVII. Ancient Versions of the Christian 
          Scriptures ........................... 204
 XVIII. Manuscripts of the Bible ............... 217
            

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