tents of his book. Of its style and history.

Zechariah.

All that is known with any degree of certainty respecting Zechariah is, perhaps, the period in which he lived. -His book consists of two parts, the first comprising in a series of visions the eight first chapters, and the second the remainder of the book.---Remarks on the first part.-General observations on poetical visions, with particu lar reference to Zechariah. Of the second part of the book of Zechariah though differing in point of style and contents from the first, it is in all probability the production of the same author.-Of the character of Zecha riah-and the history of his book. Malachi.

Nothing certain is known respecting the person of Malachi, although the period in which he wrote is fixed with sufficient precision.---Of the contents of the book of Malachi-its general character and history.

Daniel.

Little more is known of Daniel for certain than that if he was not actually descended from a royal family, he was at least of noble extraction, and further, that he lived in the third year of the reign of Cyrus.---This information is, however, sufficient to account generally for a variety of singular and otherwise obscure passages contained in his book.-Difficulties occurring in the first part of Daniel (ii.-vi.).---The opening of the book (i. ii. 3) is written in Hebrew-from chap. ii. 4, to chap. vii. 28, the Aramæan dialect prevails -and towards the conclusion the Hebrew is again adopted.---The conjecture of the chapters iii.-vi. being insatisfactory.-Perhaps a minute investerpolated does not appear sufficiently tigation of the different parts of the book of Daniel may warrant the idea that it consists of a collection of various pieces, partly referring to Daniel and partly to some of his friends-so much seems certain, that the book of Daniel is the production of two authors who wrote their proportions of it at different periods of time.-That there once existed two original editions of the first part of Daniel may easily be proved by a comparison instituted between our present Chaldee text, and

the Greek Version of the Septuagint. Early opinions respecting the authenticity of the book of Daniel.-General history of it.

Psalms.

Of the origin of the poetry of the Psalms. Of their antiquity. With the exception of the ninetieth Psalm, which perhaps may have Moses for its author, none appear to be the production of an age prior to that of David. ---Of the authors of the Psalms. The idea that David was the writer of all, has been long since abandoned--the greater part, however, probably owe their origin to him.-Of the different authors to whom various Psalms are attributed, the sons of Korah display by far the greatest poetical genius. Many Psalms have erroneous names prefixed to them.---The book of Psalms may be generally divided into two parts, which may again be subdivided into five books-Of the probable origin of our present collection of the Psalms, differing from the general opinion entertained on this head.-Of the period and design of forming a collection of the Psalms--of their titles and superscriptions---on the most advantageous mode of perusing them-and of the necessary considerations to be kept in view for studying them with success.--History of the book of Psalms.

The Proverbs of Solomon. Of the general use of apophthegms among the ancients.---Of their character and early adoption.---Of the contents and age of the Proverbs attributed to Solomon.---They comprise two distinet parts, the first (i.-ix.) containing a panegyric on wisdom, and an admonitory address to shun the various allurements by which youth is betrayed from the paths of rectitude and virtue -and the second (x.---xxi.) exhibiting a series of apophthegms, witty conceits, anecdotes and ænigmas.--Of the authors of the book of Proverbs, and the advantages to be gleaned from it in a critical point of view.--History of the book of Proverbs.

Job.

Contents of the book of Job.---It exhibits a mere poetical effusion and no true history.It is far from being unlikely that a person like Job may really have existed---and that, too, during the patriarchal period--but

even admitting that his original name was Jobab, he certainly ought not to be confounded with the Jobab of whom

mention is made in the book of Gene sis.---In all probability, the real history of a person of the name of Job is assumed as the basis of a fiction.--(f the scene of action chosen for the same.--Of the poetical worth of the book of Job.-Of its author and the antiquity of his work.--Of the gen ineness and age of the prologue and epilogue of the book of Job.--Particular remarks on the speeches of Elihu. History of the book of Job.

The Song of Solomon.

Some account of its age.In ail probability, Solomon was not the author of it.--Its contents and the burthen of it nothing but love, love, love

it is in fact a collection of anacreontic odes and idyls.---Of the history of the Song of Solomon.

The Lamentations of Jeremiah. The destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem form, in all probability, the theme of this book, and not the death of Josiah, as some have supposed.---Of the internal and external characteristics of the Lamentations. Of their author.---History of the book.

Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher.

Remarks on the title of the book of Ecclesiastes.---It is improbable that Solomon was the author of it---but sufficient proofs can be adduced that the writer was contemporary with the author of the book of Daniel and Esther.---Of the contents and plan of the book of Ecclesiastes, and of its history.

Introduction to the Reading of the Apocryphal Scriptures of the Old Testament, by J. G. Eichhorn, 1 vol. 8vo. pp. 504.

WITH THREE INDICES, pp. 543.

Summary of Contents.

Introduction.-Great expectations entertained in modern times from a critical examination of the Apocryphal books of the Old Testament-these have, however, been grievously disappointed. With the exception of the Ethics of Jesus Sirach, the Wisdom of Solomon, the first book of the Maccabees, and on certain accounts that of Pseudo-Esdras, the rest possess little

ther conjecture in favour of Serubabet considered.In all probability it was originally written in Greek.History of the book of Wisdom.

Of the Books of the Maccabees. Introductory history of the Jews subsequent to their return from exile. ---Summary review of the contents of the books of the Maccabees in chronological order.---The third book narrates events of a date prior to those contained in the second-and the second, occurrences which took place previous to those related in the first ---a fourth book is occasionally noticed, but its contents are wholly unknown.

Of the first Book of the Maccabees. ---It was originally written in Hebrew, and the Apocryphal text is a version. -Its author was probably a Jew of Palestine. In it chronological order is duly adhered to, but a partiality for his own country leads the author into numerous errors and absurdities.History of the first book of the Maccabees.

Of the second Book of the Maccabees. It consists of two parts---the first exhibiting two epistles supposed to be addressed by the Jews of Palestine to their brethren in Egypt, relative to the dedication of their new temple ---and the second comprising an abridgment of a larger work, written by a certain Jason of Cyrene, (of whom no traces are now extant,) on the heroic feats of the Maccabees, which is, moreover, furnished with a kind of prologue and epilogue.-The former part of this book is wholly unconnected with the latter--and is, in all probability, a mere fiction, abounding in numerous instances of glaring ignorance and folly.The second part purports to be abridged from a voluminous history written by an Egyptian Jew in Greek, and is mostly drawn up in the style of the rhetorical school, but the author is far from being free from superstitious notions-add to this, it teems with errors in point of chronology and ancient geography, and contains a tissue of improbabilities and falsehoods.---Little is known respecting the author of this abridgment. History of the second book of the Maccabees.

Of the third Book of the Maccabees--It contains an account of the

persecutions commenced against the Jews in Egypt by Ptolemy Philopater, and exhibits a sad compound of true historical facts and legendary fictions. --Attempt made to distinguish the same. It was probably written in Egypt.-Nothing is known with any degree of certainty respecting the allthor or the precise period in which he flourished.-History of the third book of the Maccabees.

Of Judith.

Summary of the contents of the book of Judith.-It is a narrative utterly devoid of any pretension to probability or historical truth---perhaps the most plausible conjecture respecting its origin and history may be, that a Jew wholly ignorant of history and geogra phy, thought proper, on the strength of some popular tradition, to draw up a narrative respecting the siege of a town being raised by the statagem of a harlot. Of the difference between the Greek text and the Vulgate.-History of the book of Judith.

Of the Apocryphal Esdras. A critical comparison instituted be tween this book and the book of Ezra, in the Old Testament, tends to shew that the former is wholly grounded upon the latter, and in many cases is but a free translation of it.-Various proofs hereof adduced-a portion of Chronicles and of Nehemiah also contained in this book--and in all probability the book itself is mutilated.Old Testament, it is of great use to As a translation of a portion of the the critical reader.-This proved by numerous examples.-History of the Apocryphal book of Esdras.

Of Baruch.

His life. The book of Baruch contains two letters, one of which is attributed to Baruch himself, and the other to Jeremiah-but from historical and internal evidence both must be pronounced to be spurious.-Of the history of this book.

Of Tobit.

Contents of the book of Tobit.—It is a mere fiction, probably composed with a view of exemplifying the doctrine that the prayers of pious sufferers are attended to by the Almighty. In it, a belief in the existence of angels