Excerpt from Critica Biblica: Or Critical Notes on the Text of the Old Testament Writings The Eng/dopaa'z'a Bz'blz'ea, of which I am one of the editors, is an honest attempt at a brave forward movement in the critical study of the Bible. It appeared to be time for scholars to throw off the fatigue not unnatural at the close of a great period, and to encourage one another to co-operate in the cause of progress. The plan of the work referred to was partly the late Prof. Robertson Smith's, partly my own (submitted to him very near the close of his last illness). Co-operation between scholars of different schools was indeed indispensable, and it may be hoped was morally as well as intellectually profitable to all parties but, speaking especially for myself, it soon became more and more evident that at least one half of the book ought, if possible, to consist of what is commonly called advanced criticism. The literary, political, and religious history, the archazology, geography, and natural history of the Old Testament presented numerous doubtful points, and a searching examination of the basis of received views seemed imperatively called for. Holding that the truest truth was not too good for the best students, and that merely to put forwardf'clearly and learnedly the average opinions of scholars would have been to ensure the propagation of countless errors, I carried on (with all the help that I could get) the work of revising the basis of the existing Old Testament science I seemed to feel that with an expanded point of view, and with new as well as old methods at my command, small indeed would be my merit if I could not discover many fresh facts. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.