Chapter IV we examine the question of traces of Greek influence in

the Old Testament and in the Apocrypha.

Further, we have referred to the fact that in the Apocrypha signs of the existence of various thought-tendencies are to be discerned; the attitude of extreme loyalty to the Law was one of these; another was represented by the Apocalyptic Movement. Quite apart from the fact that we have in The Apocalypse of Ezra a remarkable product of the Apocalyptic Movement, which would of itself be sufficient to demand some account of this movement here, there is the further fact that some insight into the religious movements of a period is indispensable to the true understanding of any body of literature belonging to such period. It is for this reason that we have devoted a chapter to the consideration of the Apocalyptic Movement and to a brief survey of the doctrinal teaching of the Apocalyptic Literature; it will be found to be of real interest if the general results of the doctrinal teaching of this literature be compared with that of the books of the Apocrypha, which is more fully dealt with in the last chapter (XII) of the “Prolegomena.”

The thought-tendencies to which reference has been made, and each of which has been embodied in literary form, have a history behind them, dating at least from the time of Ezra; how these developed in Palestine during the four centuries which preceded the advent of Christ is a difficult and intricate, but none the less fascinating, study, and altogether indispensable alike for the understanding of the Apocrypha and of the New Testament. Scribes of different kinds, _Chassidim_, Apocalyptists, Pharisees and Sadducees, how did they come into being? What were their different special mental and religious attitudes? What was their relationship to each other? There are intricate problems involved in such questions, and the study of the Apocrypha brings us face to face with them; that sufficiently explains the reason why Chapters V-VII are devoted to the discussion of them.

With Chapters VIII-X we approach an entirely different side of our subject, namely, the question of the Canon and of uncanonical books generally; this is, of course, of fundamental importance for the study of the Apocrypha, so that no explanation is needed for the reason of these three chapters figuring in the “Prolegomena.” The same is also true of Chapter XI, which deals with the Wisdom Literature, for not only have we two remarkable examples of this literature in the Apocrypha, but it is a literature which, while it begins in the Old Testament, is continued in the Apocrypha, so that it must be treated as a whole; the question of canonical or uncanonical books must not be allowed to interfere here.

The last chapter (XII), on the doctrinal teaching of the Apocrypha, requires no further words here other than to say that the study of this subject is very necessary for following out the development of doctrine from the Old Testament to the New.

This, then, is the explanation and justification for the many discussions in the “Prolegomena” which seem at first sight to lead far away from the main subject in hand. These have, it is true, an interest and an application far beyond that of their relation to the Apocrypha, but that, it may safely be assumed, will not be regarded as a drawback, or as a reason for making the discussion of them here unnecessary.

_PART I_

PROLEGOMENA TO THE APOCRYPHA

THE BOOKS OF THE APOCRYPHA: THEIR ORIGIN, TEACHING AND CONTENTS