THE CANON

OF THE

OLD TESTAMENT

Nec temere nec timide

'Canon non uno, quod dicunt, actu ab hominibus, sed paulatim

a Deo, animorum temporumque rectore, productus est'

LOESCHER

OF THE

OLD TESTAMENT

AN ESSAY ON

THE GRADUAL GROWTH AND FORMATION OF

THE HEBREW CANON OF SCRIPTURE

BY

HERBERT EDWARD RYLE, D.D.

HULSEAN PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY

PROFESSORIAL FELLOW OF KING'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
AND EXAMINING CHAPLAIN TO THE LORD BISHOP OF RIPON

Second Edition

London

MACMILLAN AND CO.

AND NEW YORK

1895

[All rights reserved]

Bi 550.4

HARVARD

JUL 10 1895

LIBRARY.

Wacker fund.

Χρὴ μέν τοι Γε τὸν ἅπαξ παραδεξάμενον τοῦ κτίσαντος τὸν κόσμον εἶναι ταύτας τὰς Γραφὰς πεπεῖσθαι, ὅτι ὅσα περὶ τῆς κτίσεως ἀπαντᾷ τοῖς ζητοῦσι τὸν περὶ αὐτῆς λόγον, ταῦτα καὶ περὶ τῶν Γραφών. ORIGEN.

First Edition, 1892 ; Second, 1895.

TO THE

RIGHT REVEREND WILLIAM BOYD CARPENTER

D.D.

LORD BISHOP OF RIPON

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED

IN GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF MUCH

PERSONAL KINDNESS AND SYMPATHY

BY ONE OF HIS CHAPLAINS