PENT A TEUCH

(Yunanca köken — orijinale bakınız.), signifies the five volumes of the books of Moses; viz. Genesis, Exodus, Levitic us, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. 4 1. The book of Genesis (as the term implies) gives an account of the creation of the world and of man; the fall of man; the flood; and the history of the Jewish patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, down to Joseph (1750 B.C.). This book was looked upon with great veneration by the Jews, as comprising the history of their venerable founder Abraham, and his nearest descendants, around whom many of their peculiar customs and laws were intertwined; but it is no le valuable to the Christian world, both from its venerable antiquity, and from its furnishing rich materials for historical, geographical, and antiquarian investigations. It contains, besides, numerous subjects for moral and religious reflections, which are referred to in many other later portions of the Old and New Testament. 2. The book of Exodus (Yunanca köken — orijinale bakınız.), narrates the fortunes of the descendants of Abraham after their migration to Egypt; the birth of Moses, and his endeavours to emancipate the Jewish nation from Egyptian bondage; their escape from Egypt; their journey through the wilderne ; and the delivery of the law to Moses. This book, besides being peculiarly valuable in a religious point of view, po e es also great interest from marking the transition of the Jewish people from the pastoral or nomadic to the agricultural or fixed mode of life. 3. The book of Levitic us (so called from Levi, a priest), consists chiefly of the law and ordinances of the Jewish priesthood, or regulations as to the different kinds of sacrifices to be offered up; the duties of masters towards their slaves; regulations as to marriage, . It is replete with interesting antiquarian matter. 4. The book of Numbers (so called from its giving an account of the numbering of the people), contains besides an enumeration of many civil and ceremonial ordinances; and embraces an historical period of 38 years, chiefly relating to the captivity and the wilderne . 5. The book of Deuteronomy (Yunanca köken — orijinale bakınız.), contains chiefly (as the origin of the term implies) a condensed summary of the laws and ordinances delivered in the three preceding books. There are two ancient and authentic copies of the Pent a teuch:the one written in Samaritan or Phoenician characJews, ters;in the preference other in Chaldean,to the former,wh'ich after was their adopted return by from the Babylon. The differences between the two are represented as not material; but it is imagined that some alterations and additions have been made in the Samaritan text, in order to favour the peculiar prejudices and claims of that people. The Pent a teuch was, down to a recent period, universally attributed01toR Moses; but some German theologians have at- [s. 930]