SECTION C OLD TESTAMENT 



(Hall 4, September 22, 10 a. m.) 



CHAIRMAN: PROFESSOR AUGUSTUS S. CURRIER, McCormick Theological Semi- 

 nary. 



SPEAKERS: PROFESSOR JAMES F. McCuRDY, University College of Toronto. 

 PROFESSOR KARL BUDDE, University of Marburg. 



SECRETARY: PROFESSOR JAMES A. KELSO, Western Theological Seminary, 

 Allegheny, Pa. 



OLD TESTAMENT SCIENCE 



BY JAMES FREDERICK M'CURDY 



[James Frederick McCurdy, Professor of Semitic Languages, University College, 

 Toronto, Canada, b. Chatham, New Brunswick, 1847. B.A. University of New 

 Brunswick; Gottingen and Leipzig, 1882-84; Princeton Theological Seminary, 

 1868-72. Instructor in Oriental Languages, ibid. 1873-82; Lecturer in Oriental 



Languages, University College, Toronto, 1886-88; Professor, ibid. 1888 . 



Member Deutsche Morgenlandische Gesellschaft, Vorderasiatische Gesellschaft. 

 Author of Aryo-Semitic Speech; History, Prophecy, and the Monuments; Life of 

 D. J. Macdonnell.] 



THE designation of this paper permits a fairly wide choice in the 

 mode of treatment. The end which I shall here keep in view is to 

 indicate the place occupied by the Old Testament in the domain of 

 the related sciences. The subject must be dealt with broadly and 

 comprehensively, while the method of treatment should be as prac- 

 tical as possible. We should consider the most important aspects of 

 the Old Testament as it bears upon themes which permanently inter- 

 est the thinking world. From this point of view it seems well to keep 

 out of sight the methods and even many of the important results of 

 Old Testament research, and to confine ourselves to what is of most 

 significance for modern life. At the same time the field of inquiry 

 must also be limited. A comparison with some aspects of the New 

 Testament will be made incidentally. But it will perhaps be most 

 profitable within our present limits to choose the three outstanding 

 references and deal with the relations of our science to history, to 

 literature, and to sociology and morals. 



A preliminary question at once suggests itself, Do w r e know the 

 Old Testament well enough to justify any reasonable attempt to bring 

 it into relation with modern thought and life? The answer must be, 

 that we do not yet know it thoroughly, but we are constantly getting 



