314 THE YEN. AECHDEACOX POTTER, ON THE INFLUENCE 



Deuteronomy is far more ancient than the time of the author 

 himself." Critics agree that neither the J. nor E. portions of 

 the Hexateuch are later than 750 B.C. ; most are of opinion 

 that one if not all are decidedly earlier. Driver considers that 

 both may he assigned with the greatest probability to the early 

 centuries of the monarchy. 



David reisned about 1000 B.C. Petrie puts the Exodus at 

 1230 B.C. 



As an instance of the higher critical method I may mention here 

 two passages, which show a somewhat late date for some J.E. 

 portions of the Hexateuch. In Genesis xii, 6, Abraham is said 

 to have passed through the land when he came out of Haran 

 unto the place of Sichem ; and it is added, " the Canaanite was 

 then in the land." So this passage must have been written 

 after the Canaanite had ceased to be in the land. Genesis xiii, 7, 

 speaks of a strife between Abraham's and Lot's herdmen, adding, 

 " that the Canaanite and Perizzite dwelled then in the land." 

 And in Genesis xl, 15, Joseph in Egypt says to the butler and 

 baker of Pharaoh, whose dreams he interpreted, Eor indeed 

 1 was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews." Shechem 

 could hardly have been called by this name in Joseph's time. 



I have dwelt on this critical question only so that we might 

 be able to frame some conception to oiu- minds, taking the theory 

 of the Higher Critics as a working hypothesis (and certainly 

 the evidence they produce is extraordinarily convincing), of the 

 periods and modes by which the Babylonian ideas permeated 

 the Hebrew literature. And to make that more clear 1 now 

 propose to examine the question as to which of these sources 

 (P., Deuteronomy, J.,E., or J.E.) contain the greater resemblances 

 to Babylonian writings, so as to guide us in guessing in what 

 way they became appropriated. 



In the Priest's Code we find in Genesis i, 2, the word Tehom, 

 the deep, corresponding to the Tiamat of the Babylonian 

 account. In chapter ii, 2, etc., we read, '•' God rested on the 

 .seventh day, and God blessed the seventh day because he had 

 rested on it." A great part of the story of the flood is also in 

 P. ; the story of making the ark, of bringing in every living 

 thing, two of every sort — that the rain began in the second month, 

 on the seventeenth day of the month ; that it continued on the 

 earth one hundred and fifty days (the fort}^ days of chapter vii, 

 17. not being a part of P.) — the going out of the ark — the 

 placing of the bow in the cloud. 



The Jehovah portion of Genesis contains the second account 

 of the creation, beginning chapter ii, 4, in which man is said to 



