SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
[Under this heading we notice such rooks of the week as haw not been reserred for reriew in other forms.] A Short History of the Hebrews. By R. L. Ottley. (Cambridge University Press. 5s.)—Mr. Ottley faces with courage the critical problem as it concerns Old Testament history. To speak generally, he abandons the traditional position. The early narratives of Genesis are didactic legends, the stories of the patriarch's picture a real condition of life; beyond this we cannot go : we have in them broad outlines of early tribal history, cast for the most part in genealogical and personal form. Sometimes he goes, we are disposed to think, too far. He inclines to hold that the doubts about the historic character of Joseph's personality are justified, and suggests the theory that " the tribe of which Joseph. was the representative failed in an attempt to exercise the hegemony over the other tribes ; and that it was forced to take refuge in Egypt, where it presently rose to a position of power, and was ultimately joined by the rest of the Hebrews." Surely the story of Joseph can stand by itself. His career has been paralleled in Egypt, not to speak of other countries, over and over again. On the whole, however, Mr. Ottley's book will be found a sober and cautious effort to accommodate the old and the new. Something of the kind is absolutely necessary, and we are thankful for an honest and devout effort to supply the want The volume, we must add, is made complete by appendimi various special subjects, chronological tables, and soeat
me very useful maps.
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