books to contain divine doctrines, and to persist in them, and, if

occasion be, willingly to die for them' (Apion, Bk. 1. Par. 8).

Here is the testimony of a man who most evidently expresses his deep

conviction, and not his own only, but that of the national mind as well.  We

draw attention, moreover, to the fact that this man, who would sooner die

than add to, or take away from the sacred Scriptures, declares that the

Hebrew canon consists of twenty-two books only.  Most readers are aware that

the English Old Testament contains thirty-nine books, but this is because the

twelve minor prophets are reckoned separately, and double books like 1 and 2

Chronicles are counted as two.  In the Hebrew canon Ruth is reckoned with

Judges, Nehemiah with Ezra, Lamentations with Jeremiah, and as we have said,

the twelve minor prophets are treated as one.

Some reader may object that The Companion Bible gives in Appendix 1 a

list of twenty-four books of the Old Testament, but this is only true if Ruth

and Lamentations be considered as separate books.  Josephus and others deal

with the books as they were associated together, and the placing of Ruth and

Lamentations with larger books makes the difference.

We would supplement Josephus by one or two other authorities of high

Origen enumerates the books of the Old Testament and says the Hebrew

canonical books number 'two and twenty, according to the number of the

(Hebrew) Alphabet'.

Athanasius says in his synopsis: 'Our whole Scripture is divinely

inspired, and hath books not infinite in number, but finite, and

comprehended in a certain canon.  The canonical books of the Old

Testament are two and twenty, equal in number to the Hebrew letters'.

Cyril Of Jerusalem says, 'Read the divine Scriptures, the two and

twenty books'.

We could quote others, but what has been cited is surely sufficient.

The interested reader will find further confirmation in the writings of

Hilary, Nazianzen, Epiphanius, Rufinus, Gregory the Great, and Jerome.  The

value of this testimony will be better understood when we have reviewed the

canon of the New Testament.

Perhaps it would be well, seeing that we have referred to The Companion

Bible, Appendix 1, to show that the structural arrangement suggested there

remains practically unchanged.  We will, therefore, repeat the Prophets and

the Psalms with the necessary adjustment.

A

The Lord of all the earth, etc.

B

Judges and

Israel forsaking and returning to God.

C

Man's king rejected.

D

Decline and fall under the kings.

D

Final blessing under God's king.

C

Jeremiah and

Human kings rejected.

B

God forsaking Israel and