EXTRACTS FROM THE ESSAY ON THE PROBABLE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK OF JOB. "THE Book of Job," says Mr. Pope, (Odyssey, book xvi. last note) "with regard both to sublimity of thought and morality, exceeds beyond comparison the most noble part of Homer. It also evidences the author to have been a man that knew well to suit his ornament to the occasion, and we find he seldom employs a figurative style where the incident or passion is capable of supporting itself, and reserves the boldest images and illustrations for more urgent cases.' It is a book undoubtedly of great antiquity, and by most learned men attributed to the pen of Moses. That Moses was the compiler or part author appears to me beyond a doubt, as will be seen more fully in the following pages. From its internal features-from the ideas and sentiments exhibited, and (2.) from genealogical calculations, the date of this poem must evidently fall between the going down of the Israelites into Egypt and the Exode. The whole character of the book is patriarchal, and not the slightest allusion will be found in it to the Mosaical dispensation. - With regard the period: we read of certain persons friends of Job, who came to visit him in his calamity: from some of these parties we are enabled to draw a pretty good idea of their kindred, and of the periods in which they lived, and consequently of the period of Job's affliction. In ch. ii. we read, "when Job's three friends heard of this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite," &c. and in ch. xxxii. 2, we read, "then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram.” I will draw out the genealogies of the oldest and youngest of these parties, and endeavour to synchronise their times. GENEALOGY OF ELIPHAZ THE TEMANITE, ELDEST SON OF ESAU. Esau x Adah, daughter of Elim, or Ephron the Hittite. Eliphaz. Duke Teman, Duke Omar, Duke Zepho, Duke Kenaz. GENEALOGY OF Elihu, father OF BARACHEL, SON OF RAM. Nahorx Milcah. Huz, Buz, Kemuel, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jedlap, Bethuel. From Esau's genealogy there can be no doubt, I think, of this Eliphaz, mentioned in Job, being Esau's son, as here described - "Eliphaz the Temanite," and whose eldest son Duke Teman appears to be named from the clan or township of his inheritance. Again in Job, ch. xii., we read, "No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you;" and we know the Edomites were accounted a peculiarly wise and prudent people. "Concerning Edom, thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished?" (Jeremiah xlix. 7.). Thirdly, we may advance as proof, the words of Barachel, Job, xxxii. 21. "Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give pleasing titles," which evidently shows that persons of rank and distinction were present. Exodus xv. 15., "Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed." These three friends were also VERY AGED, for Elihu says, "I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not show my opinion,” xxxii. 6. "With us are both the greyheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father," xv. 10. In what time, then, did Eliphaz live? He was the eldest son of Esau, who was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham. Call of Abraham, B. c. 1921., 100 years old at the birth of Isaac, B. c. 1896., Abraham x Sarah. Isaac x Rebekah. who lived 180 years, and was 60 yrs. of age at the birth of (1836) Esau+Jacob. Now Abraham lived 175 years, Isaac lived 180 years; Esau and Jacob lived about 15 years with their grandfather Abraham, and 120 years with their father. Again, we read, Esau (Gen. xxvi. 34.) was 40 years of age when he married Adah the mother of Eliphaz: Eliphaz, in all human probability, might be near 80 years old at the death of Isaac, which happened 10 years BEFORE the going down of Jacob and his family into Egypt, B.C. 1706. In a few words, we may conclude that Eliphaz the Temanite being AN OLD MAN at the time of Job's calamity, considering the modified ages of those days and considering also that from the going down of Jacob and his family to the Exode was only 115 years, the date of the poem, or rather the event which it commemorates, must be placed about half way between the "going into Egypt and the Exode; say, in round numbers, 100 years before the Exode. Eliphaz might then be about 160 years of age. We may consider the youngest character Elihu ; and looking at the pedigrees, we find that Aram and Rebekah were first cousins, so that this Elihu, in all probability, was the great-grandson of Aram or Ram, which would make him a young man when Eliphaz was an old man: we have here, at all events, no discrepancy nor anachronism, and considering ALSO the family connexions, we may admit this as a presumptive proof towards establishing our premises. Bildad the Shuhite appears to have been a descendant of Abraham by his wife Keturah, whose eldest son was Shuah (Gen. xxv. 2.); and we find in verse 6., that Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines, and sent them eastward, unto the east country. See also Gen. xxxviii. Zophar, probably a descendant of Esau by Ruel, son of Bashemath the Ishmaelite (Naamathite). Such being the case, we have quite a family meeting-an Idumean Arab, in Eliphaz son of Esau,--another descendant of Abraham in Bildad; and of Zophar we may draw a fair conclusion; and lastly, we have Elihu of the family of Nahor, Abraham's brother. And Job, who was he? Was he a real person or fictitious? That such a person existed, there cannot be a doubt. Ezek. xiv. 14. : 66 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own souls; and as there can be no doubt of Daniel or David having existed, so, by parity of reasoning, Job must have been a real person. St. James, v. ii. makes mention of Job: "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy." The very first verse of the Book, in the Hebrew, is so peculiarly expressive and individual, that must strike the Hebrew scholar at once of the real existence of such a character; and lastly, we might argue from circumstances and features in the poem itself to the reality. Who was Job? is a question more easily asked than answered. Arguing negatively, we may conclude he was not an Ïdumean Arab, or of the family of Esau; for Job says, "No doubt, ye are the people, &c.," from which it is quite clear he belonged not to that stock. He was not descended from Abraham, as Bildad the Shuhite was present. He was not an Ishmaelite Arab, since we find he speaks of them, not as kinsmen (ch. vi. 19.), but, we may rather collect, as enemies, "whose hand should be against every man, and every man's hand against him." Gen. xxi. 20; “and he (Ishmael) dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer," Gen. xvi. "He shall be a wild man," "ferus tam onager," (*) translates Bochart; and Job seems to speak against such a people in several passages, xxiv. "Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for the prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children” (et passim). The character, too, which the learned historian has drawn of Job, forbids us to rank him among such a wild and barbarous people. Moreover (which is a point worthy of notice), had Job been of the line of |