Jonah as well as Daniel and a multitude of
apocryphal writings (2Maccabees ii. 13) are connected with this
tendency to cast the reflection of the present back into the past;
the Prayer of Manasseh, which now survives only in Greek,
appears, as Ewald has conjectured, actually to have been taken
direct from the book quoted in 2Chronicles xxxiii. 19. Within this
sphere, wherein all Judaism moves, Chronicles also has had its
rise. Thus whether one says Chromcles or Midrash of the Book of
Kings is on the whole a matter of perfect indifference; they are
children of the same mother, and indistinguishable in spirit and
language, while on the other hand the portions which have been
retained verbatim from the canonical Book of Kings at once betray
themselves in both respects.
CHAPTER VII. JUDGES, SAMUEL, AND KINGS.
In the history of Hebrew literature, so full as it is of
unfortunate accidents, one lucky circumstance at least requires
to be specially mentioned. Chronicles did not succeed in
superseding the historical books upon which it was founded; the
older and the newer version have been preserved together.
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