But in
Judges, Samuel, and Kings even, we are not presented with
tradition purely in its original condition; already it is
overgrown with later accretions. Alongside of an older narrative
a new one has sprung up, formerly independent, and intelligible in
itself, though in many instances of course adapting itself to the
former. More frequently the new forces have not caused the old
root to send forth a new stock, or even so much as a complete
branch; they have only nourished parasitic growths; the
earlier narrative has become clothed with minor and dependent
additions. To vary the metaphor, the whole area of tradition has
finally been uniformly covered with an alluvial deposit by which
the configuration of the surface has been determined. It is with
this last that we have to deal in the first instance; to
ascertain its character, to find out what the active forces were
by which it was produced. Only afterwards are we in a position
to attempt to discern in the earlier underlying formation the
changing spirit of each successive period.
VII.I.
VII.I.1. The following prologue supplies us with the point of view
from which the period of the judges is estimated.
Pages:
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518