The Pentateuch and Book of Joshua Critically Examined [1870]

by John William Colenso

Originally published in 1870. This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies. All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume.

448 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2013

About the author

John William Colenso (1814–1883) was a British mathematician, theologian, Biblical scholar and social activist, who was the first Church of England Bishop of Natal. He was the father of Frances E. Colenso

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

First the cons: The quality of the transcription was horrible, with at least a dozen errors per page. The first 25% of the book contains the author's explanations for writing it and numerous disclaimers that in spite of the truth of what he found, he still retains a kind of belief. That part was very repetitive.

The pros: The author examines the historicity of the Pentateuch and Joshua with great practicality. He concentrates on the numbers of the people and animals that came out of Egypt during Exodus, giving detailed reasons for his conclusions. He then covers the sacrificial system, again concentrating on the numbers of animals and people involved and the practical concerns. Near the end, he examines the numbers of Israelites involved in the conquest of Canaan. All of these he compares to his modern reality.

"One has great faith in the mere inertia of religious belief."- John William Colenso.