Home › J › Jasher (BOOK OF one of the lost books)

Jasher (BOOK OF one of the lost books)

BOOK OF, one of the lost books of the ancient Hebrews, which is quoted twice (Josh. x: 13: II Sam. i: 18). Regarding its character and contents there has been much speculation. Talmudic and later Jewish authorities identified it variously with Genesis (sometimes called "the Book of the Upright"), Deuteronomy, Judges, etc., to all which notions there is the obvious and fatal objection that the two quotations from it which survive are not to be found in any of these books, and could not possibly be found in the first two, as they the Sep native Sta al; aven ry is a tabl 50 born in A Ma he humble Eghtly escens is ts of a with the for and me to the id first ingdom of a mutual JASHPUR refer to incidents which occurred at a subsequent period in the national history.

The The conjecture of the Syriac and Arabic translators has been adopted by Dr.

Herder, and other scholars-viz. that the Book of Jasher was a collection of national ballads, recording the warlike deeds of the national heroes or singing the praises of otherwise celebrated men.

The actual book could not have been earlier than the age of Solomon, especially if a fragment relating to the building of the temple in the Septuagint of I Kings, viii . be from that work.