The Book Of Jasher
1840 edition reprint
Highly popular O.T. companion!
Author: Unknown
Jasher is referred to in Joshua
and second Samuel. Its Name in Hebrew literally
means "the upright" or "book
of record", and not the name of a prophet
or one of the judges of Israel, as has been
mistakenly understood by some who are unfamiliar
with the Hebrew language.
Regarding the authenticity
of the book, in his preface the translator says
the following:
The printed Hebrew copy, in the hands
of the translator, is without points. During
his first perusal of it, some perplexities and
doubts rose up in his mind respecting its authenticity;
but the more closely he studied it, the more
its irresistable evidence satisfied him, that
it contained a treasure of information concerning
those earlier times, upon which the history
of other nations are either silent, or cast
not a single ray of real life; and he was more
especially delighted to find that the evidence
of the whole of its contents went to illustrate
and confirm the great and inestimable truths
which are recorded in divine history, down to
a few years later than the death of Joshua,
at which period the book closes.
The most important value of this
book is the large quantity of additional detail
it gives to various accounts in the Old Testament
than our current translations. For instance,
the translator states in his preface:
This book contains
a more detailed account of the awful circumstances
attending the commencement of the flood, and
of the conduct of Noah toward the terrified
multitude who had assembled about the ark, when
the fatal moment had arrived, and their doom
was irrevocably fixed.
. . . Connected with
this period of the history is given an account
of Nimrod; in which is strikingly depicted the
arbitrary and violent character and conduct
of his government. . . .
. . . From this book
we learn that Noah and Abraham were contemporaries.
How beautiul the contemplation of the meeting
between these two Patriarchs, the one being
a monument of God's mercy, the other having
the promise of the favor and grace of God, not
only to himself, but to his seed after him.
. . . The history of
Joseph has always been considered one of the
most admirable and interesting on record. .
. . This history, in Jasher, enters more into
detail concerning the affairs of Pontiphar's
wife Zelicah; Joseph's magnificent procession
through the cities of Egypt, on coming into
power; the pomp with which he was attended by
Pharaoh's chariots, officers and people, when
he went up to meet his father; the affecting
scene which then took place, together with other
remarkable incidents. . . .
Following the preface of the book
are certificates of endorsement from four noted
religious scholars of the day, their statements
all dated in April 1840, the year it was first
published, each one giving his endorsement to
the correctness and reliability of the translation.
Paperback
255 pages
