He says that Noah could as easily have restored in spirit the book of Enoch, destroyed by the Deluge, as Esdras could have restored the Scriptures lost during the Captivity.

+(Theos) hen te hepi Nabouchodonosor aichmalosia tou laou, diaphthareison ton graphon ... henepneuse Esdra to ierei hek tes phyles Leui tous ton progegonoton propheton pantas hanataxasthai logous, kai hapokatastesai to lao ten dia Moyseos nomothesian.+[231] He alleges this to prove that it is not incredible that the Seventy may have explained the holy Scriptures with that uniformity which we admire in them.  And he took that from Saint Irenaeus.[232]

Saint Hilary, in his preface to the Psalms, says that Esdras arranged the Psalms in order.

The origin of this tradition comes from the 14th chapter of the fourth book of Esdras. Deus glorificatus est, et Scripturae vere divinae creditae sunt, omnibus eandem et eisdem verbis et eisdem nominibus recitantibus ab initio usque ad finem, uti et praesentes gentes cognoscerent quoniam per inspirationem Dei interpretatae sunt Scripturae, et non esset mirabile Deum hoc in eis operatum:  quando in ea captivitate populi quae facta est a Nabuchodonosor, corruptis scripturis et post 70 annos Judaeis descendentibus in regionem suam, et post deinde temporibus Artaxerxis Persarum regis, inspiravit Esdrae sacerdoti tribus Levi praeteritorum prophetarum omnes rememorare sermones, et restituere populo eam legem quae data est per Moysen.

632

Against the story in Esdras, 2 Maccab. ii;—­Josephus, Antiquities, II, i—­Cyrus took occasion from the prophecy of Isaiah to release the people.  The Jews held their property in peace under Cyrus in Babylon; hence they could well have the Law.

Josephus, in the whole history of Esdras, does not say one word about this restoration.—­2 Kings xvii, 27.

633

If the story in Esdras[233] is credible, then it must be believed that the Scripture is Holy Scripture; for this story is based only on the authority of those who assert that of the Seventy, which shows that the Scripture is holy.

Therefore if this account be true, we have what we want therein; if not, we have it elsewhere.  And thus those who would ruin the truth of our religion, founded on Moses, establish it by the same authority by which they attack it.  So by this providence it still exists.

634

Chronology of Rabbinism. (The citations of pages are from the book Pugio.)

Page 27.  R. Hakadosch (anno 200), author of the Mischna, or vocal law, or second law.

Commentaries on the Mischna (anno 340):  {The one Siphra. Barajetot. Talmud Hierosol. Tosiphtot.}

Bereschit Rabah, by R. Osaiah Rabah, commentary on the Mischna.

Bereschit Rabah, Bar Naconi, are subtle and pleasant discourses, historical and theological.  This same author wrote the books called Rabot.