aside, "the book" should have been removed and hid den by pious hands, and so for a time have

become lost, can as little surprise us as its finding during the thorough repairs of the Temple.*

* How far the imagination of even the ablest critics can mislead them, appears from the account

which Ewald gives (u.s., pp. 734, 735, 753, 754) of the origin of Deuteronomy. "To all appearance

it was written in Egypt" by a fugitive from Judah in the time of Manasseh. "Slowly, and as it were,

accidentally, the book spread into Palestine," where a copy of it "accidentally" got into the Temple

"through some priest." In this fashion any kind of history might be constructed to suit the views of

any school of "critics."

And whatever the compass of this special book, the whole context shows, on the one hand, that it

implies the embodiment of the Mosaic law in the Pentateuch, and, on the other, that the existence

of that law was generally known and universally admitted as primitive, derived from the great

Lawgiver himself, valid, and Divine.

We can now understand how, on hearing "the words of the Book of the Law," the king had "rent

his clothes" and "sent to inquire of the LORD" both concerning himself. and his people. For such

breach of the covenant and the law, as he now knew Israel to have been guilty of, must involve

s ignal judgment. In the execution of the king's behest, they whom he sent, including the high-

priest, addressed themselves to Huldah, "the prophetess," the wife of Shallum, "the keeper of the

wardrobe,"* who "dwelt in Jerusalem, in the second town."** This part of the city is also

designated*** "the mortar" (Zephaniah 1:10, 11) - in the first place, probably, from its shape,

being in the hollow of the valley, and surrounded by rising ground.

* It is impossible to say whether it was the royal wardrobe, or that of the Temple - or, indeed, any

** So we render the word "Mishneh," rather than "the second quarter."

*** Comp. Riehm's Hand-Worterb. 1., p. 685.

It probably formed the first addition to the old city which the increase of the population must have

rendered necessary even in the time of Solomon.*

* It is generally supposed that the number of the inhabitants of Jerusalem before the exile never

greatly exceeded that at the time of Solomon.

It occupied the upper part of the Tyropoeon valley west of the Temple area, and north of "the

middle city," and was the great business quarter, containing the markets, the bazaars, and homes of

the industrial population. This may imply a comparatively humble outward position of "the

prophetess." Why a Jeremiah or a Zephaniah should not have been sought - whether they were not

in Jerusalem or from other reasons it is impossible to conjecture. But that such a deputation should

have unhesitatingly addressed itself at such a crisis and in a matter so important to a woman, not

only indicates the exceptional position which Huldah occupied in general opinion* - by the side of

and even above the two other Old Testament prophetesses,** Miriam (Exodus 15:20) and

Deborah (Judges 4:4) - but also casts light on the spiritual relations under the Old Testament, and

on the religious conditions of the time.

* According to the Talmud (Meg. 14b), she was descended from Joshua and Rahab. She is blamed

for pride in saying, "Say to the man," when sending her answer to the king. It is suggested that she

was resorted to because women are more lenient in judgment than men. But Jeremiah (whose

relative she was) was at the time absent, seeking to bring back the ten tribes. Other traditions need

scarcely find a place here.