| If the first opinion is correct, and it seems to be so | | | | temple in the Lord's name. And the throne of his |
| because they are stylistically similar, then it is quite | | | | kingdom God promises to establish forever. Abijah |
| possible that all the other 6 books might have been a | | | | King of Judah and the ancestor of David committed |
| part of Deuteronomy. | | | | all the sins his father had done before him; he was |
| One of the most prominent Kings in the | | | | not as concerned about God as David had been. But |
| Deuteronomist History is Josiah. The son of great | | | | David had done what was right in the eyes of the |
| king David, Josiah himself became a king when he | | | | Lord, so God could not break the promise given to |
| was only 8 years of age. He was very righteous in | | | | Abijah's forefather and still made Israel a strong |
| the eyes of the Lord. After Hilkiah the high priest | | | | kingdom. |
| discovers the Book of Covenant (2 Kings 22:8), | | | | But later despite of God's promise Judah gets |
| Josiah get rids of the household gods, the idols, the | | | | destroyed by the king of Babylon (and the temple |
| mediums and spiritists, pagan priests and temples. He | | | | built by Solomon as well). That happens because of |
| listens to the words of the Book of the Law and | | | | Manasseh who sinned against God including shedding |
| gets very upset: neither he nor his fathers have | | | | innocent blood. God simply could not forgive him for |
| obeyed and acted in accordance with what's written | | | | filling Israel with the blood of innocent (2 Kings |
| in that Book. Josiah tears his robe. God is pleased | | | | 24:2-18, 25:1-26). |
| with that. Although He's still angry, God forgives | | | | Almost forgot to mention Solomon's Covenant with |
| Josiah and promises that his eyes won't see all the | | | | God. Solomon has been the king of Israel for more |
| disaster that He-God will bring on the place. | | | | than forty years, and he built a temple dedicated to |
| Now Josiah actually is one of the best Kings. He can | | | | God. God was very nice to inform Solomon though |
| be compared to Moses only in his holiness. He's great | | | | that in case he or his sons turn away from God and |
| in comparison to Solomon, who messed up his | | | | stop observing his commands and decrees, He shall |
| relationship with God by having too many foreign | | | | then cut Israel off the land given by the Lord, reject |
| wives. He's even greater than David, his father, who | | | | the temple that has been consecrated in His name. |
| also had spoiled Lord's attitude towards him by | | | | Solomon turned out to be an OK king, not as great |
| messing with Uriah the Levite's wife, and later | | | | as David, but still fine, better than some of his |
| sending the soldier to death. Other kings were a | | | | descendents. |
| complete mess. | | | | The author of the Deuteronomst History series could |
| Josiah was the one to start a reform in the | | | | be Jeremiah. His father was a high priest (Hilkiah), one |
| government - centralization of religion. He closed all | | | | of the Moses' descendents (Anathoth priests), and |
| the religious centers around the country and made | | | | among his friends were: Ahikam the son of Josiah's |
| Jerusalem a Mecca for religious tourism. The Book of | | | | secretary and Jeremiahs own secretary Baruch, who |
| the Law thanks to him became a part of Old | | | | served him as a 'typewriter'. So they were quite |
| Testament and a part of the Deuteronomy Book. | | | | close to the king. I could be the king himself, but that |
| Josiah also changed the celebration of the Passover | | | | is the version that is harder to prove. Another |
| tradition. It was celebrated by Samuel in a very | | | | assumption may be, that it was Baruch himself, but it |
| important religious center, Shiloh (priests of Moses - | | | | would be hard to imagine as Jeremiah only could be |
| perhaps they were the actual creators of the Code | | | | the source of information for him. |
| of Law, as it cares about them more than of the | | | | As the original law was destroyed in fire, Ezra had |
| kings; 1 Samuel 1:3-24); by David's family in | | | | performed the duty of a final redactor. He copied the |
| Bethlehem. Deuteronomy says you have to celebrate | | | | remaining stuff down and the rest he claims to have |
| Passover in some special, God chosen place. If God | | | | been dictated to him by the voice from the bush. He |
| hesitates and doesn't choose one on time, then the | | | | claims that God visited him and gave him inspiration |
| holiday can be celebrated in various places. Josiah is | | | | to write it the way it always had been. He rewrote |
| also supposed to be the one who fulfilled a three | | | | the Jewish tradition two centuries after the birth of |
| hundred year old prophecy, so he's a really special | | | | Christ. It's even hard to believe it. He took all the |
| one for the Jews. | | | | different sources and compiled them together. He |
| In 2 Samuel 7:1-17, through Nathan the prophet, God | | | | had no right to miss a single source otherwise the |
| gives David His Promise. He promises to take care of | | | | book could be called not real. |
| David's offspring, help him establish his kingdom, as | | | | He put all the stories together so that the difference |
| David's kid is going to be the one who shall build a | | | | was not seen. |