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Old Testament Legends
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Old Testament Legends, by M. R. James This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Old Testament Legends being stories out of some of the less-known apochryphal books of the old testament
Author: M. R. James
Release Date: May 21, 2005 [EBook #15874]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS ***
Produced by David Malcolmson
OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS BEING STORIES OUT OF SOME OF THE LESS-KNOWN APOCRYPHAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT BY M. R. JAMES, LITT.D. PROVOST OF KING'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
WITH TEN ILLUSTRATIONS BY H. J. FORD LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO. 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON NEW YORK, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA 1913 All rights reserved
PREFACE
If you read the title-page of this book--a thing which young persons very seldom do--you will see that it (the book) contains stories taken "out of some of the less-known apocryphal books of the Old Testament." You will very possibly not understand what that means; but if you will read this preface--another thing which young persons do even seldomer than they read a title-page--you will find the best explanation that I can give.
I have to begin by talking about the word apocryphal. The newspapers are fond of saying that a statement made by the Prime Minister (or the leader of the Opposition, according to which side in politics the newspaper takes) is apocryphal. By this, the newspaper means to say that the statement was untrue. Or, you will read that someone