openly, that the worthy and unworthy may read them.  The historic truth underlying this fabulous revelation seems to be the revision of the canon of the Old Testament by Ezra and his associates.  Chap. 15, No. 17.  It is agreed that this book is the production of a Jew, but the date of its composition is a disputed point.  Some assign it to the first century after Christ; others to the century preceding our Lord’s advent, but with interpolations that manifestly belong to the Christian era.

II.  TOBIT.

8.  The book of Tobit contains a narrative of the piety, misfortunes, and final prosperity of Tobit, an Israelite of the tribe of Naphtali, who was among the captives brought to Assyria by Enemessar (Shalmaneser) king of Assyria.  With Enemessar he was in favor, became his purveyor, and was able to deposit ten talents of silver with Gabael at Rages, a city of Media.  But Sennacherib, the successor of Enemessar, persecuted him, especially for his pious care in burying the bodies of his Jewish brethren whom that king had slain, and he was obliged to flee with his wife Anna and his son Tobias, leaving all his goods as plunder to the Assyrian king.  Under Sarchedonus (Esarhaddon) he returned again to his home, but soon a new misfortune overtook him.  As he lay one night by the wall of his courtyard, being unclean from the burial of a Jew whom his son had found strangled in the market-place, “the sparrows muted warm dung” into his eyes, which deprived him of sight.  Wishing now to send his son Tobias for the ten talents of silver deposited with Gabael at Rages in Media, he directs him to seek a guide for the way; when the angel Raphael offers himself under the name of Azarias the son of Ananias the great, one of Tobit’s brethren.  As the angel and Tobias journey together, they come one evening to the river Tigris.  As the young man goes down to the river to bathe, a fish assaults him; but by the angel’s direction he seizes him, drags him on shore, and takes for future use his heart, liver, and gall.  On their way to Rages they come to Ecbatane, a city of Media, where resides Raguel, the cousin of Tobias, whose only daughter, Sara, has lost seven husbands on the night of their marriage, through the power of Asmodeus, an evil spirit.  Tobias being her nearest surviving kinsman, marries her according to the law of Moses.  By the angel’s direction, upon entering the marriage-chamber, he lays the heart and liver of the fish upon embers.  The evil spirit, at the smell of the smoke, flees away into the utmost parts of Egypt, where the angel binds him.  The angel goes to Rages and brings the ten talents and Gabael himself to the wedding feast; the wedded pair return in safety to Tobit with the silver, and also the half of Raguel’s goods, which Sara receives as her wedding portion.  Finally Tobias, by the angel’s direction, anoints his father’s eyes with the gall of the fish; whereupon he recovers his sight, and lives in honor and prosperity to a good old age.  Such is a brief outline of the story, which is told in an interesting and attractive style.  How much historic truth lies at its foundation, it is impossible to determine.  The introduction of the angelic guide may well be regarded as a mythical embellishment.