(I) If the Chronicler’s version of the history was to gain acceptance at all, it was necessary to make the older well-known histories the basis of his work. And indeed he himself no doubt conceived his version not as contradictory of the older narratives but only as a more careful account of the history of Judah, paying adequate attention to the religious affairs in which he was specially interested. Hence, wherever the text of Samuel and Kings was suitable for his purpose he reproduced it exactly¹: an example is 2 Chronicles xviii. 3‒34 = 1 Kings xviii. 4‒35. The historical value of passages which are merely transcriptions must be discussed not here but in their original setting: obviously their value is that which they possess there――neither more nor less. We proceed therefore to consider the _changes_ introduced by the Chronicler in using canonical sources. They are of various kinds: ¹ It must not be assumed that where the text of Chronicles and Samuel‒Kings now coincides, it has done so always. That conclusion is only generally true. Sometimes, it seems, the _original_ text of Chronicles was altered to conform more closely with Kings, and _vice versa_ the present text of Kings is sometimes the result of assimilation to Chronicles Unfortunately the evidence of the extant Greek versions (§ 10) is quite insufficient to tell us how far the present text of Chronicles has been modified by this assimilating tendency, except in the last two chapters of 2 Chronicles where the evidence of the Greek is peculiarly full. It is clear, however, that some by no means unimportant changes have taken place in the course of transmission: see § 10, and the remarks on p. xxii. (i) A great number of _minor_ alterations have been made, conforming the older material to the Chronicler’s point of view. A few instances may be given: 2 Samuel v. 21, “And [the Philistines] left their images there, and David and his men _took them away_” = 1 Chronicles xiv. 12, “And [the Philistines] left their gods there, and David gave commandment, and they were _burned with fire_.” Again, 2 Samuel xxiv. 1, “And the anger of _the Lord_ was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel” = 1 Chronicles xxi. 1, “And _Satan_ stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.” Again, 1 Kings ix. 12, “The cities which Solomon had given him (Huram)” = 2 Chronicles viii. 2, “The cities which Huram had given to Solomon.” Compare further 2 Samuel viii. 18 = 1 Chronicles xviii. 17 (quoted above, p. xli f.); 2 Samuel vi. 12 = 1 Chronicles xiii. 13; 2 Samuel xxiv. 24 = 1 Chronicles xxi. 25.