From the books of the Old Testament something may be learned as to the manner in which the original parchments of the sacred books were preserved previous to the days of Ezra, extending as far back even as to Moses himself--1451 B. C. and some of the passages that I shall notice--belonging to a subsequent period to Moses, yet previous to the days of Ezra--refer to a collection of sacred books that leave small doubt that the books of Moses and other sacred writings were the ones to which allusion is made. We are told that after Moses wrote the Law, he delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, with a commandment to put it in the side of the Ark of the Covenant,[G] that it might be there for a witness against Israel, whom Moses by the spirit of prophecy, foresaw would turn away from God. [Footnote G: Deut. xxxi: 9, 24, 25, 26.] In laying down the duties of the future King of Israel, Moses says: "And it shall be when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests, the Levites"[H]--showing that it was the intention of Moses to have the Law always preserved by the priests. When Joshua had completed the book that bears his name, it is said: "And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the Law of God";[I] which was doubtless the book which Moses had placed in the Ark of the Covenant in care of the priests. [Footnote H: Deut. xvii: 18.] [Footnote I: Joshua xxiv, 26.] When the form of government of Israel was changed into a monarchy, Samuel explained the character of the new kingdom to the people, "and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord."[J] This was three hundred and fifty years after Moses, and yet the practice of laying up these important records before the Lord, as Moses had done with his books, still prevailed; and I doubt not were placed side by side with the books of Moses and Joshua, if not attached to them. [Footnote J: I. Sam. x: 25.] Four centuries and a half later than Samuel, bringing us to about 640 B. C., in the reign of good king Josiah, Hilkiah, the high priest, when the temple was undergoing some repairs, found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord,[K] and sent it to the king, who read it; and when he saw how far Israel had departed from the observance of it, and the judgments pronounced against them on condition of their forsaking the law, he sought to lead his people to repentance. [Footnote K: II. Kings xxii--see the whole chapter.]