Now what conclusion can be drawn from all this? There seem to be only two alternatives: either the writer, whoever he was, knew as much about science as we do, or else the knowledge was revealed to him by God. And if we admit a revelation at all, the latter certainly seems the less improbable. And this, it may be added, was the opinion of the great geologist Dana, who said (after carefully considering the subject) that the coincidences between the narrative, and the history of the earth as derived from nature, were such as to imply its Divine origin.[25] We therefore conclude that this account of the creation was _Divinely revealed_. [Footnote 25: Bibliotheca Sacra, April, 1885, p. 224.] CHAPTER IX. THAT ITS ORIGIN WAS CONFIRMED BY MIRACLES. Importance of the Pentateuch, as the only record of the origin of the Jewish Religion. (_A._) ITS EGYPTIAN REFERENCES. These are very strongly in favour of its early date; (1.) In the history of Joseph. (2.) In the history of Moses. (3.) In the laws and addresses. (_B._) ITS LAWS. These are also in favour of its early date: (1.) The subjects dealt with. (2.) Their connection with the history. (3.) Their wording. (_C._) THE THEORY OF A LATE-DATE. There are four chief arguments in favour of this, but they are not at all convincing: (1.) The language of the Pentateuch. (2.) Its composite character. (3.) Its laws being unknown in later times. (4.) The finding of Deuteronomy. (_D._) CONCLUSION. The Pentateuch was probably written, as it claims to be, by Moses; and we must therefore admit the miracles of the Exodus. We pass on now to the _origin_ of the Jewish Religion--that is to say, the events connected with the Exodus from Egypt. And as the only account we have of these is contained in the _Pentateuch_, we must examine this book carefully. Is it a trustworthy, and, on the whole, accurate account of the events which it records? And this depends chiefly on its _date_. Is it a _contemporary_ document, written by, or in the time of, Moses? And modern discoveries have at least shown that it may be so. For Egypt was then in such a civilised state, that it is practically certain that Moses, and the other leaders of Israel, could have written had they chosen. And as they somehow or other brought the people out of Egypt, it is extremely probable that they would have recorded it. But did they, and do we possess this record in the Pentateuch? This is the question we have to decide; and we will first consider the _Egyptian references_ in the Pentateuch, and then its _Laws_, both of which are very strongly in favour of an early date. Then we will see what can be said for the opposite theory, or that of a _late-date_; and lastly, the _conclusion_ to be drawn from admitting its genuineness. (_A._) ITS EGYPTIAN REFERENCES.