The next argument is that the Pentateuch seems to have had _several authors_; since the same words, or groups of words, occur in different passages all through the book. And this, combined with slight variations of style, and other peculiarities, have led some critics to split up the book into a number of different writings, which they assign to a number of unknown writers from the ninth century B.C. onwards. For instance, to take a passage where only three writers are supposed to be involved, Exod. 7. 14-25. These twelve verses seem to the ordinary reader a straightforward narrative, but they have been thus split up.[69] Verses 19, 22, and parts of 20, 21, are assigned to P, the supposed writer of the Priestly Code of Laws; v. 24 and parts of 17, 20, 21, to E; and the remainder to J; the two latter writers being thus named from their generally speaking of the Deity as _Elohim_ and _Jehovah_ (translated _God_, and _Lord_) respectively. [Footnote 69: Driver's Introduction to Literature of Old Testament, sixth edition, 1897, p. 24. A slightly different division is given in his Exodus, 1911, p. 59.] Fortunately, we need not discuss the minute and complicated arguments on which all this rests, for the idea of any writings being so hopelessly mixed together is most improbable. While it has been shown in recent years to be very doubtful whether these names, _Elohim_ and _Jehovah_, occurred in the original Hebrew, in the same places as they do now.[70] And if they did _not_, the theory loses one of its chief supports. [Footnote 70: The Name of God in The Pentateuch by Troelstra; translated by McClure, 1912] And in any case there are at least four plain and simple arguments against it. The first is that the _Egyptian references_, to which we have already alluded extend to all the parts J, E, and P; as well as to Deuteronomy, which these critics assign to yet another author D. They are thus like an Egyptian _water-mark_ running all through the Pentateuch. And while it is difficult enough to believe that even one writer in Canaan should have possessed this intimate knowledge of Egypt, it is far more difficult to believe that _four_ should have done so. The second is that all the writers must have been equally _dishonest_, for they all contain passages, which they assert were written by Moses (see further on). And here again it is hard to believe, that even one writer (leave alone four) should have been so utterly unscrupulous. The third is that the curious custom of God speaking of Himself in the _plural_ number, which would be strange in any case, and is especially so considering the strong Monotheism of the Jews, is also common to both J and P.[71] And so is the puzzling statement that it was God Himself Who hardened Pharaoh's heart, which is also found in E.[72] [Footnote 71: Gen. 1. 26 (P): 3. 22 (J).] [Footnote 72: Exod. 4. 21 (E): 7. 3 (P.): 10. 1 (J).]