2 Kings 22:8

have found the book of the law.

We are told that Hilkiah made this discovery when they brought the money out of the Lord's house. Tradition has sought to explain this remarkable event, but it is probable that the copy had been hidden at the time of the desecration of the temple by Manasseh, and was now found as the rubbish was removed. Much discussion has arisen concerning the nature of the book found. Skeptics have asserted that Hilkiah was the author of. "pious fraud" and manufactured the book, but, it would have been impossible to palm off such. fraud upon the nation. Even if all other copies had been destroyed during the persecution of Manasseh, many living persons would remember back to that time and in those days, when the memory instead of printed books was relied upon so extensively, large portions would be preserved in the memory. Besides, extensive quotations were made in the psalms and prophets. Adam Clarke insists that the autograph copy of Moses was discovered; Dean Milman holds that it was the book of Deuteronomy, the second law, which he supposes to have been entirely lost. The remarkable effect of the reading upon king Josiah harmonizes with this view. "The duties of the prophetic order, the duties of the king, the necessity of religious and political unity, the prohibition of high places, the extreme severity against high places, the blessings and curses pronounced on disobedience to the Divine precepts, are all peculiar to Deuteronomy, and either applied or were directly applicable to the evils that Josiah was called to reform."-- Stanley. This subject is discussed at length and with great learning under the head of Hilkiah in Smith's Dictionary of the Bible. This holds, for various reasons that we have not space to give, that the roll of the law discovered was Deuteronomy. The writer explains that there were very few copies of sacred books in those days, that the law was taught by public readings, that during the spiritual declension of the preceding reign this book had been entirely neglected, that in the reforms of Josiah attention had not been directed to this book until it was discovered in the temple. There may have been other copies in Judea, but the high priest and king had not met with them until this time. God had directed (Deuteronomy 31:26) that. copy be preserved in the temple. Dr. Smith further insists that the artless simplicity of the whole story proves its truth.

Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

It is not certain that Hilkiah could read. The art of writing was confined to. few professional scribes. Even Jeremiah was constantly attended by "Baruch the scribe."