In his account of the miracle of Joshua causing the sun to stand still, the writer appeals to the book of Jasher in support of his statement:
“Is not this written in the book of Jasher?” (x, 13.)
This could not have been written until after the book of Jasher was written or compiled. When was Jasher written? We do not know, but in his history of David the author of Samuel thus refers to it: “He [David] bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jasher” (2 Sam. i, 18). This proves that the book of Jasher was not written before the time of David. If the book of Joshua was not written until after the book of Jasher was written, then it could not have been written until the time of David or later.
The book of Joshua consists of two parts. The first, which originally formed a part of, or sequel to, Deuteronomy, was probably written before the Captivity; the latter part was written after the captivity—900 years after the time of Joshua.
Judges.
The authorship of this book has been ascribed to Samuel. In disproof of this I quote the following:
“Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem and taken it” (i, 8).
Jerusalem was taken by Judah 1048 B.C.; Samuel died 1060 B.C., twelve years before it was taken.
“In those days there was no king in Israel” (xviii, 1; xix, 1; xxi, 25).