Reference was made in the previous chapter to certain errone-
ous methods of studying the Old Testament. These methods
were criticized chiefly on the ground that they reveal only sub-
jective interpretations with reference to the meaning of the liter-
ature. They tell us what an individual may wish to believe con-
cerning the text or what it is that he desires to find in relation to
it. They do not reveal objective truth concerning the writings,
since their findings are not open to verification by others who
may wish to approach the same problems from a different point
of view.

What is needed is some method of study that will reveal
what the author of any given passage meant by it at the time
when it was first written. This is far more important than the
interpretations which have been given to it by subsequent writers.
In order to achieve this purpose it is necessary to establish facts
and to draw conclusions which are warranted by them. The
objective character of the results obtained can be tested by com-
parison with the work of others. In other words, if this method
is used correctly it will permit the same kind of verification that
we have in other fields of scientific inquiry.

The development and use of an objective procedure for study-
ing the Old Testament is what has often been known as the
method of higher criticism. Other names for the same process
include such terms as the historical method, the scientific method,
and the scholar's method. Regardless of the name which may
be used to designate this type of investigation, the purpose of the
method can be stated briefly and with clarity. It is to determine
by means of the most reliable information that is available, the

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