JASHER, THE BOOK OF. This book is mentioned by Joshua, and referred to in the following passage: "And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies: is not this written in the book of Jasher?" It is difficult to determine what this book of Jasher, or "the upright," is. St Jerome and the Jews believed it to be Genesis, or some other book of the Pentateuch, in which God had
foretold that he would do wonderful things in favour of his people. Huettius supposes it to have been a book of morality, in which it was said that God would subvert the course of nature in favour of those who put their trust in him. Others pretend that it was public annals, or records, which were styled just, or upright, because they contained a faithful account of the history of the Israelites. Grotius believes that this book was nothing else than a song, composed to celebrate the miracle, and victory therewith connected. This seems the more probable opinion, because the words cited by Joshua as taken from the work, "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou moon in the valley of Ajalon," are such poetical expressions as do not accord with historical memoirs; besides that, in the second book of Samuel (i. 18), mention is made of a book under the same title, on account of a song composed on the death of Saul and Jonathan.