JA'SHER, BOOK OF (Heti. sr.nher hau-Mishar, book of the upright, Gk. /3 tAXICI P TOO ceRgin, billion ton euthous, Lat. fiber justorum; the Peshitto (Syriac) version has sepher ashir, book of song or songs). One of the lost books of the Hebrews. It is mentioned twice in the Old Testa ment (Joshua x. 13; II. Sam. i. 18), and the Septuagint makes it probable that the words attributed to Solomon in 1. Kings viii. 13, are quoted from this book. All that can he stated about this lost production is that it was a collection of songs, and that the songs were probably of a national character. The two un doubted extracts preserved—(a) the command of Joshua to the sill) and moon to stand still: (1) the lament over Saul and Jonathan ascribed to David—breathe a spirit which accords with other specimens of early Hebrew poetry. The name 'Book of the Upright' is difficult to under stand. It may have referred to Israel. lint it
is also possible that the title (perhaps to be read 'he sings') really has some con nection with 'song,' as the Peshitto takes it. The 'lost book' naturally attracted forgers, and in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries no less than three different works purporting to be the lost Book of Jasher were produced, and in 1751 another, claiming to have helm trans lated from Hebrew by 'Alenin of Britain.' was brought forth. This excited considerable interest for a time, but eventually it was proved to be a forgery, and was traced to Hive a London printer. It was republished in 1827. The Book of slasher is also the title of a ritualistic treatise by Jacob ben INleir (died 1171). and of several other works of an ethical or legal character writ ten by Jewish scholars.