The oldest writings are now included as parts of historical narratives that did not reach their final form until a relatively late date. Many of them can be located with a fair degree of accuracy in the books of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. Other early fragments are found in Joshua, Judges, and those portions of the Old Testament that deal with the early history of the Hebrew nation. Some of these writings are as old as the conquest of Canaan, and some even older than that. Not all of the early literature of the Hebrews has been preserved in the Old Testament — for example, the Book of the Wars of Yahweh, the Book of Yashur the Upright, the Book of the Acts of Solomon, the "Royal Annals," and the "Temple Annals" — but we know of their existence because of Old Testament references to them. In several instances, extracts have been taken from them and included in other Old Testament writings.
An exhaustive account of these early writings cannot be attempted here, but their general character is indicated by the following examples. Poems were written in commemoration of significant events. For example, "The Song of Deborah," recorded in Judges 5, was written in celebration of a victory over the Canaanites. "The Fable of the Trees," found in Judges 9, discusses the abortive attempt of Abimelech to become king over Israel. "The Blessing of Jacob," part of Genesis 49, recalls Jacob's last meeting with his sons. "The Oracles of Balaam," recorded in Numbers 23 and 24, describe an experience that occurred during the wilderness march. "David's Lament," which commemorates the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, is found in 2 Samuel 1:19–27, and a song celebrating a victory over the Amorites is recorded in Numbers 21:27–30. One of the oldest of these poems is Lamech's "Song of Revenge," found in Genesis 4:23–24. Miriam's "Song of Deliverance," in Exodus 15:21, may be as old as the time of Moses.
