, 1874-08-13

NNaoos ot peoric WHO hcetfnFtsnea tnls la1ouus
waA probably somewhere about $50. 900:
Tie wnuiorina Of tho 1sraelltos in tho wfdor-
nesa probably 1astod at least forty years, as
t!ero H. strong avlde.sce that they Invaded
~ Gahaan between 1280 mud 1860 D. q. During
tho 1srael!tcH gratluaiy paBsod from nonladlo
W @e'stqnary iifo, and acquitted tho calm,
foRatar hnh!sa Of b f,1oh pooplo. They came
into cl0ho ~ intercourse with moro civilized racos
tlsensolyas elevated md improved by tic con-
tact. With tho phmnfclang tLoir rotations
wero generally sfnicabio; bat with tho
rht!stines toy we're often IN state Of
onomy. 1t Ii during thia potiod thnt t!,o royina
sriecs OF israel. Which Ind hithnrto boon at.
gidea by aisoor1 in feeing and lntoroat, collorod
together y, a,, sni formed tho 'ewah nation n tho
tcttfod to o7a .. G.. the nation attat,,ed sts
grontost strength aDa prosperity. Saul oiroctod
t1Ie liberation OF tho tribes from Tho oppression
Of tho rhtIistines, and completed thor union as
and 1nalo It tho Capita! Of tho country; 10 ox-
tended tho limits OF Ills Kingdom. and made H.
racrs nan'o respected by surrounding nalions:
wl,ilo Solomon accumulated riches by ,oxtontling
Capital With nplontlod pnlaccs mud with tLo mag
nldcout temple ot tho Lord. Upon 8o|o.
mon'a death, tho discomfort Of tho
trlnes onlotl II tl,o rentling aauntlor
u HAthSAs kbaiA tts3 tho AlH
doma OF JudaIl mud of Ephlpion. 4 auccousion
ct Kinga viii. varying fortunes ruled ovor tho
divided countreH during the following 178 ycars:
and, mt tho beginning Of tho eighth contury'
3er9boam 91ax'h, H. wa ro!gnng eyer Ephraim, and
With this HkotcA Of tho hatory of Israel boforo
ns VIC aro bottor ablo to trnco the rise and tho
dovelonmont Of tho national religion, for tho
worldly, fortnuo and tho spiritual faith Of poo-
pio aro intimately associated Tho inquiry into
tho religious ideas of tho 1ews docs not for
It begins With tho aojourn Of the lIebrowa IN
Goshen. Evidently tho Semitic tribes. while in
S' Sow' lovei of civilization, aid ''H lad upn cor.
rcHpondlngly low conceptions Of religion. THO
worship OF tho heavenly bo1fos of treoa. and
especially q atones, was common among tllom.
a4atop as ~ dof1 p fG"1 n % a. g.
Mloso ~, name 10 enpoars IN tlio four lottora Il Y
II, which DR.. Kuonon TRANSLATES into tho torn
5ahvol. Religious ritoa wore probably connect
cd with tue 'sorahtp Of ts tribal God III Goahon,
traces which ren1nin In lator days. In both tho
Iraolitish and Egyptian traditions concerning
tho Exodus. Moaos figures 10 prominently a.
priest, prophet, md lawgiTer, that we ran but
with tho assertions Of tho pontatouol,, we may
aRsl,mo that Mosos was tho frat to call tho God
Of 1Brao1 Jahvet, and to teach hia superiority
oyor all othcr Gods; but thoro Is no reason to
supposo that MoBos inculcatoa tho idca OF
monothelan.
OF ths doctrine and The laws embodied In tho
pontateuch, only tho Ten Commandments, or
"Tho Words, as DR.. Kuenen prefcrH 10 call item.
can with any degrec OF probability bo a4cribod to
shall have no other gols boforo my face" means
simply, "nono other| gods before Jahyel,'B
faco," and conveys no idoa Of monotheisn,. Tho
ssson'i r. Of Tho Words forbias image worship; but
this is beloved 70 bayo been romo1dod and en-
1TThn n yprt o4,{1, nj 1.
bsazcn serpent and the goilou calf in tlo wilder
noss ean 10 explained only by tho hypothesis
that tho 16raolltos woro il tho habit of adoring
yar!ous gods. The rite Of circumciaion, the doti-
ication Of tho Arst-born to Jahvol. and tho c11s-
tom OF making occasional human sacrifices, must
also DO referred to tho samo theory Tor their
origsn.. Under Noses influence tho 1Braotou
loarned to recognizo Jallreh as thoir principal
Deity, but not aa their only God.
In tile period Of tho Judges, thore is multi
tulo OF Testimony TINT Tho Israolitos worc Htil1
uolythoists in tAeorT and practice; md that tito
difference hatweon Iahyoh and tho othor Gods
wss not docpIy fo!t BY thcm: There aro tracea
and Astarto, throughout tho records Of the
Judges. There in proof Of aun-worslllp In tho
story OF sanaaon, who was a mythical boing, tho
aun-horo, and therefore tho Representative OF
tho operations md fortunes Of tho a,ln. Ills
"sun" " (Shotnesh). In their intercourse with
neigiboring nations, thoro is no question but
that tho lsrae!itcs often joined In Tho dolatrouB
practices Which thoy found rife among these
strangers. and that they woro alnpiy brought to
Judgment whom thoy forgot tho worship OF
Jallyeh in that Of foreign Gods.
Throughout the age Of David and Solomon,
tho religious condition Of Israel remained about
tho Bnmo; but, IN the following two cel,turioa.
tho difference notwoau Iahveh and tho other 0otlB
began to tawn on tllo lowtsla mind. When this
conception waa onco grasrel, it slowly developed
ieaolf in tue direction OF 4 spiritual monothoism.
Thus wo have tho spectacle presented in tho
eighth century D. g., Of n portion Of tho 1Hrao1-
ties, led by tho prophets, entertaining Il pnro
idoa of tho pure idea Of the nature Of Jahyol,,
and preaeAing tho worship Of him, not With
burnt sacrifices aud With }ip-seryioo, but with
tho spirit and in truth. This conception of
JA.gel., which frat plainly anl undeniebiy exist
Cd IN tho eighth century. as DIR. Kuenon re,nnras.
"becomeH intellgibte only when nc can regard Ii
AZ Tie slowy-ripened fruit Of tho gorm which
was already in ox!stesco In tho Mosaic time, wnB
preserved by q few po1aons during the period Of
tile Judges, began 10 develop itself luxariantly.
under worry favorable cxterna! circumstances, III
the time Of 1sraels unity, oyorca,no tho obsta-
c1cs which wore put III its way in tho tentl. oon-
tury ., G.. aud finally, iu tho ninth century B.
O., attained tho full growth Of which 1t Was
capable, aud for which It WOE destined from The
lirat." L.