The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-25
The Historical Poetry OF the Hebrews.

We have noticed OF late several attempts
TO make known to English readers the results
OF modern biblical criticism. These summaries
OF the work performed during recent years by
Dutch and German scholars reflected n certain
credit on the cOmpilers, attestng as thoy did the
power OF assimilation, and happy gift Of expo
sition. The data and conclusions offered were
obtained. however at second or third hand there
was no pretence Of original research or indie
pendent induction. and therefore such books.
though useful. conferred Of course no distlnc-
ton upon American scholarship. 1t is other
wise with work now published by the Apple
tons. and entitled Tie Historical Poetry Of he
AHcient HeJre,rs translated and critically ex-
amined by MICHAEL HEILPRIN. Vol. |. The
authors pathological requirements are well
known to those who arc competent TO judge Of
them. and he has not seldom been consulted
upon questions touching the history Of the
Semitic races and languages Within this
province he has earned the right to speak as
discoverer and arbiter, and we doubt whether
the opinion OF any English student since the
death OF Emanuel Deutsch, would carry greater
weight in his special field OF inquiry.
The work OF which the present volume Is an
installment. undertakes TO perform for Hebrew
poetry what Mr.. Gladstone with less crcum-
spection and less authority. sought TO do for the
Homerc epics. That not only the formal col
lections Of lyrics in tho so-called Book OF
Psalms. and elsewhere. but also the fragments OF
song and narrative verse imbedded ia the Penta-
touch. and in the writings OF Jewish chronclers.
contain a core. or at all events germ of his
tOrical truth. would be generally admitted But
this fact is made by Mr. Heiprin the subject Of
exhaustive demonstration. ana his second aim
is to detect and precisely define what is this ira
~ xulf Ina tria al
lions are the most ancient, and often the sole
repositories. 1t is plain that such an inquiry
exaots Il thorough acquaintance with tho He
brew tongue through the several stages of its
literary progress, and likewise a knowledge OF
all the extant materials bearing on the
Phpnician mother speech ms well as on the
daughter languages cognate to the Hebrew, and
spoken by tho various peoples dwelling between
the Euphratcs and the Nile The light drawn
from pathological sources would need also to BIO
supplemented by data collected in the several
channels of archaeological research. No doubt
our knowledge Of the ethnic Rilinities and ma
tional evolutions OF the dwclers in Syria dur
ing the epoch between 1000 and GOO b. c. must
ever remain partial and uncertain. But here
and there the student may contrive to hold his
footing and construct something like chain OF
facts throughout the period.
Tho ground covered by the present volume
extends from the fragments of poetcal legend
interwoyen with tho so-called Mosaic records
to the Psalms attributed to David. Tho first
question Of special interest discussed by Mr..
Heprn is the historical value OF the traditions
concerning the Hebrew patrarchs presented
TO us by the author or authors Of " Genesis"
He begins by stating succncty tho views OF
Ewald as well as the arguments which have
caused them TO be rejected by the majority OF
later scholars Ewald had discerned In Abra-
ham. and less clearly in Isaac md Jacob. yeri-
table historical personages Kuenen. on tho
other hand the most distinguished common
tator of the Dutch scnool. denies the authentic
ity Of the accounts of the patriarchs. and
maintains with much acuteness that they are
founded on theory Of tho origin Of nations
which the historical science OF the present
day rejects without hesitation. He points
out that the Hebrews. like the Hellenes
or tho primitive Germans looked upon tribes
! and nations as families. and that the further