New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-03
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
RABBI JOSHUA.
HABBI JOSHUA. An Eastern story l-iho' PS' AA~'
~'@,N g9o Horny Holt d Co

very;nt has been greeted by some OF the Loh"on
critical Journals with compliments when IL Is e~ei
IN acconut for than 10 justify krepeats an stei"pt
made with nnch greater skill by Strauss roman ana
rtber writer's Of note, 70 RECONSTRUCT inc hio VI
C,;.t IN conformity with modern rationalistic ten
denotes. Admitting the existence OF Jesus as i ici
h,s.nrical perseuaee il essays 20 free the narrative
Of his career from all supernatural incidents ana
even from any deep religious significance anu ="
teI II in slch way that the reader shall ma III II
"no.hino which would appear extraordinary OF iii-
,oss;ble II the events were supposed to nave nap
nened in our own times, SO long as the scene was i
not In Europe but in Asia" Inc "u'n'i
,rofesses 10 believe that when shorh OF inc iu',n'
conoeits of the original Hebrew chronicle" 'hiS
"lovipc passionate and devoted life" WILL ma an
.ttepti We audience. We are not aware that inc
sacred story needs any snch aid to popularity anu
we certainly cannot admit that u has eainou Ia
beauty pathos or impresSvenrss by the r'thsusun"
zion a. which IL has here been submitted. Inc
method of the book is entirely uhoil'l'"'
Rsodnning the biography with set puf-
,osa M tell 1t in a certain way tne
rr,er discaris authorities and replaces them WIN
.,,nnoSitions whenever such q course Is requisite
to the snecess of his scheme. In both cases his az
ton Ia arbitrary. Whether he accepts rejects or sup
noses lac does so without valid reason and ~ltoutre
card TO the latest results Of Biblical scholarship
The hardest knots OF controversy are cut win one
stroke of the pen. For example, the question Oh
the chronological order OF the 1our g"sPes
has long engaged the study OF the ""i'S'
commentators, and remains apparently i'''i"
NJ. hnt Tho author of rabbi Joshua remarks
flat the account of st. Mark has erde"fy served
as the basis of the other accounts" without Inning
that there has ever been dispute on the subject.
This illustrates one of the worst characteristics oil
his ,etbo1-a dogmatism which places the gratui-
TONS assumption of the writer upon the same Level
with ascertained truths, and deceives the un"aiy
reader by prepense confusing of gucsses' CLOSES
and historical facts. The narrative OF Marx mas
6een taken "a the basis Of the story
of Rabbi Joshua, not because it rests upon
any better authority than the OTHER Cos
peIs but because from its brevity and It's omission
of many miraculous and otherwise troublesome III
cident il is the easiest to force into conformity with
the railroads.&c. interpretation But even the 'e'u-
mony of Mark is not accepted in full; he is accused
of Ignorance and credulity," and our author en-
beavers 10 discount his idiosvncrasies"
.Jeshna is the Hebrew form of the name Jesus.
Other familiar appelatons likewise are changed
for less known equivalents. John becomes Hanan
and the Evangelists all disguised besides being
contemptuously criticised. One gospel " breaihes
the spirit Of the narrow Pharsaic sect OF Sbanl-
mai and this means Matthew. Another INTRO
dpcing "latitudiuarian views' "is often at
trihuted 10 Rabbi Saul, pupil of Gamahei
md this refers to Luke, who was ST. Pauls inlme-
diate disciple and companion. A Thru was written
by an Alexandrine jew Johnh given TO Cabahs-
tic lore and Egyptian mysticism" The Gospel OF
Mark is called short and suceinct account OF the
life Of Rabbi Joshua which was written by the COM
nanlon of one of his first disciples Simeon has sad
dix and in several places Simeon himself instead OF
his "companionr is spoken of as the author. by
Simeon has Saddk we are to understand the Apostle
Peter, from whom St. Mark is supposed TO have OBJ
famed most of the facts recorded in his gospel Inc
author of Rabbi Joshua" makes the remarkable
mistake of suppOslng that Mark wrote in Hebrew
and upon this error he bases an explanation or an
incident in Christs passion John the baptist Is
represeuted as member OF the ascetic and heretcal
order or sect of the Iasaya lthe Essences. Joshua
"dsyusted with tho constituted creed of the land
became a convert to the sect and John had highly
important part in moulding the character and in
fuencing the fate of one who afterward dos
tined 50 far to outstnp his master" The fancy
that Christ may have been an Essene Is
not original with our author; it IS an
old and generally abandoned vagary OF
certain class of commentators; but TO appreciate
the violence which it offers both to reason and 10
historical testimony must learn the hau-hoa-
thenish doctrines and practices OF the Essenes from
better sources than this book. The story OF the
fortydays fast in the desert is put aside IA com
paratively late Misrepresentation. The truth Is
that having been initiated into the order by
John Rabbi Joshua embraced the lie OF
hermit for an unknown time, and upon the death OF
John he presented himself in public the successor
M that prophet This Of course contradicts the
clear testimony Of the scriptures that Jesus ana
John were preaching and baptlzihg simultaneously
Rabbi Joshua still held-always held-to the doc
trines of the Essences in proof OF which 1t Is alleged
that Eve find no mention Of any Niat
10 the Holy City by Rabbi Joshua before his hnal
and fatal journey the Essences habtualy neglect
ing the great feasts observed by the jews az Jers
le,n-and that according to the chronicle OF cun-
con- the Rabbi then looked for the first time on the
great edifces of the capital 1t is hardly necessary
TO remind any student of the Bible that
there is mention of several visits by Christ
20 Jerusalem, and that Simeon Mark does not
saw what is here attributed to him. Rabbi Joshua
was a poet scholar man of genius; but there
was nothing strikingy original in his teaching. and
he was not even free from a certain stern fanaicisn
How then are we TO account for his sudden rcputa-
toni 1t was probably owing 10 the number Of
cures which be effected among the people.
These. however, were wrought by natural means
The Hasaya were diligent students OF The
medical properties OF herbs, ETC., and when
Joshua touched tne eyes OF INC YIN" III uS'N ~i'
unguent The so-callcd demoniaes were insane
persons whom he subjugated and eamed by the
poyer Of ms viii. When he raised tho daughter Of
Jairns the penetration of the physician showed
him. apparently, that IT merely case Of faint
ft, or such like seizure and when the crowd had
been driven out and air given TO the sufferer she
revived But IL this explanation il correct the pen
etration Of the physician must have enabled him to
detect the nature Of the before he reached the
house in which the patient lay. tSee Mark, V, So
The Hebrew expectation Of Messiah was evolved
sraaunllv frfn the noatSc afiona Of the He