The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-01-14
soME NEW BOOKS.



one Of the most accomplished OF French Orien-
taiists. - regards both the specific study ofthe
Semitic languages and researches in the
broader field Of Eastern archaeology. lie has
given particular attention to the points OF con-
ceed or likeness In the traditions OF many
Oriental peoples on the one hand and the
Biblical account Of mans early history on the
other. His papers relating to this subject arc
commended not only ny the authoritative
scholarship Of the author. but by a singular
iucldity and effectiveness In the literary trent
mont OF the materials. They wero well worth
trahslnting. and the English version prepared
BY Prof. Fruncis Brown and published under
the name OF The BeoiNnb,0s Of History by tho
Scribners has been carefully executed. 1t
allould also b borne In mind that N. Len0r-
mant Is not an aggressive skeptic. nor even an
agnostic, but IN avowed aud evidently sincere
Christian. Tho conclusions. therefore. which
his researches have forced upon him arO not to
be discre,iited by the suspicion that his in
vestigntions were undertaken in the spirit Of
an assailant OF revealed religion.
The topics discussed In this volume bear such
suggestive and interesting titles a. the crea-
ton OF man," the ' first SIM" the "Kerubim
and the revolving sword" the fratricids and
the frat city" tho Sethites and the Quain-
ites." the 'antediluvian patriarchs." the
Children OF God and the daughters Of meD."
and finally tho deluge" Let US look first at
the parallels or similtudes presented by the
myths Of other Eastern nations to the JehOvist
account Of the formation Of man and woman
remembering that NJ. Lenormant. In common
with the great majority OF Hebrew scholars. dis
tinguishes In the book Of Genesis two separate
narratives. known respectively as the Elohist
and the Jehovist. The Jehovist version Of
mans creation IL found In Gen. chap. II. VT
and Yahveh Elohim formed man OF the dust
Of the ground and breathed in his nostrlls tho
breath OF life. and man WAS made Il living being"
SGT beside this u passage from the cosmogonic
legend handed down among the Babylonians
and reproduced In Greek by Bcrosus: Belos
ttha demiurge Bel Marduk). seeing that
tho eurth was unlnhabited though FERTILE cut
of his own head; and the other gods. after
kneadng with earth the blood that flowed from
1t. formed men. who. therefore. are endowed
with intelligence. and share In the divine
thought. and also the animals who are able to
live in contact with the air" As NJ. Lenormant
points out. the facts here set forth follow tho
same order rs in the Jehovlst document. ex-
oept that the framework Is polythestic instead
OF strictly monotheisttc. 1t Is further remarked
in a motto that the Orphic mysteries which
vealed tho esOteric doctrines OF the Hellenic
creed. and which unQuestionably borrowed
largely from the East accepted as regards the
origin OF mon the theory that they were de-
scended from god In a way resembling that
above described 1t was held that the inmate
rial part Of man. his soul. sprang from the blood
of Dionysos Zagreus. whom the Titans had
torn to pieces. partly devouring his members.
In that part OF the MazdHan cosmogony
which describes tho differentiation OF tho
sexes. We IRE told that from the soil on which
the seed OF the typical man or demigod had
been shod there grew up at the end Of forty
years q plant. In the centre OF this plant
stalk rose. having the double form Of q man
and q woman joined together at the back The
supreme being. Ahuramazda. divided them.
endowed them with life and motion. and placed
within them Intelligent souls; thus were
born the pair from which. In the belief OF the
Parsoos. oil human beings are descended. The
idea brought out In this story OF the first
human pair having originally formed single
androgynous being with two faces. separated
later into two personalities by the creative
power. Is likewise found among the Hindoos In
the Rig Veda. Plato also represents the two
halves Of the primal Androgyn seeking forever
to be Joined together again in perfect union.
Can we reconcile with this legend the state
mcnt in our English Bibles which here
copy the Greek Of the Septuagint. that tine first
woman was made Of a rib taken from Adams
body2 The Hebrew wortl mistranslated rib"
will probably ba rendered side" by the re-
visers. for such. and such only. is the meaning
u DodEb In AL the Otnor passages Wh0r0 We
meet with 1t in the Bible. 1t Is noteworthy that
jewish tradition In the Talmud. and among
learned philosophers like Moses. Maimonides
hold the narrative In Genesis to be susceptible
OF the following interpretatiOn-that Adam was
created man and woman NJ the same time.
having two faces, turned In opposite directions.
and that during stupor the creator separated
the feminlne half in order to make OF her Q
distinct person. This Interpretation Of the AZ
cred text was accepted by Eusebius Of Casarea
among early Christian writers. and 1t has been
approved by some Catholic theologans.
Although the majority OF ancient nations
seem to have rejected the idea OF original sin.
and although no definite traces OF the Scrip
tural story OF the cause OF the expulsion from
Eden havo yet been found among the Chal-
doan traditions. where we should naturally
look for 1t. there Is close parallel to the narra-
tive OF Genesis in one OF tho MnzdRan books
According to the Bundehesh. man was origi-
nslly destined for heaven on condition that he
should be humble Of heart. that he should DO
pure In his thoughts. speech. and actions. and
that no should not call upon the Dsevns levl
spiritsl With such inclinations man and
woman ought rcc,procally to promote each
others happiness. and such. indeed were their
thoughts ut the beginning. such their actions |
They came together as man and wife," The
Mazdgan myth goes on to relate that ut first
tho nowly created pair attributed all tho good
gifts Of earth To Ahurnmazda. the igood deity
but that afterward lilo crept into their
thoughts saying to them that 1t was Angro-
mainyus tAhriman) the prince u devils. who
had given them these things. :" In cohaenuence
Of believing in this lie both man and woman
became like the demons. and their souls will
abide In hell until tho renewal OF tho body"
We should observe further TINT In this legend.
as In tho Genesis story. vegetable food alone Is
used by tho first man In his state OF purity and
beatitude-animal food. indeed only becoming
lawful after the deluss-and that in both mar
ratives the primal pair aftor their sin cover
themselves with garments made out OF tho
skins OF beasts. N. ISnormant thinks II evil
dent that Ioroastrianism would have invented
this legend. even II. rs matter Of established
scientific conclusion. 1t had not already existed
among the traditions common to the Oriental
Aryans before their separation into the Indian