New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-09

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tons the Offering namely, of fruits OF the earth'
and the blool-sacriGce. The significance Of the
latter is a complicated subject which Professor
Smith handles with his usual patient thoroughuesS
and abundance of detail, though al length when
makes il impossible to attempt even n synopsis oil
| his arguments All through the reader must pear
in mind the crude simplicity of the PRIMITIVE NINA
and avoid attempts TO Judge 1t by modern meas
ures Early man thought it perfectly easy TO
make compacts with his gods, and these lie iatl-
fed by sacrifice lie did not look on his tribal
deity as Jealous" god. lie was not afraid OF
him. He can hardly be said to have joined any
moral ideas TO his theology. His god was oelng
who might be offended if neglected who perhaps
might become angry if his tribe diSregarded all
ethical principles for long time. But 1t was
always possible to effect reconciliation with nm,
and he would always forgive the peccadilloes OF
his own people in the end, and come TO their AID
in the field
Professor Smith has some interesting observe
tons upon the meaning of the term holy as
applied to places and things by the early Semitic
peoples In the first place, it must be remcm-
bercd that the heather gods never regarded
as ubiquitous; they could only act and display
| their power at headquarters, so to speak, ana IL
! resulted from this theory that certain places
came to be assigned 20 thcm-thc selection be
! ing usually determined by the occurrence OF some
supposed supernatural event az the locality chosen
| and then they considered as belng III
| residence Here is the beginning OF holy places.
A certain space was first set apart for them. Then
| it naturally followed that certain things must
| not be done within this boundary lest the god
| he offended. Later the idea of sanctuary gre"
I'D and the temple or shrine was held 10 extend
protection TO criminals and fugitivcs. No doubt
/ the practical advantage of having such a place
| of refuge in violent times secured their mamie
nance. which, it is worth pointing ont, survived
| in ChriStcndom until comparatively recent
period. Professor Smith is of opinion that the
first holy places were in all probability tracts of
/ land fortified by springs streams for that
such tracts must have appeared 10 the Inhabitants
Of dry and sterile lands in special sense favored
spots of the gods Moreover. the lfc-giving
power OF the god was not limited to vccctativc
nature but to him also was aScribed the increase
Of animal life the multiplication Of hocls and
herds, and. not least, of the human inhabitants
/ of the land These gods were the Balm, all
purely local deitieS. and connected i'll special
/ ways with particular places and natural phcnom-
ena. 1t was, however, only in agricultural popu-
/ latiors that the conception of local gods rs l"a-
/ lin was predominant, since in Central Arabia
/ agriculture was confined 10 cases
Much in the same way the more savage aspects
of nature gave rise 10 the belief in demons and
evil spirits who were supposed 20 haunt particular
places such gloomy rayiues and deiles patches
OF dense jungle. and other localities which WcI"
normally the lurking places OF tie carnivora, and
vcnomous snakes and other noNious creatures.
/ In the looscncsS Of the distinction which was
then drawn between men and animals and ln.
deed all living forms il was easy for The Scmitcs
T o,,.fl fo lao
figure the half-secn forms Of real animals into
monstrous shapes They in fact figured the " Jim
as kind of local demons and the place these
were supposed 10 haunt was put under a kind Of
taboo. The genuine resemblance between Tie
sanctuarics Of tie gods and tie hahi:atons Of
the Jim will be perceived AZ once. The only
difference lay in the character OF the prevailing
influences. In the one case the apparent evidence
of benign powers fcrtilizine and fruciifyius sag
Pcstcd divine actions; in the Other case tie for
bidding and sinister aspect Of thc locality SIG.
/ eested maliyn Influences. Similarly the danger
10 health involved in the breaking Of virgin soil
for cultivation induced the conception Of on o.
fence t. some supernatural power inherent ia TIE
act, and led 70 the adoption Of propitIatory rites
as necessary precautions
The central idea OF the tribal god q, himself
member Of the clan and in the highest sense lis
chief undcres the ancient theory Of holiness
in the view Of Professor Smith. and explains
many Of the rites which grew mp in connection
with holy places:
When men establish relations with tie powers
that haunt spot it is at once necessary that
there should he rules Of conduct toward them
and their surroundings. These rules. moreover.
have two aspects. On the one hand, the goa and
lis WorSlppcfs form single commuuty,primarIly.
+ JET rs suppose. community Of Einshlp-aud so
/ al the social laws that regulate mems conduct
] toward
/ tons 10 the god. But on The other hand the god
/ has natural relations % certain physical thirps
and these must be respected also: he has himself
natural life and natural habits in which he
/ must not lie mOcstcd. Moreover the mNStcriou.
| supcrhuman powers Of the Eod-thc powers which
/ we call SuUcTnatuTal-aTc manifested accorlin- t.
primitive IDEAS in and through his physical hfc
so that every place and thing which has natural
/ association with The god is REGARDED, If ! may
borrow a metaphor from electricity as charged
| with divine energy, and ready at any moment 10
discharge itself 10 the destruction Of the man who
plcsumcs 10 approach II undulE. Hence. ~ all OF
their dealings with natural things. men must bc on
their Guard 70 rreDcct fhc divine prcroc.fivc AMI
this they are able TO do Ivy knowine and ohscrv-
ing the rules Of holiness which prescribe definite
restrictions and limitations in their dealings with
/ the god and all natural things that in any way
pertain to the god.
Thus fear Of offending the god and care 10
preserve the proper and regular tribal relations
with him, combined 10 produce the ultimately
elaborate ritual Of holy places and things. The
notion Of the jealousy" Of the god made familiar
to US from the Old Testament, never absent
from the Semitic religion, and originally owed
its existence to the general conception of the dig
nifty and sclf-rcspcct OF the deity rs great chief
who for his own honor and glory insisted on the
punctiliOus maintenance Of an elaborate etiquette
Professor Smith examines the subjects Of sanctu-
aries natural and artificial, holy waters, trees,
caves and stones, before proceeding with his in
quest into sacrifice, and this last analysis is Of the
deepest interest. The conclusion can alone be
cited TO indicate the drift Of the inquiry
On the whole, it is apparent that the various
aspects in which atonmg rites presented them
selves to ancient woIshippcrs have supplied a
variety Of religious limoges, " passed into
,t stiU pcfIcr,p-