The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1895-02-16
A COMPARATIVE STUDY
Of Jewish and Anglo.Saxon law.
Continued from mlastwsek.)

Written for the Pioneer.)
Away to the east of Moab stretches the
great sea of sand, removing fear of un-
friendly encroachment from that quarter.
The situations of Palestine and Switzer-
land are somewhat IDENTICAL The Jewish
mountains are not so high as the Swiss,
but both countries are inaccessible from
the sea; both are surrounded by mount
aims; and the Jews. like the Swiss, were
protected from their enemies by their pow
erty. Though situated between Egypt
and the Euphrates Valley, The routes of
travel ran east of their borders, while the
Pnoenicians generally went to Egypt by
sea. The Jews were surrounded by the
Babylonians, Assyrians. Medes, Phoeni-
clans and Egyptians, yet their religion
was marked by its dissimilarity to that of
any of its neighbors. Of all the ancient
nations. the Jews alone we're 9monotheistic.
Mohammedans and Christians have bor-
rowed from the Jews. All tsther nations
had multitudes of Gods-the Jews but one.
China. India, Egypt-had gods innumer-
able, yet Israel originated system which
required detestation of the practices en-
joined by other religions. Renaud, the
skeptic, says it was on account of the race.
Israel was Semitic, China, India and
Egypt were not. China is Mongolian, In
dia Aryan. Egypt Hamitic, but Babylon,
Assyria and Phoenicia were Semitic, and
all were polytheistic. Phoehiciau cruelty
as refined by Carthage. has never been
equalled in all ages Max Muller gives a
more plausible reason, basing it on Gus
tom today prevalent among the Arabs. 1t
seems that today, as in the days of Abra-
ham, Arabs meet and elect as arbiter,
some chief renowned for courage and Sd
gacity. and he is styled che friend of
God, lust as Abraham was. jas if this par
ticular chief had some guardian Deity
Thus the God of Abraham became the
Deity of Abraham's descendants. 1t was
thus with a distinct nationality entirely
isola led from their neighbors, and with a
dissimilar religion, that the Jews received
from Moses the germ of their jurispru-
dence. AS was said at first, i've are treat
ing Moses and his code entirely as hu-
man production. Before discussing Mo-
ses' code. it would seem necessary Tin the
light of today's higher cri,icism'') to find
out if Moses ever existed. Today's schol-
ars say it was Mosaic and not Moses;
a union Of minds-a series of minds = not
one mind Like the astronomer who
points his telescope at one star in the fir
mament and resolves it into consultations
so these mental ASTRONOMERS point their
telescopes of ~ self-conceit ssnd opinion
at one of the worlds luminaries. and re-
solve him into several This possibly is a
misfortune common to all great men. Ho-
mer is no more; Shakespeare is not; and
two hundred years from now, George
Washington and Gladstone will exist as
distinct personages only in the minds OF a
few ultra conservative fogies. Strabo.
who wrote in Christ's time, described this
mosaic" as Moses, but now there will
probably be no Strabo-but several. How
ever, for the purposes OF this article, we
shall treat Moses as being one individual,
trusting that the fate which has befallen
him will not befall the writer A short
account of Moses may be necessary.
He was born in Egypt about I.4oo BIC.
under law commanding all Hebrew
boys to be put to death. The story OF his
rescue can be found in the second chapter
of Exodus. He was adopted by
the kings daughter and taught
all the science and learning OF
Egypt-which at that day was the most
learned country of the world. While still
young, he entered the Egyptian priest
hood, where he became so illustrious that
he was sought after by those who had
charge of the affairs of state. BEFORE he
was forty years old. his reputation as a
soldier was so great that he was made
commander-in-chief of the forces of the
kingdom, and succeeded in completely
destroying the Ethiopian kingdom situated
to the south of Egypt. At this time. had
he so minded he might have become king
of Ethiopia 1.-The kings only child Offering
him her hand but his heart was with his
own people, the memory of whom, all his
own greatness could not shut out. When
he returned to Egypt. the ovations he re.
ceived from grateful people would have
banished all feelings of kinship from the
breast Of anyone but a Jew, but Moses
was of different calibre. He had now
reached the height of his renown. Hi.
reputation could not be greater, but i
was soon to be altered. The love 1o1
Egypt was to be changed to hatred. Israe
was in cruel bondage and Moses patriot
ism was stirred. His impetuous nature
broke out into ferceness at sight of the
cruelties practiced on his countrymen, ane
in q lit Of anger he killed an Egyptian
overseer This exhibition Of patriotism
profoundly startled both Egyptian ane
lew and caused Moses banishment wher
he was forty years old Fer the next fort,
years she followed the national occupation
Iofherding. while his leisure time gave hin
ample opportunity to explore the wilder
ness, which explorations became Of i'm
Imense value TO Israel upon their leaving
Egypt Eventually he returned 70 Egyp