The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1895-02-02
A COMPARATIVE STUDY
Of Jewish and AnglO.SaxOn Law.

attempt very unsatisfactory. The early
history of any nation is generally shroud-
ed in mystery. Customs grow up uncon
sciously, having at last developed into law
we know the law and something of its
growth. but its origin i unknown. The
question of whether there is any similar
ity between Jewish and early Anglo-Saxon
law, could no doubt be answered unhesi-
tatingly in the affirmative. as there is sim
ilarity between the growths of any two or
more systems of jurisprudence. The law
of development is the same in both the
physical and mental kingdoms. Growth
is but development. and the peculiarly
would rather be if there no similarity.
In dealing with the laws of Moses and
Jewish institutions. we treat them entirely
from human standpolnt-as if they en-
auated from merely human mind. The
special providential care which surround
ed this peculiar people will not be dis
cussed at alias being foreign to our sub
ject. 1t will be necessary to enter some
what minutely into particular phases of
jewish history In order to throw light Oh
some of their more obscure actions.
The Jews belong to that division of the
Caucasian people termed Semitic. which
includes, besides the Jews, the Phoeni-
clans. Babylonians. Assyrians. Arabs and
similar tribes in western Asia. The Sem
tito race was the earliest division OF the
Caucasian developed. unless the Hamitic
races intervene. The Semitic races have
been great bo.h on land and sea. Their
empires successfully ruled the world until
the debut of the Aryan race. For CON-
merce they have been famous being prob
ably the most daring .navlgators of all
time. They sailed all over the Mediterra-
mean sea. visited Britain and India. and
circumnavigated Africa twenty centuries
before Vasco De Cana was born. As
colonizers they have never had an equal
-Phoenlcia, who numbers among her
daughters Troy. Carthage and Rome
being especially famous. They have Civ
en- to the world the Bible. the Koran. CON-
merce and in Hannibal the greatest mil
itary genius of the world. The home OF
the Semitic races was id the center of the
1'igris-Euphra,es valley : the cradle of ma
tions-and here all thei arts of war and
peace were developed e their highest per-
lection. Some place thsir home in North
ern Africa. hut ethnology will scarcely
warrant this. That all the races above
mentioned were closely related and be-
longed to the same family. is undoubtedly
correct Resides the Biblical narrative,
science shows that all possessed the same
marked characteristics. Their languages
were similar. habits the same. develop
ment the same. and religionlexcept in the
case of the Jews) the same: In the pro-
longed and severe contest between the Sc
mitic and Aryan races. Setniticism has
gone down, never to rise again, at least as
a dominating physical power. but it has
left an impress on the world through its
three great religions, Judaism, Moham-
mechanism and Christianity. that will nev-
er be eta ced. and so thoroughly have its
arts and practices permeateu the national
lite of the ,Aryan people that we may to-
day. in perfect consistency. style our
selves the later eloquence of Semiticism.
But dealing especially with the Jews
and Jewish his:o y. we find marked
similarity between THEIR origin and the
origin of any other race. Il is the Jews
proud boast that be is the descendant Of
Abraham. and from Abraham the Jews
date their national life. Of Abraham, we
have the traditionary records of the Jews
and Arabians. and the Biblical account.
We find that he was native of Ur., of tie
Chaldees, the present home Of the Kurds
(the ancient Chaldesns)who recently
made themselves notorious by their mass. .
acres in Armenia and who today defy the
power Of the Ottoman Empire. In con-
nection with this, the description given of
them in Habbakuk 1. 6-1o. may be inter
esting. Though Abraham flourished
about two thousand years before Christ.
yet the remarkable vitality of the Semitic
races. as epitomized in the Jews. is such
that any Bedouin Sheik who roams I, e
Arabian desert today, will be an exact
type of the progenitor Of Israel. We may
characterize him as Bedouin Chief, wi O,
with his family and household. is engaged
in taking care of his flocks and herds We
find that before his band had greatly in
creased, under some irresistible impulse
he migrated from his home and sought I! .
fertile valley of the Jordan. Here, he be-
came such power that in a midnight
raid, he. with his armed band, was able to
dsfeat the league of the four kings, (See
Gen XIV In that fight he bad with him
three hundred eighteen armed men, all of
own household. and when we realize that
today. such company attached to any
Arabian Chief would give him absolute
control on his own territory. We need
not wonder that this fight IS the only one
in which we have any record Of Abraham
being engaged. Undoubtedly many re-
mained At home guarding the herds and
tents. showing that Abraham's following
must have been great His power and IN