The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-04


religious life. Under the influence Of their
polytheistc surroundings. many Of them
reverted to the idolatry Of their ancestors.
The majority OF tho Jewish cxies In Egypt
though their situation may have been salts
factory from material viewpoint.were far from
embodying the ideals OF their inspired teachers.
All tho Jewish writer's of the period concur in
asserting that the best elements in their race
wcro to be found in Babylonia. Ezekiel, in
deed. disccrncd many imp"rtcctiOns among
tho eNilcs in that region. but he never denied
their superiority to the remnant left behind in
tho west. This superiority was an outcome Of
the policy OF the Babylonuns. who had care
fully removed the more energetic and talented
members Of tn" nation. that mono might be left
behind to head an Instruction. Tho 10000
adult males dcported in 5'1 Il, e. represented.
no doubt a large proportion Of the nations in
telligence and moral culture. As Eek lei says.
It was the kernel Of the nation that was trans
ferrcd from JudiPa to Baby Ion, and the prophets
words imply that. in this case. the kernel was
not divided and implanted in three or four
widely separated spots as had been the plan
followed in the deportation Of tho people of
Samaria in ~ b. G. Babylon is always indi-
Gated as the goal OF the Judcan deportation.
and there is some evidence to fix the precise
locality in which the cXiles were placed.
Ezekiel states that he lived by the river or
canal Chebar. Now it happens that the excava-
tons made by tho University Of Pennsylvania
expedition at Nippur have uncovered two
tablets, dated in the reign Of ArtaXerxes l..
which refer to q large navigabe canal. Chehar.
not far from Nppur, Upon this and other
grounds we may infer that it was to the east Of
the city Of Babylon. in a tract closely connected
with 1t by canals. that NebuchadnezGar cstab-
lished the community which he had transferred
from the barren uplands Of Judah. The term
captivity does not accurately describe the lot Of
the Jews in Babylonia. Two Of their Kings.
and. perhaps. some OF the leaders IN the re-
bellions against Babylon, were kept in con.lne-
ment but the great majority Of those who were
first dcrOrtod were almost aS frr" as they had
been in Canaan. AS aEriculturists and as arti-
sans the Jewish newcomers were useful to
their conuu"rors. for the vast buildiug enter
prsts Of ACKNOWLEDGMENT called for armies
of wOrkmen. and the huge reputation
of Babylon demanded corrcapon !ingly
large food supply. The oh Hebrew aver
sion to traffic, which finds expression in
the writings of certain prophets Of this
period. may have deferred for time
some Of the cxcs from becoming merchants
but the opportunities and advantages offered
in their new home to those who engaged in
commerce were too great to be long rejected
The peculiar genius for trade which the Jews
have manifested ever since was probably first
developed amid the favoring conditions which
surrounded them IN the land of the two rivers
On the whole although some OF their number.
under the degenerate rule OF Acknowledgements
successors, may have been subjected to op-
preston. tho lot Of most Of the Jews in Baby
lonia was far better than that of ordinary
H.. IL. .i,I