The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-28
THE MYSTERY OF NAMES
ANCIENT AND BIBLICAL ORIGIN OF
SECRET PASSWORD IDEA.
The Divine Name Regarded as Tails
neutrality-suspicious. About Names
Magical Words.

A goodly proportion of all Americans
have experienced the variety of thrills that
are provided for the delectation of those
| who Join secret societies. One OF these, at
least, is certain TO be connected with the
divulging 10 the neophyte of the alleged
great and potent vocable which is the Sc
| cret or pass word of the society. 1t is
given TO him with the greatest pomp and
ceremony that the lodge paraphernalia will
| admit of: due respect for the mighty privi-
| leges il confers is impressed upon him, and
he is warned most solemnly that horrible
| and atrocious things will happen to him If
he does not guard it as the apple of his eye.
Now, what is this mysterious, potent. in
| communicable word7 AS a matter of fact,
| it is the twentieth century echo of one of
| the most ancient and widespread of re-
ligious ideas; it is a modern Renaissance
| Of a superstition that underlies all magic
and and touches everyday life.
Perhaps the best illustration to use first
can be drawn from the Bible. Nearly ev-
| erybody is familiar with the fact that the
word which is translated Lord throughout
our English version of the Old Testament
is in reality a Hebrew personal name for
Zoo. III Is OFTEN given III EIlSuSn DIS JcHO-
yah. Now modern scholarship tells US that
this Hebrew name of the Deity really ought
TO be pronounced somewhat as indicated
by the form Jahveh instead of Jehovah.
! Why, then, did the Jews, who certainly
| knew what the right form was, use a false
pronunciation during all these ages? Sim
ply because they did not dare to pronounce
the shem hammphorash, as they called it,
the -incommunicable name of God. When in
reading the Scriptures they came to the
letters ] V H, Hebrew writing only the con-
s~onants, they pronounced II with the aid of
the vowels belonging to the word Adonai
Lord. making its sound Jehovah. in
stead of the true form Jahveh. 1t is
simply a form of the Hebrew verb ''to be-"
a truth made plain in the English version
where God is called I AM.
TALISMANIC INFLUENCE.
From all the light one gets upon this
subject in the Bible itself, it might be
thought that extreme reverence for the
divine name in accordance with the COM
mandment: "Thou shalt not take the name
OF Jehovah thy God i'm vain.' was the
sole reason for this unwillingness to pro-
nounce it at all. But this commandment
plainly has no reference to irreverence or
blasphemy. 1t simply forbids false swear
ing, and was so understood by the Jews.
On the other hand. the Talmud and other
Jewish books show that at least the popu-
lar belief was that the real name of God
was of the nature of a talisman or charm.
There was a mystery about it; scarcely
could one be certain that he had 1t at all.
And if one did have it. it was a thing of
power but a dangerous one TO use. Thus
- a 90 $40
duce the death of an enemy, but if the
one who uttered it was unholy, its deadly
effect might react against himself.
Rabbinical writings are full of legends
and stories about this name. all of them
tending to establish its mysterious, magical
character. II was, for instance, engraved
on a staff which God gave TO Adam in
the Garden of Eden. 1t was this same
staff that came down to Moses, and with
which he worked his wonders in Egypt;
1t also came in due succession TO many
others of the noted Old Testament char
acters and accounted for the wonders that
they performed.
Some of the Rabbins say that this name
had twelve letters, others that it had forty
two, and still others that it had seventy
two. although all of them identify it with
some form OF the word jehovah. They
say that IL puts devils TO flight, eXtinguish-
es fire, and by its use the speech of all
birds and beasts can be understood. 1t
was this that Solomon used for his noted
exploits i'm that particular, and he had the
name on a chain and also on a ring. End
less legend has been woven on this sub
ject.
With this mighty name Lilith, the first
wife of Adam, was able to raise herself
into the air and ny away Eliezer OF
Damascus, the servant of Abraham. once
did the same thing. He was riding upon a
camel pursued by Laban, when, using the
name, camel and all, he was taken up into
the air, and his enemy was so badly
frightened, as we'll he might be. that he at
once sought pardon. a similar story is told
Of King David. and even of Christ, as will
afterward be mentioned.
This name was not revealed to Abraham.
because his son Ishmael and his descend
ants were destined to be lost. IL was not
revealed, likewise, to Isaac. because a
similar destiny awaited Esau and his chill
oren. Yet. again, it is said that the name
was written on the sword of Esau, as well
as that of Methuselah. Moses wrote this
name in a book just as the Angel of Death
was about to summon him. but the angel.
seeing it, was forced to retire without TAX
ing the soul of the great lawgiver.
The name was also carved on the corner
stone OF the temple, which fact reminds
one Of the secret name OF Rome guarded
| by the vestals. This circumstance affords
the point OF departure for a curious cycle
OF late Jewish legends. Strange as it may
appear, many Jewish writer's down through
the middle ages did not deny, when argu-
| ing with Christians, that Christ had worked
wonderful miracles. They admitted the fact,
but said that magic was the means by
which He accomplished this. And His
power to work magic came from His pos
session of the shem hammphorash. This
He took from the temple. The rulers of
the Jews were powerless to pursue Him.
for at any time He could fly into the air.
Finally Judas found means TO follow Hin
and secure the name by means of which
putting Him 10 death became possible. The
curious book. Toledoth Jeschu, very bias
rhemous from the Christian point OF view,
develops these ideas at length and. I be-
lieve. is circulated yet amongst Jewish peo-
pie in some parts OF the world.
A pathetic explanation OF the sad fate