The sun., 1901-10-06

the progreesive or at times rcactionnry
| evolution Of the ethical principles Of thu
Torah. What the Bible had been for the
Talmud. the Tslmud itself became for
the later rabbinical literature which APP
piled itself to tho further development
~ the Halsksh and the Haggadah. The
prcsen; encyclopedia offers a survey OF
this literature from s0o A. ID. 10 1910 A. ID
during which period the civil aud religious
laws of the Jews underwent many n change.
while the Haggaciah developed new mo
tive- and broadened iis foundations until
II came To- differ essentially from the ethics
~ the Talmudic times In connection
with this topic an altemp, has been made
90 MI = hitherto existing gap In literary
history with regard In the activity 81 the
Arabic spanish --rhool of rsbhinical writ
-r- between 4. u ioo aud 4 d. iSOo.
Ia the field of Hebrew philologv the
volume before W. give . history ~ the
Hebrew alphat-t which ,ils'lo-rs th~
laiion of the Jews In tl,- most ancient tire~
10 heir Semitic neighbur- Certain Iscul-
isritss Of grammar and vocabulary, Whcr
traced io their SOURCES. Determine ~h"ther
tire Jews developed then language solely
on ma ional linc> or whether they hot-
rowcd from peoples of their Own or diff
f-rrni stock Tlr-e matters will l- found
discussed und, various heads. Among
the Jews phiIoiogy followed Two dis'inc'
lines of evolution Tho desire To preserve
the teIt uf the Bible intact gave risr tu
~. school of the Mn-or',cs. vino laii the
foundation upon which subsequent s'ho'-
ar have bull, | ndcr Arab in0u-ncc.
uu the other hand. aro-r n succrssion Of
Jewish grdinmaran- aud philologisiS. not
only ~ Europ-. bui iu North Africa and
Persia Nor does The present Encyclu-
I,.dia coaiue itself to pathological WORK
dunu by 10. jews themselves u contains
ARTICLES upon the chief non-.Iewi=h philu-
pgi-i- who have discussed th. Hebrew
mugusgr. .urh a. Gr-aniu~, Ewald and
Stadc
H. the Theological depart mru' ~ this
WORK ~. editors and ia" contributors haV"
undertaken TO --' forth, not only the prac-
,ical sid,. uf the Jewish religion, "a" law
h. all IL ramihcst ions. the rites and ub-rr-
Nancr- lat al-n the docirinal side % Juda-
i-m. Including it, theological and clhca
problems With the latter purpose In
vi"w thu WORK takes full cOgn. 1snc- Of the
pr--ralinudir ~uurys the Hri"nistiC aud
New Testament literature. and. IN ad-
ditinn TO AZ aualvsi~ ~ 10" "up.uu-
fahbiuica literature. ireat- 90 the -uc-
ca-siv- stage Of Jewish philosophy and
Cahals 1hc various -ccts Ouoluding 'hc
Samaritan aud kaTai;"-I. cons" rNItive
aud pr,gIps,iys Judaism. jewish "a fiou-
al~m and Jewish mysticism. are exam
med a. length and with impartalitv IN"
mutual relations ~ jewish aud n"u--lcu-
,-h creed. and philosophical ~vstem- and
~" attitude Of Judaism 20 the social and
ethical prnhrms ~ the daN. receive du"
rou- ,dcIaitun.
W. ui~,.rN- finally. 'laf. among tho
services which iris 'rcvclops.dia ha- uu-
dertskcr ln r"pdsr iu the general rad"r.
= tnat uf cflightening hiin with regard
So ,laraotrris'ic terms I.'rtaiuinE =" Jew
~ folklore aud io anr'crt and modern
custom. and -uper~ii'ipn- Neither have
NJ" editors neglected 'hr ria,~ nf topics ~
lating 10 tn. Jew~. which NAV ~ included
under the general tern nf anthrupnlogy.
such a, their ella inis to purity of race, ther
special aptiudes. their vital statistics and
th-ir liabiN,y to di-ca-c
We have defu-d the large purpose 81
this admirable work We will nov cNcm-
,.lifv the efficiency With which IA. purpo.c
has be~n carried out by references 10 par
ticular articles on subjects 80 various a.
the Hebrew alphabni. the Academies ia
Bahylonia and Palestine the Jews ia
ancient and modern Alexandria. ancient
and modern ant -Scmi,ism and jewish an
thropulngy
There --rn- 'o ir no doubt That tho
characters of the rehrrw alphat-, ar. ,"-
rived from the -o-call"d phGnician. or Old
...tg oil
Of letters now in usa by Aryan and semitic
l.'op,es. even tho Roman can H. trac"d
Ia spite of the great progress made IN 49,
mitiC photography. howrVer. no opinion
can a. vet H. expressed with any certainty
~ 4" the origin ~ the Ph1nlcian. nr Old
semitic l-ttar- iitempts have l-en made
g." derive them from the Egyptians OF from
tlsa Baby lunians, bat with no marked dee
gre. of ~urc~-e Il - suggested IA thi- eu-
rvclupsclia that the r-n-on for the uncer-
tainty touching the origin "f ia" Phu'n'-
clan letters may lie ia the fact thht 'i"
ohi..i known forn- Of thcsE chsracier-
come from tim" that had l"cn preceded
by a hong period Of development. during
which tune ~" letter. themselves may
nav. undergone important notifications.
T. j. taken Tor granted hv tl,s author of
he atiiCl" tsipft Ne INA ~ We llifls'- pre-
c.ding the Bahvnnisu exile the liebrow
alphst-t hk" the Hebrew language. was
almost exclusively employed m Palestine
Only the upper classes who were IN ~
lat onS Nth foreign land., then ~pok" and
wru'e Arsrnalc 4 signal change how
ever. took place after the return uf a part
of the jews from their -oJourn in Babylo-
ma The Aramsic Language. which. by
that timc. had already spread over the
whole Of Asa Minor. was gradually accepted |
hy the returning Jews. together with it,
scrip, Ins-much. however. ss tho Hebrew, !
tongue was still rr'Riued as the literary. |
or -holy- language, the writers did not !
altogether give up the u-c ~ the ancient |
Hebrew characters. But. although n y
pronounced CERTAIN that. during the first ,
century after the piun from c-il~, the I
Jews used ih" H~hr'N script m tleir writ /
ing. th''r" are cNtsn' no monuments or ,
COINS hcsriug inscriptions ~ Hebrew bet.
tors un' u ihc -Ucrrssful revolt Of tho Mac .
calves aga met tho :. leu"id kiugs 80 syria I
Thereafter. Tor about hundred years, 1
Hebrew characters wcrr used upon he .
Coins. but. ultimately. w,r' supplan'"d .