Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-10
BY M. 3. WHARTON, D. D.

tation should not fasten this stain upon
Jephthah forever, though embalmed in
song and glowing colors. Men do not
now believe that David when he con-
quered these same Ammonites burnt them
in brick kilns, sawed them to pieces,
mangled their bodies with harrows, or
cut them into fragments with axes, and
vet that is what King James version says
he did in second Samuel, 18th, 81; but they
believe that David put them to work
making brick, cutting and saving wood,
and narrowing ground, in order to civil
lie and humanize them as the margin
teaches. If we take the corrected trans
lation then why not take 1t here, and be-
lieve that Jephthah instead Of burning his
daughter, devoted her to celibacy in the
tabernacle services.
urge next the consideration that Jeph-
thah's act was sanctioned by God, who
had forbidden human sacrifices in the
strongest terms. Laws were enacted IN
Israel against such an act, and Jephthah
was a judge, an administrator of the
law, could he have thus violated his own
law. under the sanction of God. It Is said
1.-THE spirit of the Lord came upon Jeph-
thah which shows God approved what ne
did. Besides, IL Jephthah had rashly
made a vow to sacrifice his daughter he
ha the undeniable right of redemption,
and could have saved her for thirty
shekels of silver. Lang. one Of the ablest
advocates Of the extreme view, says: In
some cases Communication was allowed
persons, horses, cattle, possessions dedi-
Gated under some impulse to the sanctu-
airy according to estimations that were
fixed might be redeemed (Lev. Y, 2-zol
Can we imagine that such horrible deed
would have been done when there was an
impressive and honorable way to escape?
The common practice of taking women
tx,%o -. ,0Fr daxyofad celnh0cV--
like the nuns Of today, is admitted. Deane,
author of the Life of Samuel" says:
There were women, too, who had regular
duties to perform in connection with the
tabernacle, and to their care doubtless the
boy was entrusted. What exactly was the
service which these women rendered Is
nowhere stated. 1t seems plain they had
been originally appointed by Moses, as We
read of the women who did service at the
tabernacle offering their mirrors for the
material of the great laver eek. xxXviii. 81,
and the institution continued till the de-
struction of the temple. In Numbers XXI,
40, we read that in the division Of
the spells of the first Midiani-
fish war Of the whole number Of captive
virgins ''the Lords portion was 81 per-
sons"
The reply Of Jephthah's daughter when
her father told her of his VOW shows that
she regarded 1t devotement to celibacy;
she said: Let this be done for me; let me
alone two months that I may go up and
down upon the mountains, and bewail my
virginity and my fellows" There could
have been nothing more absurd than such
a request IL she had been doomed to death;
she would have wanted all the time at her
disposal to care for her soul. But nothing
was more natural, as she was going to
sacrifice her virginity to go forth and be-
wall it, and tradition says that she want
ed to bewail, too, the fate Of her lover
whom she was going to give up forever.