New-York tribune., 1902-02-09
Old TE&T4MENT CRLTLCLSN.

OLD TESTAMENT CRTTTCTSH
Those who desire to know just what modern
Biblical scholarship has to say about the Old
| Testament cannot do better than read the COM
mentary Genesis by Professor Hermann
Gunkel, of the University of Berlin and the
Geshchte Israels by Hugo Wnckler the Ger
man Assyriologst and historian. The ntroduc-
tion TO Professor Gunkers great work has been
translated by Professor W. II. Carruth. of the
University of Kansas. and is published by the
Open Court Publishing Company, of Chicago
| under the title The Legends Of Genesis"
Some account of Winckler's work is furnished
in The Nineteenth Century" by Professor T.
*. Cheyne, of Oxford The conclusions of these
scholars have an interest for American Chris
tians just now because in one way or another
the traditional claim Of divine inspiration for
the Old Testament is coming to be questioned
by many scholars in the churches. Even the
popular teaching of the Sunday schools has in
some matters accepted the conclusions OF Bibli-
cal criticism. as. for instance, in rejecting the
old belief that the creation days mean solar
days of twenty four hours each.
AS to Genesis, Professor Guukel takes the
broad ground that it IS legendary There are
the legends, first of the origin OF the world and
of the history Of the race down 10 the Tower OF
Babel, and, next, the legends of the patrlarchs
OF Israel. In the first group of legends God is
distinctly anthrOpomorphic- that is 10 say He
is pictured as a magnilei man. In the second
He is enveloped IN mystery, Genesis, indeed.
is simply popular oral tradition written down.
Many Of these traditions were ADAPTED from
outside sources. The legend OF the Deluge for
instance, taken from Babylon Egyptian
influence is recognized in the story of Joseph;
and probably most Of the legends Of the patri-
archs were known before Israel came into
Canaan. Moreover, certain legends correspond
10 Greek legends as, for instance. the story OF
Potiphar's wife which contains the same mo-
tive as that of Hippolytus and Phaedra. From
this it is inferred that the legends Of Genesis
are OF varied origin. but all adapted to Illus
trate and enforce the monotheistic religious
ideals of Israel. The amalgamation OF these
legends" says Professor Gunkel and their in
filling with the spirit Of q higher religion is
zone of the most brilliant achievements of the
people Of Israel But, apart from the re-
"ligion in this Israelitzing of the legends it is
very certain that a quantity OF changes took
place of which we can survey only small pOr-
''tion. Foreign perSonageS were DISPLACED by
native ones; as for instance, the Hebrew
"Enoch took the place of the Babylonian ma
"gician Enmedurank, while the more familiar
"Noah took the place OF the hero in the Baby
'lOnian account of the Deluge"
Wnckler holds that the legends of the Old
Testament have been largely evolved from
myths, many of them from solar and lunar
myths. Abraham. Isaac and Jacob are accord
ing to him, lunar heroes. Abraham's father.
Terah, came from Ur the city Of the South
Babylonian moon worship. In order 10 reach
Canaan he halted at Harran the second great
centre of lunar worship in the region of the Eu-
phratean civilization. lis wife Sarah was the
counterpart OF lstar, the daughter of the moon
god, and therefore Abrahams sister but also
the wife OF Tammuz, and therefore his wife
Isaac dwells at BeerSheba the well of the
Seven gOd'-that is, the Moon god Jacobs
father-in-law Iaban, suggests Lebena the
moon, and the twelve sons of Jacob CORRESPOND
TO the twelve signs of the zodiac Joseph is
the Sun god, before whom the lunar patrIarcbs
represented by Jacob bowed down. As the sun
dies and passes into the under world so JoseDh
was cast into Il pit; and he went to Egypt be-
cause Egypt represents the southern region Of
the sky in which the stands when Tammuz
Is dead Saul is lunar hero and his visit to
the Witch Of EndOr corresponds to the tourney
OF Istar, the daughter of Sin. to the under
world. Saul and Jonathan also represent the
constellation Gemini ana so David eulociZes
them as divine brothers, the one distinguished
Dy his lance, the other by his bow. suggesting
the lance star and the bow star of the Babv-
lonians. David, or bod, as it should be read
is a solar hero, his red hair being the reflection
of the sun. He stands for the constellation
Leo overcoming Goliath, the wild hunter and
tyrant Orion.
1t is along such radical lines that the critical
study OF the ola Testament is proceeding to-
day OF course, even the most liberal scholars
in the orthodox churches would dissent from
VII hov in
selves a sort of halfway house of refuge ac
cepting all the less radical conclusions of the
critics, but rejecting those that would frigbten
plain people by their boldness. This attitude
however, is becoming more ana more untenable
and the churches must sooner or later souarely
meet the issues raised by these and other Bibli
cal scholars