New-York tribune., 1903-03-01

hands. Fer years he has been excaEating in As.
syria, and his additions to our knowledge OF
AssYrian cuneiform texts is extremely VALUABLE
His researches in BabyIopia place him among the
foremost Babylonian scholars,
I'm his deciphering OF the cuneiform inscriptions
and In interpreting them DR.. DelitEsch has done
some very important work, and 1t is this work in
which, apparently, the German Emperor has been
interested, in fact, the dispatches say, having
assisted him in continuing his Investigations. His
results have been most important. probably. in the
line Of philology and history, in both of these
departments he has added an immense amount OF
new information.
"of course the point that the orthodox German
ckurchmen have looked as dangerous has
been DR.. Delitzsch's conclusions regarding the
sources Of the Old Testament He has proved
beyond question. for instance, that the Old Testa-
ment got great deal Of its material from the
mythology and history OF the Assyrian people.
American Biblical teachers have accepted his find
ings without question on these points and it has
only deepened respect for the Old Testament
as literature. Some of the Germans however,
seem to have looked at it from different point of
view.
teaching based upon his individual Investigations
of the Old Testament sources, have been his views
to the origin Of the Creation and Flood stories.
Both the story Of the Creation and OF the Flood.
he has claimed to the Hebrews from As
syrian sources, and were, therefore, not OF the
original Hebrew origin that 1t had always been
supposed they were. He found inscriptions Of very
ancient date proving this; the Flood story, for
instance, being Babylonian records of extreme
age. He has put forward large number of other
hypothesis based on his discoveries in Assyria
but it may be said that the Flood and the Crea-
tion story sources are perhaps the only two of
his conclusions that scholars have agreed are
rect He put these opinions forward over twenty
years ago.
ITO an American reader the stir that has been
raised over his opinions to the sources of the
Old Testament seems curious. The Kaiser, in his
letter, thought that he had no right to enter the
lists a theologian' when his business was that
of a scholar but 1t might be said that the EN-.
peroF possibly stepped out of his own character
into that of q theologian in adding his own con-
clusions to the debated questions OF orthodoxy
on which the German churchmen desired to find
him orthodox"
CHARLES FOSTER KENT, woolsey professor of
biblical literature at Yale, was q pupil Of Pro-
fessor DeIitzseh, in Germany, several years ago,
and he said:
1T should be understood by Americans that the
conditions In Germany are much different from
what are to be found here. Without cFiteisinE the
Germans at all It may be said that there is @ much
greater spirit Of openmindednsss with regard TO
new ideas in the matter Of religion in America
than is to be found in Germany. There the ortho-
dox churchRen, leaders OF the religious thought OF
the empire are. to q considerable extent, arragsd
In opposition to that branch Of biblical stueensa
who would in this country. DO called the scholars.
That G. there 10 more or less disposition on the
part OF each heay to lock askaase ct the work
ana conclusions Of the other side. The orthodox
ehurchnsn are rather apt. possibly. te consider
such scholars GO Delitzeeh FeVoiutionists ana
mischief makers. DelItHsch ts without question the
leasing scholar In q nest inpost&Rt branch Of
biblical study, that ef the hstefy, philele&y, Atse
atnre ane relssioR of the aAstsnt RabYtenIsls and
Aasyrians, which aFe of the usEaest importance to
modern studsats Of the Ola Testament. showing as
they do that q considerable number Of the Old
Testament stories are trseeable to previous
sources.
."Ths German churchmeB, however do not like
the introductien OF these fdeaz and have eombased
them. Emperor william was naturally interested
In the results of the discoveries OF Professor Del
Itzsch and has beea assisting him to continue his
work, receiving bin with his lecture In per-
sonal way. When the churchnen saw this the old
opposition and demand was evidently made
upon the Emperor TO come out squarey for the Or
thedex views. while % net, Of ceurss, kaoW any.
thing aseut khs eGsct sstn&stsa, &c 10 rather Heee