The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-08

two thousand years.
Whole Old Testament stories also Obtain
their explanation In Babylon. From youth
up we have been burdened with the inherited
tale Of the madness OF Nebuka1nezaI
turned to a beast, for the Book OF DAME
tells US Qv., 2o-34) how the king Of Babylon
walked on the roof OF his palace and after
he had rejoiced In the magnifcence OF the
city built by him, received from heaven
the prophecy that he. driven away from
men. should live with the beasts OF the
field and after the fashion Of the beasts
| Thereupon Nebukadnezar did eat grass
| In the desert as oxen. and his body was
wet with the dew Of heaven, TIL his
hairs were grown like eagles feathers ana
| his nails like birds claws. And yet never
should an instructor OF youth be permitted
| to teach such things. especially after the
| appearance Of Eberhardt Schrader's eseay
sOn the Madness Of NebIkadnekar,' with
out pointing out that the pure and earlier
| form OF this narrative was known to US
| long ago In the Chaldean saga trans
| mitted in Abydenus. This tells us that
| Nebukadnezar, when he had reached the
height Of this power mounted up into the
royal castle and, inspired by a god. called
out and said: Il here, Nebukodrosor,
announce to you the approach OF misfor-
tune, which neither Bel nor Queen Belts
have the power to ward OF by persuading
the eoddesses Of fate. Perses Chat Ia to
say, Cyrus) will come and bring you into
slavery. o, might he, before my fellow
countrymen are ruined, be driven through
the deserts where neither cities nor the
footprint Of man can be found, but where
wild beasts dwell and birds fly about, while
he sinks alone in caverns and ravines.
But may better end be my share
Who cannot perceive that the Hebrew
writer has handled the Babylonian saga
freely, especially as he let's us see clearly
In verse 10 that the original wording was
well known to him. What Nebukadnezsr
wishes should happen TO the enemies Of the
Cbaldean, the compiler of the pamphlets
full OF errors and carelessness that are
gathered together In the Book Of Daniel
makes Nebukadnezar himself undergo
In order 70 exemplify a. drastically as pos
sible TO his countrymen. prosecuted by
Antiochus Epiphanes. the truth that the
Lord God Is able to humble deeply even the
most powerful king who sets himself up
against jehovah. When shall we finally
learn how to distinguish even within the Old
Testament the form from the contents'
There are two great lessons which the
composer OF the little Book OF Jonah teaches
US: That no one can escape from God,
and that no mortal should undertake to
regulate or even set bounds To Code mercy
and patience; but the form in which theee
truths Ia clad Is human, and extremely
full Of the fancy OF the Orient. FIVE wished
even to-day TO believe that Jonah in the
belly Of the fish recited pa chwork Of ex-
tracts from the Psalms, part of which were
first written several centuries after the fall
Of Nineveh, or that the king OF Nineveh
paid 30 great penance that he gave orders
for even oxen and sheep 10 be covered
with sackcloth, We should sin against the
reason which God has given us.
But these are only single instances which
disappear before n stronger light.
The representatives OF the German Church
administration. who iourreved as guests Of
our Kaiser to the dedication Of the Church
thought In founding al Jerusalem German
Evangelical institute for the archaeology
OF the Holy Land. Would that our young
theologians there might learn the manners
cities only. but best Of all out IN the dcsert;
customs which are yet entirely Identical
with those Of the early Israelitic times.
Would that they might steep themselves
thoroughly N the way OF looking at things,
and the expressions OF the East. listen In
the tents 81 the desert to the story-telers
or hear the reports and descriptions OF the
sons Of the desert .then 'alves, giittering
with lively and unreetrained fancy, which
only too often unconsclou goes beyond
the limits Of truth, Then would be dis
closed TO them the world by which alone
Oriental writings like the Old and partly
also the New Testament must he explained:
something like sca'es would fall from their
eyes and the midnight sun FOR them would
turn into the dawn.
n then even tho Orient Of to-day. wher-
ever we 90 and stay, listen and look, nre-
sents to ne an abundance OF explanations
NJ the Bible, how much moro knowledge
must we obtain from the si"Iy Of the old
writings OF the Babylonians and Assyrians.
partly contem poraneous with the Old Testa-
ment Everywhere we find more or less
important agreement be, ween the two
closely related lteratures In Language and
style, In mode Of thought and expression.
I may mention the sanctity ascribed in
both 10 the number seven and also TO the
number three. 20 earth. earth, earth hear
the word ~ the Lord cries Jeremiah
xxi ,7o,: 'Hail hail, hail, 10 the King. my
Lord" IL the way. moro than one Assyrisn
writer begins his letter. And as the Sera-
phim before the throne ~ God shout TO one
ons another, sHolv. holv. holy. Is the Lord
OF hosts, 4" Isaiah VI. ~ so we read al the be-
ginning Of the Asvrian temple liturgies a
trinle .Asur,' that is to say bringing sal
According 20 the Babylonian point 81
view the spi'tle ~ man possesscs an extra
ordinary magical power. Spite aud
magic are closely connected Ideas, ard 'lc
spittle possesses deadly as well as life
giving power. 20, Marduk,' saws n PRAYER
10 the city god ~ Babylon, 20, Marduk,
thine 10 the spittle 81 life Who can help
thinking here 81 the View Tesie rnent stories.
Ike that where Jesus took the deaf and dumb
man aside. pu, his fingers IN his ears. and
he spit and with The tDittle touched US
tongue ard said. sHruhaiA' that L. Pc
orensd' MARX. vii, rsl. Jehovah accprn-
nanied his people With n column Of smoke
Nv day ana q column - fire by might on
their tourney through the wilderness,
Ian The p~Drhesy j. made also 10 tsarhad-
don, kins 81 tssur, hrfore be- ssss 80, for
VS.. 4, ! aRr ~ krisla jail ls' ,irole
ri-a On ~, right hand and FIRE on thv
l.fi ss~i thine hou.e Ia oidsr,' ssVs
tho prot,,.i Isaish 10 klns H"s@kiah, sick
unto death. -for ihou q dssd and shalt
MT hvs'tisalAh, rbsyiil.li. And tho A.
SYRIAN ssnsfa fuduuu, 90 whom ils king
had sent his hpdy physisAsn, thsnks Ne
Llns nth tho w1'ds 4 Nas dead. hu
tie kins, nv lpfd a. iFuurih me- a. life
Tho soul ~ tho -irk uiis f.saih Sssis ~
s.ady in tho Undorsoilf lac sgnr duNn
Toto i,,s 80 PAN, asa ~ fisfefnrs,
fls sudaH-s iula iaifunsrf - a. Vfif laiif
l-s llss bs MANS "tlE HNrksi a 10 dssd
al fifisniai lshfsirlan ~ 20 I'D ~ hrnF
10 daaa a. lis ass o. add w. 49, a. y.l' ,an
uos iesfefsly slililf l. uNsftfI IlnH H. faiiy
-. "a l.. "a. L.. A. Al H..