Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-02-13
BIBLE AND BABEL AGAIN.

glCal WOflu Dy MS Dolu Hssel liOHs Noli-
corning the origin of the Old Tesla
ment. He maintained that the sacred
writings Of the Hebrews contain chief
y matter borrowed from Babylonian
sources. Even the worship OF Jehovah,
he said was borrowed from eastern ma
lions. According TO Delltzsch, the
Cook Of Job Is virtually full Of BIAS
rhemies. The Song OF Songs is a collec-
lion Of poetry expressive Of carnal Tut
he Ten Commandments are borrowed
from "hoary antiquity" which had
let Of rules regulating trade, business
and worship and so on. Efficient schol-
arshlp met the professor on his own
ground and proved the falslty OF this
position. Now. however, a similar
claim Is made for the New Testament
That. too, is said to be largely borrow
ed from Balylonlan Ideas and tradi-
tons.
Two German scholars have come out
with statements TO that effect They
find In the Apocalypse OF John, with
its seven spirits, twenty-four Elders.
four living creatures. two witnesses,
seals, beasts, etc., plain evidences OF
Babylonian thought. But that is not
ALL The entire New Testament, except
a few sayings OF Jesus and a few his
torlcal incidents, they assert, Is more
or less poor plagiarism, Such prepos-
ferrous claims are made by no less ia
nous scholars than Prof. thinner and
Prof GunkeL We cannot refrain from
reminding the critics OF the Book OF
Mormon OF the fact that the Bible Itself
is as savagely attacked in these days,
as the Book Of Mormon ever was.
Christians" who believe In the Bible
Notwithstanding the criticism Of scien-
lists, should not find fault with the
"Mormons' for believing In the Book OF
Mormon. in the face Of the criticism Of
its enemies.
With regard to the Bible. Il should
be evident to all, that, because 1t con-
tains truth, 1t must necessarily con-
tain much that was common to the
records Of all nations. Egyptians,
Babylonlans, Assyrlans, Aztecs, all had
some truth In their laws and systems
Of worship. Judaism and Its continu-
alton, Christianity, did not drop down
among the nations Of the earth as a
strange religion, without connection
with anything In existence. entirely DIFF
ferent from everything ever heard OF
among men. 1t came, on the contrary,
as a link OF history, connected with
both the past and the future. For that
reason II certainly partook OF the ma
ture OF all that was true in other sys-
tens. But that does not mean that It
was plaglarized. The Babylonlans,
and other ancient, great and civilized
nations certainly had some gold among
their literary and religious treasures
though at the same time they had
much valueess material mixed with the
genuine, The Jews, and after them the
Christians also received from the Di-
vine treasure-house wealth Of gold
But It cannot be said truthfully that
this was stolen from the scarce sup
ply Of the nations,
The Babylonlsn worship was, In fact,
very different from both Judaism and
Christianity. The Babylonans recog-
nlzed the supreme God, llu the uni
versal source OF all existences. Below
him they recognized three divine per-
sons, one emanating from the other In
this order: Cannes, 40, and Bel. The
latter was supposed TO be the father
of the gods" while 40 was "the lord Of
the visible world, the lord OF knowledge,
OF glory. and light" Under these del
ties were Shamash, the sun god, Elm,
the moon god, and Bin, the god OF the
atmosphere, Then came gods OF the
various planets and other deitles, Some
OF these gods were worshipped with
barbarous rites such as the immolation
Of children, Others were 'honored"
with immoral practices. In the words
OF Baruch' Now we shall see In
Babylon gods Of silver, and OF gold,
and Of wood, borne upon shoulders,
which cause the nations to fear. 4,
And taking gold, as It were, for n virgin
that loyeth to 80 gay they make
crowns for the heads OF their gods,
Sometimes also the priests convey from
their gods gold and silver, and bestow
It upon themselves. Yea, they viii
give thereof to the common harlots. and
deck them as men with garments" So
common were immoral practices In con-
nection with pagan worship that In
the Old Testament, adultery Is often
used as a synonym for idoatry.
II the facts are considered, how illog.
ical does the statement appear, that
the Bible IL borrowed" from such
paganlsm' One might as well say that
Professionalism Ia Borrowed" from
Romanlsm, or that "Mormonlsm" Is
borrowed from sectarlanism. It IL
conclusion that dlsregards al facts ana
all rules Of reasoning, II proves that
man may be authority as an Assyri-
Ill H..