Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-21
A Debt We
Owe Today
fOHebYeWS
Their Thought and Practises
Foundation of Superstructure
of Modern Civilization.


One of the most important and orig
inal of the theological publications of
, the season, says the Book Buyer, is
Hebrew and Babylonian Traditions
by Morris Jastrow, jr.. Phi. D., pro-
fessor of Semitic languages in the
University of Pennsylvania 1t rep
resents a wonderfully successful at
tempt to trace the relationship be-
tween the Hebrews and Babylonians,
and is based on the Haskell lectures
of 1913, delivered at Oberlin College.
The authors secondary purpose is to
show what the causes were that led
to those entirely different issues in
the cases of the two peoples. The
author says in his preface: Il feel
that there is room and need for
work like this one. devoted primarily
to pointing out the differences be-
tween Babylonian myths beliefs and
practises, and the final form assumed
by corresponding Hebrew traditions,
despite the circumstance that these
traditions are to be traced back to
the same source which gave rise to
the Babylonian traditions as we find
them in the literature of Babylonia
and of the o1fshot of Babylonia-As-
syria"
The basis of the work is made
pam IN IHeSe WOTuS OIL the autllOI.
Archaeological research, in COM
bination with the ascertained and
generally accepted results of biblical
studies, had demonstrated the close
bond existing between Hebrew and
Babylonian traditons-to use con-
veniently comprehensive term-beyond
question. 1t is idle at this stage to
deny either the composite character
of the stories in the early chapters
I,A1 4 AtFll
they must have received their present
form; it is equally futile to deny the
factor of evolution in the develop
ment of religious ideas among the
Hebrews.
1.-The evidence is overwhelming, and
whether we turn to the legal sections
of the Pentateuch, or to the historical
records, or to the Prophets and
Psalms, we see everywhere the traces
of long continued process of thought
with many windings and turns, Gull
minating in ethical monotheism, by
which ! mean view of divine gov
eminent based on a spiritual and
ethical Interpretation of the God-ldea
Light from Babylon.
ION the other hand the rediscovery
of Babylonia and Assyria through the
excavations conducted on the sites of
ancient cities in the Euphrates Valley
and along the banks of the Tigris has
placed at the disposal of students an
enormous mass of material which has
thrown much light on the origin of
the traditions and early beliefs of the
Hebrews; it has demonstrated that
Hebrew history is unintelligible with
out constant recourse to the data OBJ
tanned from cuneiform literature.
Hebrews and Babylonians start out
on their careers with much in COM
mon: they share traditions regarding
the manner in which the world came
into being; they have common tradi-
lions regarding disastrous deluge
that swept over the part of the world
known to them.
1.-THE source of the antediluVian
chronology of the Bible is to be
sought in traditions current in the
Euphfates Valley, and there is a
steady stream of influence emanating
more particularly from Babylonia
from a very early period onward that
helps to maintain a close association
with beliefs and practises among the
Hebrews up to the time when the lat
| ter begin to move in an entirely diff
| ferent and novel direction.
Other Influences Noted.
ITO be sure, there are other influ-
ences al work in the early history of
| the Hebrews besides those that are to
| be traced to Babylonia and Assyria
Some of the tribes forming part Of the
| confederacy of the Bene Israel had
at one time much in common with the
| nomad Arabs, and all of them with
| the agricultural Canaanites. whom
J they gradually dispossessed, but who
| passed on to the conquerors many of
| their religious practises.
Egyptian culture also must have
had some share in bringing about
conditions that arose in Palestine,
but Babylonia. by virtue of early as
sociations and by almost continuous
contact, though closer at some periods
| than at others, is the most important
element in that phase of Hebrew life
and thought with which we are con-
cerned in this work.
accepting the ascertained results
of modern research, the question
then, with which we are confronted
is to account for the tremendous in
fiuence exerted by Hebrew traditions
in the form finally given to them
and to explain why the religious
thought and practises of the Hebrews
became with the heritage of Greek
and Roman culture, the foundation
structure on which the superstruc-
ture of modern civilization has been
erected. That fact is as undeniable
as are the postulates of biblical criti-
cism and of archaeological investiga-
tons"