alexandria and her schools-第13章

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e　regarded　by　the　cultivated　Alexandrian　as　anything　but　a　barbaric　superstition。　　One　eastern　nation　had　intermingled　closely　with　the　Macedonian　race；　and　from　it　Alexandrian　thought　received　a　new　impulse。

I　mentioned　in　my　first　lecture　the　conciliatory　policy　which　the　Ptolemies　had　pursued　toward　the　Jews。　　Soter　had　not　only　allowed　but　encouraged　them　to　settle　in　Alexandria　and　Egypt；　granting　them　the　same　political　privileges　with　the　Macedonians　and　other　Greeks。　　Soon　they　built　themselves　a　temple　there；　in　obedience　to　some　supposed　prophecy　in　their　sacred　writings；　which　seems　most　probably　to　have　been　a　wilful　interpolation。　　Whatsoever　value　we　may　attach　to　the　various　myths　concerning　the　translation　of　their　Scriptures　into　Greek；　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　they　were　translated　in　the　reign　of　Soter；　and　that　the　exceedingly　valuable　Septuagint　version　is　the　work　of　that　period。　　Moreover；　their　numbers　in　Alexandria　were　very　great。　　When　Amrou　took　Constantinople　in　A。D。　640；　there　were　40；000　Jews　in　it；　and　their　numbers　during　the　Ptolemaic　and　Roman　periods；　before　their　temporary　expulsion　by　Cyril　about　412；　were　probably　greater；　and　Egypt　altogether　is　said　to　have　contained　200；000　Jews。　　They　had　schools　there；　which　were　so　esteemed　by　their　whole　nation　throughout　the　East；　that　the　Alexandrian　Rabbis；　the　Light　of　Israel；　as　they　were　called；　may　be　fairly　considered　as　the　centre　of　Jewish　thought　and　learning　for　several　centuries。

We　are　accustomed；　and　not　without　reason；　to　think　with　some　contempt　of　these　old　Rabbis。　　Rabbinism；　Cabbalism；　are　become　by…words　in　the　mouths　of　men。　　It　may　be　instructive　for　usit　is　certainly　necessary　for　us；　if　we　wish　to　understand　Alexandriato　examine　a　little　how　they　became　so　fallen。

Their　philosophy　took　its　stand；　as　you　all　know；　on　certain　ancient　books　of　their　people；　histories；　laws；　poems；　philosophical　treatises；　which　all　have　one　element　peculiar　to　themselves；　namely；　the　assertion　of　a　living　personal　Ruler　and　Teacher；　not　merely　of　the　Jewish　race；　but　of　all　the　nations　of　the　earth。　　After　the　return　of　their　race　from　Babylon；　their　own　records　give　abundant　evidence　that　this　strange　people　became　the　most　exclusive　and　sectarian　which　the　world　ever　saw。　Into　the　causes　of　that　exclusiveness　I　will　not　now　enter；　suffice　it　to　say；　that　it　was　pardonable　enough　in　a　people　asserting　Monotheism　in　the　midst　of　idolatrous　nations；　and　who　knew；　from　experience　even　more　bitter　than　that　which　taught　Plato　and　Socrates；　how　directly　all　those　popular　idolatries　led　to　every　form　of　baseness　and　immorality。　But　we　may　trace　in　them；　from　the　date　of　their　return　from　Babylon；　especially　from　their　settlement　in　Alexandria；　a　singular　change　of　opinion。　　In　proportion　as　they　began　to　deny　that　their　unseen　personal　Ruler　had　anything　to　do　with　the　Gentilesthe　nations　of　the　earth；　as　they　called　themin　proportion　as　they　considered　themselves　as　His　only　subjectsor　rather；　Him　and　His　guidance　as　their　own　private　propertyexactly　in　that　proportion　they　began　to　lose　all　living　or　practical　belief　that　He　did　guide　them。　　He　became　a　being　of　the　past；　one　who　had　taught　and　governed　their　forefathers　in　old　times：　　not　one　who　was　teaching　and　governing　them　now。　　I　beg　you　to　pay　attention　to　this　curious　result；　because　you　will　see；　I　think；　the　very　same　thing　occurring　in　two　other　Alexandrian　schools；　of　which　I　shall　speak　hereafter。

The　result　to　these　Rabbis　was；　that　the　inspired　books　which　spoke　of　this　Divine　guidance　and　government　became　objects　of　superstitious　reverence；　just　in　proportion　as　they　lost　all　understanding　of　their　real　value　and　meaning。　　Nevertheless；　this　too　produced　good　results；　for　the　greatest　possible　care　was　taken　to　fix　the　Canon　of　these　books；　to　settle；　as　far　as　possible；　the　exact　time　at　which　the　Divine　guidance　was　supposed　to　have　ceased；　after　which　it　was　impious　to　claim　a　Divine　teaching；　when　their　sages　were　left　to　themselves；　as　they　fancied；　with　a　complete　body　of　knowledge；　on　which　they　were　henceforth　only　to　comment。　　Thus；　whether　or　not　they　were　right　in　supposing　that　the　Divine　Teacher　had　ceased　to　teach　and　inspire　them；　they　did　infinite　service　by　marking　out　for　us　certain　writers　whom　He　had　certainly　taught　and　inspired。　　No　doubt　they　were　right　in　their　sense　of　the　awful　change　which　had　passed　over　their　nation。　　There　was　an　infinite　difference　between　them　and　the　old　Hebrew　writers。　　They　had　lost　something　which　those　old　prophets　possessed。　　I　invite　you　to　ponder；　each　for　himself；　on　the　causes　of　this　strange　loss；　bearing　in　mind　that　they　lost　their　forefathers'　heirloom；　exactly　in　proportion　as　they　began　to　believe　it　to　be　their　exclusive　possession；　and　to　deny　other　human　beings　any　right　to　or　share　in　it。　　It　may　have　been　that　the　light　given　to　their　forefathers　had；　as　they　thought；　really　departed。　　It　may　have　been；　also；　that　the　light　was　there　all　around　them　still；　as　bright　as　ever；　but　that　they　would　not　open　their　eyes　and　behold　it；　or　rather；　could　not　open　them；　because　selfishness　and　pride　had　sealed　them。　　It　may　have　been；　that　inspiration　was　still　very　near　them　too；　if　their　spirits　had　been　willing　to　receive　it。　But　of　the　fact　of　the　change　there　was　no　doubt。　　For　the　old　Hebrew　seers　were　men　dealing　with　the　loftiest　and　deepest　laws：　　the　Rabbis　were　shallow　pedants。　　The　old　Hebrew　seers　were　righteous　and　virtuous　men：　　the　Rabbis　became；　in　due　time；　some　of　the　worst　and　wickedest　men　who　ever　trod　this　earth。

Thus　they　too　had　their　share　in　that　downward　career　of　pedantry　which　we　have　seen　characterise　the　whole　past　Alexandrine　age。　　They；　like　Zenodotus　and　Aristarchus；　were　commentators；　grammarians；　sectarian　disputers：　　they　were　not　thinkers　or　actors。　　Their　inspired　books　were　to　them　no　more　the　words　of　living　human　beings　who　had　sought　for　the　Absolute　Wisdom；　and　found　it　after　many　sins　and　doubts　and　sorrows。　The　human　writers　became　in　their　eyes　the　puppets　and　mouthpieces　of　some　magical　influence；　not　the　disciples　of　a　living　and　loving　person。　The　book　itself　was；　in　their　belief；　not　in　any　true　sense　inspired；　but　magically　dictatedby　what　power　they　cared　not　to　define。　　His　character　was　unimportant　to　them；　provided　He　had　inspired　no　nation　but　their　own。　　But；　thought　they；　if　the　words　were　dictated；　each　of　them　must　have　some　mysterious　value。　　And　if　each　word　had　a　mysterious　value；　why　not　each　letter？　　And　how　could　they　set　limits　to　that　mysterious　value？　　Might　not　these　words；　even　rearrangements　of　the　letters　of　them；　be　useful　in　protecting　them　against　the　sorceries　of　the　heathen；　in　driving　away　those　evil　spirits；　or　evoking　those　good　spirits；　who；　though　seldom　mentioned　in　their　early　records；　had　after　their　return　from　Babylon　begun　to　form　an　important　part　of　their　unseen　world？　　For　as　they　had　lost　faith　in　the　One　Preserver　of　their　race；　they　had　filled　up　the　void　by　a　ponderous　demonology　of　innumerable　preservers。　　This　process　of　thought　was　not　confined　to　Alexandria。　　Dr。　Layard；　in　his　last　book　on　Nineveh；　gives　some　curious　instances　of　its　prevalence　among　them　at　an　earlier　period；　well　worth　your　careful　study。　　But　it　was　at　Alexandria　that　the　Jewish　Cabbalism　formed　itself　into　a　system。　　It　was　there　that　the　Jews　learnt　to　become　the　jugglers　and　magic…mongers　of　the　whole　Roman　world；　till　Claudius　had　to　expel　them　from　Rome；　as　pests　to　rational　and　moral　society。

And　yet；　among　these　hapless　pedants　there　lingered　nobler　thoughts　and　hopes。　　They　could　not　read　the　glorious　heirlooms　of　their　race　without　finding　in　them　records　of　antique　greatness　and　virtue；　of　old　deliverances　worked　for　their　forefathers；　and　what　seemed　promises；　too；　that　that　greatness　should　return。　　The　notion　that　those　promises　were　conditional；　that　they　expressed　eternal　moral　laws；　and　declared　the　consequences　of　obeying　those　laws；　they　had　lost　long　ago。　　By　looking　on　themselves　as　exclusively　and　arbitrarily　favoured　by　Heaven；　they　were　ruining　their　own　moral　sense。　　Things　were　not　right　or　wrong　to　them　because　R