the evolution of theology-第13章

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my　gifts。〃　And　we　have　the　high　authority　of　the　late　Dr。　Samuel

Birch　for　the　statement　that　the　inscriptions　of　the　twelfth

dynasty　abound　in　injunctions　of　a　high　ethical　character。

〃To　feed　the　hungry；　give　drink　to　the　thirsty；　clothe　the

naked；　bury　the　dead；　loyally　serve　the　king；　formed　the　first

duty　of　a　pious　man　and　faithful　subject。〃　The　people　for

whom　these　inscriptions　embodied　their　ideal　of　praiseworthiness

assuredly　had　no　imperfect　conception　of　either　justice　or

mercy。　But　there　is　a　document　which　gives　still　better　evidence

of　the　moral　standard　of　the　Egyptians。　It　is　the　〃Book　of　the

Dead；〃　a　sort　of　〃Guide　to　Spiritland；〃　the　whole；　or　a　part；　of

which　was　buried　with　the　mummy　of　every　well…to…do　Egyptian；

while　extracts　from　it　are　found　in　innumerable　inscriptions。

Portions　of　this　work　are　of　extreme　antiquity；　evidence　of

their　existence　occurring　as　far　back　as　the　fifth　and　sixth

dynasties；　while　the　120th　chapter；　which　constitutes　a　sort　of

book　by　itself；　and　is　known　as　the　〃Book　of　Redemption　in　the

Hall　of　the　two　Truths；〃　is　frequently　inscribed　upon　coffins

and　other　monuments　of　the　nineteenth　dynasty　（that　under　which；

there　is　some　reason　to　believe；　the　Israelites　were　oppressed

and　the　Exodus　took　place）；　and　it　occurs；　more　than　once；　in

the　famous　tombs　of　the　kings　of　this　and　the　preceding　dynasty

at　Thebes。　This　〃Book　of　Redemption〃　is　chiefly　occupied　by

the　so…called　〃negative　confession〃　made　to　the　forty…two　Divine

Judges；　in　which　the　soul　of　the　dead　denies　that　he　has

committed　faults　of　various　kinds。　It　is；　therefore；　obvious

that　the　Egyptians　conceived　that　their　gods　commanded　them　not

to　do　the　deeds　which　are　here　denied。　The　〃Book　of　Redemption；〃

in　fact；　implies　the　existence　in　the　mind　of　the　Egyptians；　if

not　in　a　formal　writing；　of　a　series　of　ordinances；　couched；

like　the　majority　of　the　ten　commandments；　in　negative　terms。

And　it　is　easy　to　prove　the　implied　existence　of　a　series　which

nearly　answers　to　the　〃ten　words。〃　Of　course　a　polytheistic　and

image…worshipping　people；　who　observed　a　great　many　holy　days；

but　no　Sabbaths；　could　have　nothing　analogous　to　the　first　or

the　second　and　the　fourth　commandments　of　the　Decalogue；

but　answering　to　the　third；　is　〃I　have　not　blasphemed；〃　to　the

fifth；　〃I　have　not　reviled　the　face　of　the　king　or　my　father；〃

to　the　sixth；　〃I　have　not　murdered；〃　to　the　seventh；　〃I　have　not

committed　adultery；〃　to　the　eighth；　〃I　have　not　stolen；〃　〃I　have

not　done　fraud　to　man；〃　to　the　ninth；　〃I　have　not　told

falsehoods　in　the　tribunal　of　truth；〃　and；　further；　〃I　have　not

calumniated　the　slave　to　his　master。〃　I　find　nothing　exactly

similar　to　the　tenth　commandment；　but　that　the　inward

disposition　of　mind　was　held　to　be　of　no　less　importance　than

the　outward　act　is　to　be　gathered　from　the　praises　of　kindliness

already　cited　and　the　cry　of　〃I　am　pure；〃　which　is　repeated　by

the　soul　on　trial。　Moreover；　there　is　a　minuteness　of　detail　in

the　confession　which　shows　no　little　delicacy　of　moral

appreciation〃I　have　not　privily　done　evil　against　mankind；〃

〃I　have　not　afflicted　men；〃　〃I　have　not　withheld　milk　from　the

mouths　of　sucklings；〃　〃I　have　not　been　idle；〃　〃I　have　not　played

the　hypocrite；〃　〃I　have　not　told　falsehoods；〃　〃I　have　not

corrupted　woman　or　man；〃　〃I　have　not　caused　fear；〃　〃I　have　not

multiplied　words　in　speaking。〃



Would　that　the　moral　sense　of　the　nineteenth　century　A。D。　were

as　far　advanced　as　that　of　the　Egyptians　in　the　nineteenth

century　B。C。　in　this　last　particular！　What　incalculable　benefit

to　mankind　would　flow　from　strict　observance　of　the　commandment；

〃Thou　shalt　not　multiply　words　in　speaking！〃　Nothing　is　more

remarkable　than　the　stress　which　the　old　Egyptians；　here　and

elsewhere；　lay　upon　this　and　other　kinds　of　truthfulness；　as

compared　with　the　absence　of　any　such　requirement　in　the

Israelitic　Decalogue；　in　which　only　a　specific　kind　of

untruthfulnes　is　forbidden。



If；　as　the　story　runs；　Moses　was　adopted　by　a　princess　of　the

royal　house；　and　was　instructed　in　all　the　wisdom　of　the

Egyptians；　it　is　surely　incredible　that　he　should　not　have　been

familiar　from　his　youth　up；　with　the　high　moral　code　implied　in

the　〃Book　of　Redemption。〃　It　is　surely　impossible　that　he　should

have　been　less　familiar　with　the　complete　legal　system；　and　with

the　method　of　administration　of　justice；　which；　even　in　his

time；　had　enabled　the　Egyptian　people　to　hold　together；　as　a

complex　social　organisation；　for　a　period　far　longer　than　the

duration　of　old　Roman　society；　from　the　building　of　the　city　to

the　death　of　the　last　Caesar。　Nor　need　we　look　to　Moses　alone

for　the　influence　of　Egypt　upon　Israel。　It　is　true　that　the

Hebrew　nomads　who　came　into　contact　with　the　Egyptians　of

Osertasen；　or　of　Ramses；　stood　in　much　the　same　relation　to

them；　in　point　of　culture；　as　a　Germanic　tribe　did　to　the　Romans

of　Tiberius；　or　of　Marcus　Antoninus；　or　as　Captain　Cook's　Omai

did　to　the　English　of　George　the　Third。　But；　at　the　same　time；

any　difficulty　of　communication　which　might　have　arisen　out　of

this　circumstance　was　removed　by　the　long　pre…existing

intercourse　of　other　Semites；　of　every　grade　of　civilisation；

with　the　Egyptians。　In　Mesopotamia　and　elsewhere；　as　in

Phenicia；　Semitic　people　had　attained　to　a　social　organisation

as　advanced　as　that　of　the　Egyptians；　Semites　had　conquered　and

occupied　Lower　Egypt　for　centuries。　So　extensively　had　Semitic

influences　penetrated　Egypt　that　the　Egyptian　language；　during

the　period　of　the　nineteenth　dynasty；　is　said　by　Brugsch　to　be

as　full　of　Semitisms　as　German　is　of　Gallicisms；　while　Semitic

deities　had　supplanted　the　Egyptian　gods　at　Heliopolis　and

elsewhere。　On　the　other　hand；　the　Semites；　as　far　as　Phenicia；

were　extensively　influenced　by　Egypt。



It　is　generally　admitted　that　Moses；　Phinehas　（and　perhaps

Aaron）；　are　names　of　Egyptian　origin；　and　there　is　excellent

authority　for　the　statement　that　the　name　Abir；　which　the

Israelites　gave　to　their　golden　calf；　and　which　is　also　used　to

signify　the　strong；　the　heavenly；　and　even　God；　is　simply

the　Egyptian　Apis。　Brugsch　points　out　that　the　god；　Tum　or　Tom；

who　was　the　special　object　of　worship　in　the　city　of　Pi…Tom；

with　which　the　Israelites　were　only　too　familiar；　was　called

Ankh　and　the　〃great　god；〃　and　had　no　image。　Ankh　means　〃He　who

lives；〃　〃the　living　one；〃　a　name　the　resemblance　of　which　to　the

〃I　am　that　I　am〃　of　Exodus　is　unmistakable；　whatever　may　be　the

value　of　the　fact。　Every　discussion　of　Israelitic　ritual　seeks

and　finds　the　explanation　of　its　details　in　the　portable　sacred

chests；　the　altars；　the　priestly　dress；　the　breastplate；　the

incense；　and　the　sacrifices　depicted　on　the　monuments　of　Egypt。

But　it　must　be　remembered　that　these　signs　of　the　influence　of

Egypt　upon　Israel　are　not　necessarily　evidence　that　such

influence　was　exerted　before　the　Exodus。　It　may　have　come　much

later；　through　the　close　connection　of　the　Israel　of　David　and

Solomon；　first　with　Phenicia　and　then　with　Egypt。



If　we　suppose　Moses　to　have　been　a　man　of　the　stamp　of　Calvin；

there　is　no　difficulty　in　conceiving　that　he　may　have

constructed　the　substance　of　the　ten　words；　and　even　of　the　Book

of　the　Covenant；　which　curiously　resembles　parts　of　the　Book　of

the　Dead；　from　the　foundation　of　Egyptian　ethics　and　theology

which　had　filtered　through　to　the　Israelites　in　general；　or　had

been　furnished　specially　to　himself　by　his　early　education；

just　as　the　great　Genevese　reformer　built　up　a　puritanic　social

organisation　on　so　much　as　remained　of　the　ethics　and　theology

of　the　Roman　Church；　after　he　had　trimmed　them　to　his　liking。



Thus；　I　repeat；　I　see　no　a　priori　objection　to　the

assumption　that　Moses　may　have　endeavoured　to　give　his　people　a

theologico…political　organisation　based　on　the　ten　commandments

（though　certainly　not　quite　in　their　present　for