the evolution of theology-第3章

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in　this　sense；　for　he　asks　〃What　form　is　HE　of？〃



This　fact；　that　the　name　of　Elohim　is　applied　to　a　ghost；　or

disembodied　soul；　conceived　as　the　image　of　the　body　in　which　it

once　dwelt；　is　of　no　little　importance。　For　it　is　well　known

that　the　same　term　was　employed　to　denote　the　gods　of　the

heathen；　who　were　thought　to　have　definite　quasi…corporeal　forms

and　to　be　as　much　real　entities　as　any　other　Elohim。　The

difference　which　was　supposed　to　exist　between　the　different

Elohim　was　one　of　degree；　not　one　of　kind。　Elohim　was；　in

logical　terminology；　the　genus　of　which　ghosts；　Chemosh；　Dagon；

Baal；　and　Jahveh　were　species。　The　Israelite　believed　Jahveh　to

be　immeasurably　superior　to　all　other　kinds　of　Elohim。　The

inscription　on　the　Moabite　stone　shows　that　King　Mesa　held

Chemosh　to　be；　as　unquestionably；　the　superior　of　Jahveh。　But　if

Jahveh　was　thus　supposed　to　differ　only　in　degree　from　the

undoubtedly　zoomorphic　or　anthropomorphic　〃gods　of　the　nations；〃

why　is　it　to　be　assumed　that　he　also　was　not　thought　of　as

having　a　human　shape？　It　is　possible　for　those　who　forget　that

the　time　of　the　great　prophetic　writers　is　at　least　as　remote

from　that　of　Saul　as　our　day　is　from　that　of　Queen　Elizabeth；　to

insist　upon　interpreting　the　gross　notions　current　in　the

earlier　age　and　among　the　mass　of　the　people　by　the　refined

conceptions　promulgated　by　a　few　select　spirits　centuries　later。

But　if　we　take　the　language　constantly　used　concerning　the　Deity

in　the　books　of　Genesis；　Exodus；　Joshua；　Judges；　Samuel；　or

Kings；　in　its　natural　sense　（and　I　am　aware　of　no　valid　reason

which　can　be　given　for　taking　it　in　any　other　sense）；　there

cannot；　to　my　mind；　be　a　doubt　that　Jahveh　was　conceived　by

those　from　whom　the　substance　of　these　books　is　mainly　derived；

to　possess　the　appearance　and　the　intellectual　and　moral

attributes　of　a　man；　and；　indeed；　of　a　man　of　just　that　type

with　which　the　Israelites　were　familiar　in　their　stronger　and

intellectually　abler　rulers　and　leaders。　In　a　well…known　passage

in　Genesis　（i。　27）　Elohim　is　said　to　have　〃created　man　in　his

own　image；　in　the　image　of　Elohim　created　he　him。〃　It　is　〃man〃

who　is　here　said　to　be　the　image　of　Elohimnot　man's　soul

alone；　still　less　his　〃reason；〃　but　the　whole　man。　It　is　obvious

that　for　those　who　call　a　manlike　ghost　Elohim；　there　could　be

no　difficulty　in　conceiving　any　other　Elohim　under　the　same

aspect。　And　if　there　could　be　any　doubt　on　this　subject；　surely

it　cannot　stand　in　the　face　of　what　we　find　in　the　fifth

chapter；　where；　immediately　after　a　repetition　of　the　statement

that　〃Elohim　created　man；　in　the　likeness　of　Elohim　made　he

him；〃　it　is　said　that　Adam　begat　Seth　〃in　his　own　likeness；

after　his　image。〃　Does　this　mean　that　Seth　resembled　Adam　only

in　a　spiritual　and　figurative　sense？　And　if　that　interpretation

of　the　third　verse　of　the　fifth　chapter　of　Genesis　is　absurd；

why　does　it　become　reasonable　in　the　first　verse　of　the

same　chapter？



But　let　us　go　further。　Is　not　the　Jahveh　who　〃walks　in　the

garden　in　the　cool　of　the　day〃；　from　whom　one　may　hope　to　〃hide

oneself　among　the　trees〃；　of　whom　it　is　expressly　said　that

〃Moses　and　Aaron；　Nadab　and　Abihu；　and　seventy　of　the　elders　of

Israel；〃　saw　the　Elohim　of　Israel　（Exod。　xxiv。　9…11）；　and　that；

although　the　seeing　Jahveh　was　understood　to　be　a　high　crime　and

misdemeanour；　worthy　of　death；　under　ordinary　circumstances；

yet；　for　this　once；　he　〃laid　not　his　hand　on　the　nobles　of

Israel〃；　〃that　they　beheld　Elohim　and　did　eat　and　drink〃；

and　that　afterwards　Moses　saw　his　back　（Exod。　xxxiii。　23）is

not　this　Deity　conceived　as　manlike　in　form？　Again；　is　not　the

Jahveh　who　eats　with　Abraham　under　the　oaks　at　Mamre；　who　is

pleased　with　the　〃sweet　savour〃　of　Noah's　sacrifice；　to　whom

sacrifices　are　said　to　be　〃food〃is　not　this　Deity　depicted

as　possessed　of　human　appetites？　If　this　were　not　the　current

Israelitish　idea　of　Jahveh　even　in　the　eighth　century　B。C。；

where　is　the　point　of　Isaiah's　scathing　admonitions　to　his

countrymen：　〃To　what　purpose　is　the　multitude　of　your　sacrifices

unto　me？　saith　Jahveh：　I　am　full　of　the　burnt…offerings　of　rams

and　the　fat　of　fed　beasts；　and　I　delight　not　in　the　blood　of

bullocks；　or　of　lambs；　or　of　he…goats〃　（Isa。　i。　11）。　Or　of

Micah's　inquiry；　〃Will　Jahveh　be　pleased　with　thousands　of　rams

or　with　ten　thousands　of　rivers　of　oil？〃　（vi。　7。）　And　in　the

innumerable　passages　in　which　Jahveh　is　said　to　be　jealous　of

other　gods；　to　be　angry；　to　be　appeased；　and　to　repent；　in　which

he　is　represented　as　casting　off　Saul　because　the　king　does　not

quite　literally　execute　a　command　of　the　most　ruthless　severity；

or　as　smiting　Uzzah　to　death　because　the　unfortunate　man

thoughtlessly；　but　naturally　enough；　put　out　his　hand　to　stay

the　ark　from　fallingcan　any　one　deny　that　the　old　Israelites

conceived　Jahveh　not　only　in　the　image　of　a　man；　but　in　that　of

a　changeable；　irritable；　and；　occasionally；　violent　man？

There　appears　to　me；　then；　to　be　no　reason　to　doubt　that　the

notion　of　likeness　to　man；　which　was　indubitably　held　of　the

ghost　Elohim；　was　carried　out　consistently　throughout　the　whole

series　of　Elohim；　and　that　Jahveh…Elohim　was　thought　of　as　a

being　of　the　same　substantially　human　nature　as　the　rest；　only

immeasurably　more　powerful　for　good　and　for　evil。



The　absence　of　any　real　distinction　between　the　Elohim　of

different　ranks　is　further　clearly　illustrated　by　the

corresponding　absence　of　any　sharp　delimitation　between　the

various　kinds　of　people　who　serve　as　the　media　of　communication

between　them　and　men。　The　agents　through　whom　the　lower　Elohim

are　consulted　are　called　necromancers；　wizards；　and　diviners；

and　are　looked　down　upon　by　the　prophets　and　priests　of　the

higher　Elohim；　but　the　〃seer〃　connects　the　two；　and　they　are

all　alike　in　their　essential　characters　of　media。　The　wise　woman

of　Endor　was　believed　by　others；　and；　I　have　little　doubt；

believed　herself；　to　be　able　to　〃bring　up〃　whom　she　would　from

Sheol；　and　to　be　inspired；　whether　in　virtue　of　actual

possession　by　the　evoked　Elohim；　or　otherwise；　with　a　knowledge

of　hidden　things；　I　am　unable　to　see　that　Saul's　servant　took

any　really　different　view　of　Samuel's　powers；　though　he　may　have

believed　that　he　obtained　them　by　the　grace　of　the　higher

Elohim。　For　when　Saul　fails　to　find　his　father's　asses；　his

servant　says　to　him





Behold；　there　is　in　this　city　a　man　of　Elohim；　and　he　is　a　man

that　is　held　in　honour；　all　that　he　saith　cometh　surely　to　pass；

now　let　us　go　thither；　peradventure；　he　can　tell　us　concerning

our　journey　whereon　we　go。　Then　said　Saul　to　his　servant；　But

behold　if　we　go；　what　shall　we　bring　the　man？　for　the　bread　is

spent　in　our　vessels　and　there　is　not　a　present　to　bring　to　the

man　of　Elohim。　What　have　we？　And　the　servant　answered　Saul　again

and　said；　Behold　I　have　in　my　hand　the　fourth　part　of　a　shekel

of　silver：　that　will　I　give　to　the　man　of　Elohim　to　tell　us　our

way。　（Beforetime　in　Israel　when　a　man　went　to　inquire　of　Elohim；

then　he　said；　Come　and　let　us　go　to　the　Seer：　for　he　that　is　now

called　a　Prophet　was　beforetime　called　a　Seer）

（1　Sam。　ix。　6…10）。





In　fact；　when；　shortly　afterwards；　Saul　accidentally　meets

Samuel；　he　says；　〃Tell　me；　I　pray　thee；　where　the　Seer's　house

is。〃　Samuel　answers；　〃I　am　the　Seer。〃　Immediately　afterwards

Samuel　informs　Saul　that　the　asses　are　found；　though　how　he

obtained　his　knowledge　of　the　fact　is　not　stated。　It　will　be

observed　that　Samuel　is　not　spoken　of　here　as；　in　any　special

sense；　a　seer　or　prophet　of　Jahveh；　but　as　a　〃man　of　Elohim〃

that　is　to　say；　a　seer　having　access　to　the　〃spiritual　powers；〃

just　as　the　wise　woman　of　Endor　might　have　been　said　to　be　a

〃woman　of　Elohim〃and　the　narrator's　or　editor's　explanatory

note　seems　to　indicate　that　〃Prophet〃　is　merely　a　name；

introduced　later　than　the　time　of　Samuel；　for　a　superior　kind　of

〃Seer