the evolution of theology-第4章

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

〃Seer；〃　or　〃man　of　Elohim。〃



Another　very　instructive　passage　shows　that　Samuel　was　not　only

considered　to　be　diviner；　seer；　and　prophet　in　one；　but　that　he

was　also；　to　all　intents　and　purposes；　priest　of　Jahvehthough；

according　to　his　biographer；　he　was　not　a　member　of　the　tribe　of

Levi。　At　the　outset　of　their　acquaintance；　Samuel　says　to　Saul；

〃Go　up　before　me　into　the　high　place；〃　where；　as　the　young

maidens　of　the　city　had　just　before　told　Saul；　the　Seer　was

going；　〃for　the　people　will　not　eat　till　he　come；　because　he

doth　bless　the　sacrifice〃　（1　Sam。　x。　12）。　The　use　of　the　word

〃bless〃　hereas　if　Samuel　were　not　going　to　sacrifice；　but　only

to　offer　a　blessing　or　thanksgivingis　curious。　But　that　Samuel

really　acted　as　priest　seems　plain　from　what　follows。　For　he　not

only　asks　Saul　to　share　in　the　customary　sacrificial　feast；　but

he　disposes　in　Saul's　favour　of　that　portion　of　the　victim　which

the　Levitical　legislation；　doubtless　embodying　old　customs；

recognises　as　the　priest's　special　property。



Although　particular　persons　adopted　the　profession　of　media

between　men　and　Elohim；　there　was　no　limitation　of　the　power；　in

the　view　of　ancient　Israel；　to　any　special　class　of　the

population。　Saul　inquires　of　Jahveh　and　builds　him　altars　on　his

own　account；　and　in　the　very　remarkable　story　told　in　the

fourteenth　chapter　of　the　first　book　of　Samuel　（v。　37…46）；　Saul

appears　to　conduct　the　whole　process　of　divination；　although　he

has　a　priest　at　his　elbow。　David　seems　to　do　the　same。



Moreover；　Elohim　constantly　appear　in　dreamswhich　in　old

Israel　did　not　mean　that；　as　we　should　say；　the　subject　of　the

appearance　〃dreamed　he　saw　the　spirit〃；　but　that　he　veritably

saw　the　Elohim　which；　as　a　soul；　visited　his　soul　while　his　body

was　asleep。　And；　in　the　course　of　the　history　of　Israel　Jahveh

himself　thus　appears　to　all　sorts　of　persons；　non…Israelites　as

well　as　Israelites。　Again；　the　Elohim　possess；　or　inspire；

people　against　their　will；　as　in　the　case　of　Saul　and　Saul's

messengers；　and　then　these　people　prophesythat　is　to　say；

〃rave〃and　exhibit　the　ungoverned　gestures　attributed　by　a

later　age　to　possession　by　malignant　spirits。　Apart　from　other

evidence　to　be　adduced　by　and　by；　the　history　of　ancient

demonology　and　of　modern　revivalism　does　not　permit　me　to　doubt

that　the　accounts　of　these　phenomena　given　in　the　history　of

Saul　may　be　perfectly　historical。



In　the　ritual　practices；　of　which　evidence　is　to　be　found　in　the

books　of　Judges　and　Samuel；　the　chief　part　is　played　by

sacrifices；　usually　burnt　offerings。　Whenever　the　aid　of　the

Elohim　of　Israel　is　sought；　or　thanks　are　considered　due　to　him；

an　altar　is　built；　and　oxen；　sheep；　and　goats　are　slaughtered

and　offered　up。　Sometimes　the　entire　victim　is　burnt　as　a

holocaust；　more　frequently　only　certain　parts；　notably　the　fat

about　the　kidneys；　are　burnt　on　the　altar。　The　rest　is　properly

cooked；　and；　after　the　reservation　of　a　part　for　the　priest；　is

made　the　foundation　of　a　joyous　banquet；　in　which　the

sacrificer；　his　family；　and　such　guests　as　he　thinks　fit　to

invite；　participate。　Elohim　was　supposed　to　share　in　the

feast；　and　it　has　been　already　shown　that　that　which　was　set

apart　on　the　altar；　or　consumed　by　fire；　was　spoken　of　as　the

food　of　Elohim；　who　was　thought　to　be　influenced　by　the

costliness；　or　by　the　pleasant　smell；　of　the　sacrifice　in　favour

of　the　sacrificer。



All　this　bears　out　the　view　that；　in　the　mind　of　the　old

Israelite；　there　was　no　difference；　save　one　of　degree；　between

one　Elohim　and　another。　It　is　true　that　there　is　but　little

direct　evidence　to　show　that　the　old　Israelites　shared　the

widespread　belief　of　their　own；　and　indeed　of　all　times；　that

the　spirits　of　the　dead　not　only　continue　to　exist；　but　are

capable　of　a　ghostly　kind　of　feeding　and　are　grateful　for　such

aliment　as　can　be　assimilated　by　their　attenuated　substance；　and

even　for　clothes；　ornaments；　and　weapons。　That　they　were

familiar　with　this　doctrine　in　the　time　of　the　captivity　is

suggested　by　the　well…known　reference　of　Ezekiel　（xxxii。　27）　to

the　〃mighty　that　are　fallen　of　the　uncircumcised；　which　are　gone

down　to　＇Sheol＇　hell　with　their　weapons　of　war；　and　have　laid

their　swords　under　their　heads。〃　Perhaps　there　is　a　still

earlier　allusion　in　the　〃giving　of　food　for　the　dead〃　spoken　of

in　Deuteronomy　（xxvi。　14）。



It　must　be　remembered　that　the　literature　of　the　old　Israelites；

as　it　lies　before　us；　has　been　subjected　to　the　revisal　of

strictly　monotheistic　editors；　violently　opposed　to　all　kinds　of

idolatry；　who　are　not　likely　to　have　selected　from　the　materials

at　their　disposal　any　obvious　evidence；　either　of　the　practice

under　discussion；　or　of　that　ancestor…worship　which　is　so

closely　related　to　it；　for　preservation　in　the　permanent　records

of　their　people。



The　mysterious　objects　known　as　Teraphim；　which　are

occasionally　mentioned　in　Judges；　Samuel；　and　elsewhere；

however；　can　hardly　be　interpreted　otherwise　than　as　indications

of　the　existence　both　of　ancestor…worship　and　of　image…worship

in　old　Israel。　The　teraphim　were　certainly　images　of　family

gods；　and；　as　such；　in　all　probability　represented　deceased

ancestors。　Laban　indignantly　demands　of　his　son…in…law；

〃Wherefore　hast　thou　stolen　my　Elohim？〃　which　Rachel；　who　must

be　assumed　to　have　worshipped　Jacob's　God；　Jahveh；　had　carried

off；　obviously　because　she；　like　her　father；　believed　in　their

divinity。　It　is　not　suggested　that　Jacob　was　in　any　way

scandalised　by　the　idolatrous　practices　of　his　favourite　wife；

whatever　he　may　have　thought　of　her　honesty　when　the　truth　came

to　light；　for　the　teraphim　seem　to　have　remained　in　his　camp；　at

least　until　he　〃hid〃　his　strange　gods　〃under　the　oak　that　was　by

Shechem〃　（Gen。　xxxv。　4）。　And　indeed　it　is　open　to　question　if　he

got　rid　of　them　then；　for　the　subsequent　history　of　Israel

renders　it　more　than　doubtful　whether　the　teraphim　were　regarded

as　〃strange　gods〃　even　as　late　as　the　eighth　century　B。C。



The　writer　of　the　books　of　Samuel　takes　it　quite　as　a　matter　of

course　that　Michal；　daughter　of　one　royal　Jahveh　worshipper　and

wife　of　the　servant　of　Jahveh　par　excellence；　the　pious

David；　should　have　her　teraphim　handy；　in　her　and　David's

chamber；　when　she　dresses　them　up　in　their　bed　into　a　simulation

of　her　husband；　for　the　purpose　of　deceiving　her　father's

messengers。　Even　one　of　the　early　prophets；　Hosea；　when　he

threatens　that　the　children　of　Israel　shall　abide　many　days

without　〃ephod　or　teraphim〃　（iii。　4）；　appears　to　regard　both　as

equally　proper　appurtenances　of　the　suspended　worship　of　Jahveh；

and　equally　certain　to　be　restored　when　that　is　resumed。　When　we

further　take　into　consideration　that　only　in　the　reign　of

Hezekiah　was　the　brazen　serpent；　preserved　in　the　temple　and

believed　to　be　the　work　of　Moses；　destroyed；　and　the　practice　of

offering　incense　to　it；　that　is；　worshipping　it；　abolishedthat

Jeroboam　could　set　up　〃calves　of　gold〃　for　Israel　to　worship；

with　apparently　none　but　a　political　object；　and　certainly　with

no　notion　of　creating　a　schism　among　the　worshippers　of　Jahveh；

or　of　repelling　the　men　of　Judah　from　his　standardit　seems

obvious；　either　that　the　Israelites　of　the　tenth　and　eleventh

centuries　B。C。　knew　not　the　second　commandment；　or　that　they

construed　it　merely　as　part　of　the　prohibition　to　worship　any

supreme　god　other　than　Jahveh；　which　precedes　it。



In　seeking　for　information　about　the　teraphim；　I　lighted　upon

the　following　passage　in　the　valuable　article　on　that　subject　by

Archdeacon　Farrar；　in　Ritto's　〃Cyclopaedia　of　Biblical

Literature；〃　which　is　so　much　to　the　purpose　of　my　argument；

that　I　venture　to　quote　it　in　full：





The　main　and　certain　results　of　this　review　are　that　the

teraphim　were　rude　human　images；　that　the　use　of　them　was