the evolution of theology-第4部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



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；〃　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

ev