Afewofthestatementsofthischampionoforthodoxymaybenoted。HeallowedthattheweekofsevendaysandtheSabbathrestareofBabylonianorigin；indeed，thattheveryword“Sabbath“isBabylonian；thattherearetwonarrativesofCreationontheBabyloniantablets，wonderfullylikethetwoleadingHebrewnarrativesinGenesis，andthatthelatterwereundoubtedlydrawnfromtheformer；thatthe“gardenofEden“anditsmysticaltreewereknowntotheinhabitantsofChaldeainpre-Semiticdays；thatthebeliefsthatwomanwascreatedoutofman，andthatmanbysinfellfromastateofinnocence，aredrawnfromveryancientChaldean-Babyloniantexts；thatAssyriologyconfirmsthebeliefthatthebookGenesisisacompilation；thatportionsofitarebynomeanssooldasthetimeofMoses；thattheexpressioninoursacredbook，“TheLordsmelledasweetsavour“atthesacrificemadebyNoah，is“identicalwiththatoftheBabylonianpoet“；that“itisimpossibletobelievethatthelanguageofthelatterwasnotknowntothebiblicalwriter“andthatthestoryofJosephandPotiphar’swifewasdrawninpartfromtheoldEgyptiantaleofTheTwoBrothers。Finally，afteramultitudeofotherconcessions，Prof。SayceallowedthatthebookofJonah，sofarfrombeingtheworkoftheprophethimself，cannothavebeenwrittenuntiltheAssyrianEmpirewasathingofthepast；thatthebookofDanielcontainsseriousmistakes；thattheso-calledhistoricalchaptersofthatbooksoconflictwiththemonumentsthattheauthorcannothavebeenacontemporaryofNebuchadnezzarandCyrus；that“thestoryofBelshazzar’sfallisnothistorical“；thattheBelshazzarreferredtoinitasking，andasthesonofNehuchadnezzar，wasnotthesonofNebuchadnezzar，andwasneverking；that“KingDariustheMede。”
　　whoplayssogreatapartinthestory，neverexisted；thatthebookassociatespersonsandeventsreallymanyyearsapart，andthatitmusthavebeenwrittenataperiodfarlaterthanthetimeassignedinitforitsownorigin。
　　AstothebookofEzra，hetellsusthatweareconfrontedbyachronologicalinconsistencywhichnoamountofingenuitycanexplainaway。HealsoacknowledgesthatthebookofEsther“containsmanyexaggerationsandimprobabilities，andissimplyfoundedupononeofthosesamehistoricaltalesofwhichthePersianchroniclesseemtohavebeenfull。”Greatwasthedissatisfactionofthetraditionalistswiththeirexpectedchampion；wellmighttheyrepeatthewordsofBalaktoBalaam，“I
　　calledtheetocursemineenemies，and，behold，thouhastaltogetherblessedthem。”[495]
　　[495]ForProf。Brown’sdiscussion，seehisAssyriology，itsUseandAbuseinOldTestamentStudy，NewYork，1885，passim。ForProf。Sayce’sviews，seeTheHigherCriticismandtheMonuments，thirdedition，London，1894，andespeciallyhisowncuriousanticipation，inthefirstlinesofthepreface，thathemustfailtosatisfyeitherside。Forthedeclarationthatthe“highercritic“withallhisoffencesisnoworsethantheorthodox“apologist。”seep。21。Fortheimportantadmissionthatthesamecriterionmustbeappliedinresearchesintoourownsacredbooksasintoothers，andevenintothemediaevalchronicles，seep。26。ForjustificationofcriticalscepticismregardingthehistorygiveninthebookofDaniel，seepp。27，28，alsochap。ix。Forveryfullandexplicitstatements，withproofs，thatthe“Sabbath。”bothinnameandnature，wasderivedbytheHebrewsfromtheChaldeans，seepp。74etseq。Foraveryfullandfairacknowledgmentofthe“BabylonianelementinGenesis。”seechap。iii，includingthestatementregardingthestatementinoursacredbook，“TheLordsmelledasweetsavour。”
　　atthesacrificemadebyNoah，etc。，onp。119。Foranexcellentsummaryofthework，seeDr。Driver’sarticleintheContemporaryReviewforMarch，1894。Forapungentbutwell-deservedrebukeofProf。Sayce’srecentattemptstopropitiatepioussubscriberstohisarchaeologicalfund，seeProf。A。A。Bevan，intheContemporaryReviewforDecember，1895。FortheinscriptionontheAssyriantabletsrelatingindetailtheexposureofKingSargoninabasketofrushes，hisrescueandrule，seeGeorgeSmith，ChaldeanaccountofGenesis，Sayce’sedition，London，1880，pp。319，320。ForthefrequentrecurrenceoftheSargonandMoseslegendinancientfolklore，seeMasperoandSayce，DawnofHistory，p。598andnote。Forvariousotherpointsofsimilarinterest，seeibid。，passim，especiallychaps。xviandxvii；alsoJensen，DieKosmologiederBabylonier，andSchrader，TheCuneiformInscriptionsandtheOldTestament；alsoLenormant，Originesdel’Histoire。
　　NolessfruitfulhavebeenmodernresearchesinEgypt。While，ononehand，theyhaverevealedaveryconsiderablenumberofgeographicalandarchaeologicalfactsprovingthegoodfaithofthenarrativesenteringintothebooksattributedtoMoses，andhavethusmadeourearlysacredliteratureallthemorevaluable，theyhaveatthesametimerevealedthelimitationsofthesacredauthorsandcompilers。TheyhavebroughttolightfactsutterlydisprovingthesacredHebrewdateofcreationandthemainframeworkoftheearlybiblicalchronology；theyhaveshownthesuggestivecorrespondencebetweenthetenantediluvianpatriarchsinGenesisandthetenearlydynastiesoftheEgyptiangods，andhaveplacedbythesideofthesethetenantediluviankingsofChaldeantradition，thetenheroesofArmenia，thetenprimevalkingsofPersiansacredtradition，theten“fathers“ofHindusacredtradition，andmultitudesofothertens，throwingmuchlightonthemannerinwhichthesacredchroniclesofancientnationsweregenerallydeveloped。
　　ThesescholarshavealsofoundthatthelegendsoftheplaguesofEgyptareinthemainbutnaturalexaggerationsofwhatoccurseveryyear；as，forexample，thechangingofthewateroftheNileintoblood——evidentlysuggestedbythephenomenaexhibitedeverysummer，when，asvariouseminentscholars，and，mostrecentofall，MasperoandSayce，tellus，“aboutthemiddleofJuly，ineightortendaystheriverturnsfromgrayishbluetodarkred，occasionallyofsointenseacolourastolooklikenewlyshedblood。”Thesemodernresearcheshavealsoshownthatsomeofthemostimportantfeaturesinthelegendscannotpossiblybereconciledwiththerecordsofthemonuments；forexample，thatthePharaohoftheExoduswascertainlynotoverwhelmedintheRedSea。AstothesupernaturalfeaturesoftheHebrewrelationswithEgypt，eventhemostdevotedapologistshavebecomediscreetlysilent。
　　EgyptologistshavealsotranslatedforustheoldNilestoryofTheTwoBrothers，andhaveshown，aswehavealreadyseen，thatoneofthemoststrikingpartsofoursacredJosephlegendwasdrawnfromit；theyhavebeenobligedtoadmitthatthestoryoftheexposureofMosesinthebasketofrushes，hisrescue，andhissubsequentgreatness，hadbeenpreviouslytold，longbeforeMoses’stime，notonlyofKingSargon，butofvariousothergreatpersonagesoftheancientworld；theyhavepublishedplansofEgyptiantemplesandcopiesofthesculpturesupontheirwalls，revealingtheearlieroriginofsomeofthemoststrikingfeaturesoftheworshipandceremonialclaimedtohavebeenrevealedespeciallytotheHebrews；theyhavefoundintheEgyptianBookoftheDead，andinvariousinscriptionsoftheNiletemplesandtombs，earliersourcesofmuchintheethicssolongclaimedtohavebeenrevealedonlytothechosenpeopleintheBookoftheCovenant，inthetencommandments，andelsewhere；
　　theyhavegiventotheworldcopiesoftheEgyptiantextsshowingthatthetheologyoftheNilewasoneofvariousfruitfulsourcesoflaterideas，statements，andpracticesregardingthebrazenserpent，thegoldencalf，trinities，miraculousconceptions，incarnations，resurrections，ascensions，andthelike，andthatEgyptiansacro-scientificideascontributedtoearlyJewishandChristiansacredliteraturestatements，beliefs，andevenphrasesregardingtheCreation，astronomy，geography，magic，medicine，diabolicalinfluences，withamultitudeofotherideas，whichwealsofindcomingintoearlyJudaismingreaterorlessdegreefromChaldeanandPersiansources。
　　ButEgyptology，whilethusaidingtosweepawaytheformerconceptionofoursacredbooks，hasaidedbiblicalcriticisminmakingthemfarmoreprecious；forithasshownthemtobeapartofthatlivinggrowthofsacredliteraturewhoserootsareinallthegreatcivilizationsofthepast，andthroughwhosetrunkandbranchesareflowingthecurrentswhicharetoinfuseahigherreligiousandethicallifeintothecivilizationsofthefuture。[496]
　　[496]ForgeneralstatementsofagreementsanddisagreementsbetweenbiblicalaccountsandtherevelationsoftheEgyptianmonuments，seeSayce，TheHigherCriticismandtheMonuments，especiallychap。iv。FordiscrepanciesbetweentheHebrewsacredaccountsofJewishrelationswithEgyptandtherevelationsofmodernEgyptianresearch，seeSharpe，HistoryofEgypt；Flinders，Patrie，HistoryofEgypt；andespeciallyMasperoandSayce，TheDawnofCivilizationinEgyptandChaldea，London，publishedbytheSocietyforPromotingChristianKnowledge，1894。ForthestatementregardingtheNile，thataboutthemiddleofJuly“ineightortendaysitturnsfromgrayishbluetodarkred，occasionallyofsointenseacolourastolooklikenewlyshedblood。”seeMasperoandSayce，asabove，p。23。FortherelationoftheJosephlegendtotheTaleofTwoBrothers，seeSharpeandotherscited。Forexamplesofexposureofvariousgreatpersonagesofantiquityintheirchildhood，seeG。Smith，ChaldeanAccountsofGenesis，Sayce’sedition，p。320。FortherelationoftheBookoftheDead，etc。，toHebrewethics，seeastrikingpassageinHuxley’sessayonTheEvolutionofTheology，alsootherscitedinthischapter。AstotrinitiesinEgyptandChaldea，seeMasperoandSayce，especiallypp。104-106，175，and659-663。FormiraculousconceptionandbirthofsonsofRa，ibid。，pp。388，389。ForascensionofRaintoheaven，ibid。，pp。
　　167，168；forresurrections，seeibid。，p。695，alsorepresentationsinLepsius，Prissed’Avennes，etal。；andforstrikingresemblancebetweenEgyptianandHebrewritualandworship，andespeciallytheark，cherubim，ephod，UrimandThummim，andwaveofferings，seethesame，passim。Foraveryfullexhibitionofthewholesubject，seeRenan，HistoireduPeupleIsrael，vol。i，chap。xi。ForEgyptianandChaldeanideasinastronomy，outofwhichHebrewideasof“thefirmament。”
　　“pillarsofheaven。”etc。，weredeveloped，seetextandengravingsinMasperoandSayce，pp。17and543。ForcreationofmanoutofclaybyadivinebeinginEgypt，seeMasperoandSayce，p。154；forasimilarideainChaldea，seeibid。，p。545；
　　andforthecreationoftheuniversebyaword，ibid。，pp。146，147。ForEgyptianandChaldeanideasonmagicandmedicine，dreadofevilspirits，etc。，anticipatingthoseoftheHebrewScriptures，seeMasperoandSayce，asabove，pp。212-214，217，636；andforextensionofthesetoneighboringnations，pp。782，783。Forvisionsanduseofdreamsasoracles，ibid。，p。641andelsewhere。Seealso，ontheseandotherresemblances，Lenormant，Originesdel’Histoire，vol。i，passim；seealsoGeorgeSmithandSayce，asabove，chaps。xviandxvii，forresemblancesespeciallystriking，combiningtoshowhowsimplewastheevolutionofmanyHebrewsacredlegendsandideasoutofthoseearliercivilizations。ForanespeciallyinterestingpresentationofthereasonswhyEgyptianideasofimmortalitywerenotseizeduponbytheJews，seetheRev。BarhamZincke’sworkuponEgypt。Forthesacrificialvessels，templerites，etc。，seethebas-reliefs，figuredbyLepsius，Prissed’Avennes，Mariette，Maspero，et。al。
　　ForastrikingsummarybyabrilliantscholaranddivineoftheAnglicanChurch，seeMahaffy，ProlegomenatoAnc。Hist。，citedinSunderland，TheBible，NewYork，1893，p。21，note。
　　Butwhilearchaeologiststhusinfluencedenlightenedopinion，anotherbodyofscholarsrenderedservicesofadifferentsort——thecentreoftheirenterprisebeingtheUniversityofOxford。BytheireffortswaspresentedtotheEnglish-speakingworldaseriesoftranslationsofthesacredbooksoftheEast，whichshowedtherelationsofthemoreEasternsacredliteraturetoourown，andprovedthatinthereligionsoftheworldtheideaswhichhavecomeasthegreatestblessingstomankindarenotofsuddenrevelationorcreation，butofslowevolutionoutofaremotepast。
　　Thefactsthusshowndidnotatfirstelicitmuchgratitudefromsupportersoftraditionaltheology，andperhapsfewthingsbroughtmoreobloquyonRenan，foratime，thanhisstatementthat“theinfluenceofPersiaisthemostpowerfultowhichIsraelwassubmitted。”Whetherthiswasanoverstatementornot，itwassoonseentocontainmuchtruth。NotonlywasitmadeclearbystudyoftheZendAvestathattheOldandNewTestamentideasregardingSatanicanddemoniacalmodesofactionwerelargelyduetoPersiansources，butitwasalsoshownthattheideaofimmortalitywasmainlydevelopedintheHebrewmindduringthecloserelationsoftheJewswiththePersians。Norwasthisall。IntheZendAvestawerefoundinearlierformsundrymythsandlegendswhich，judgingfromtheirfrequentappearanceinearlyreligions，grownaturallyaboutthehistoryoftheadoredteachersofourrace。TypicalamongthesewastheTemptationofZoroaster。
　　Itisafactverysignificantandfullofpromisethatthefirstlarge，frank，andexplicitrevelationregardingthiswholesubjectinformavailableforthegeneralthinkingpublicwasgiventotheEnglish-speakingworldbyaneminentChristiandivineandscholar，theRev。Dr。Mills。Havingalreadyshownhimselfbyhistranslationsamostcompetentauthorityonthesubject，hein1894calledattention，inareviewwidelyread，to“thenowundoubtedandlongsincesuspectedfactthatitpleasedtheDivinePowertorevealsomeoftheimportantarticlesofourCatholiccreedfirsttotheZoroastrians，andthroughtheirliteraturetotheJewsandourselves。”AmongthesebeliefsDr。
　　MillstracedoutveryconclusivelymanyJewishdoctrinesregardingtheattributesofGod，andall，virtually，regardingtheattributesofSatan。
　　There，too，hefoundaccountsoftheMiraculousConception，VirginBirth，andTemptationofZoroaster，Astothelast，Dr。