my opinion incorrect. I shall show this first from the O.T., in order then to go on and investigate the connection which existed between the worship of the Baalim and of JHVH. We will, finally, fix our attention upon the Temple at Mecca, and enquire whether the phenomena, which present themselves there, are such as to negative our conclusion.

among the northern tribes of Syro-Phoenicia, the two names being represented in Greek, by profane and Christian writers, by the very same letters IAQ.

Accordingly, we find Phoenician names compounded with Jah, just exactly as Hebrew names, e.g. 'Aßdaîos Obadiah, Bithias=Bithiah, comp. Abdiel, Bethuel (P.V.339). So Rezon, the Syrian of Zobah, was the son of Elyadah, 1K.xi.23, in the very same age when David's son was called Baalyadah, 1Ch.xiv.7, who appears also as Elyadah in 2S.v.16. This seems to show an identity of worship in Syria and Israel; comp. the similar conversion of Baalberith, Ju.ix.4, into Elberith, Ju.ix.46. This identity, however, is exhibited still more distinctly in the fact that in 2.S.viii.10, the son of Toi, the Syrian King of Hamath, is actually called Joram, i.e., Jehoram, (='JHVH is exalted'), which name appears in 1Ch.xviii.10 as Hadoram. But Hadoram is also the name of an officer of Rehoboam in 2Ch.x.18, who appears as Adoram in 1K.xii. 18, and as Adoniram in 1K.iv.6, v.14. See App.V.

It will be found, as we proceed, that the above view gets rid of some difficulties, and explains some doubtful points, in the views both of OORT and Dozy, and, in fact, as has been said already (note 6), may help, if approved by scholars, to reconcile them.

SECTION I

JHVH THE GOD OF ISRAEL.

17. Ir Baal was anciently the chief Deity of the Israelitish tribes, so that his worship was the lawful, official worship in the days of Moses, and long afterwards, whence, then, came the worship of JHVH ? 9 Will it be maintained that this was first

This question has been answered from my own point of view in P.V. Chap.XIX-XXI: see the preceding note.

I should not say with Prof. Dozy, as quoted by Dr. OORT, that 'Baal was the chief Deity of the Israelitish tribes': rather the Sun was the Baal,' 'the Lord,' the only Deity worshipped by the people, generally, in the days of Saul and David. Nor, taking into account the unhistorical character of the story of the Exodus in the Pentateuch, and especially that of the conquest of Canaan by Joshua,—since half the Book of Joshua is Deuteronomistic (P.V.5), and the rest of it, probably, not older than the time of David or Solomon (P.V.212)-can I see ground for assuming, as a matter of fact, that there was any 'lawful, official worship' established ' in the days of Moses' or for some time after the Exodus. My view is, rather, that the Israelites entered Canaan, probably in large numbers, but as a mere undisciplined horde, and settled down among the inhabitants of the district as they best could, fighting here, intriguing there, but practically, in no long time, overrunning the land. They must probably have had some leader, such as Moses, on their march out of Egypt: but the Bible itself tells us that he died before they entered Canaan. And, as to Joshua, he appears to be entirely a mythical character, most of his great exploits having been recorded only by the Deuteronomist in Josiah's time, and apparently from his own imagination, not even from legendary traditions about him, if any could be supposed to have been handed down vividly through the lapse of eight centuries. For, surely, if such legends were current in the days of Josiah,—and retained so strongly in the recollections of the people, that the Deuteronomist could undertake the task of collecting them, and recording them permanently on parchment,- -we should find some trace of the renown of this great Conqueror in the Psalms and Prophets: whereas his very name is never once

mentioned.

In short, my view is that there was no 'lawful official worship' in Israel, till

entirely overshadowed by Baal-worship, then existed in combination with it, and at last expelled it? 10 This is, in truth, a very improbable supposition. That among a people, which worships many gods, it should happen through various circumstances that now one, now another, should be more highly honoured, is very natural—but not that a people should change its national religion for another, unless it loses also its national character, and thus becomes, as it were, another nation."1

11

the time of David, when the Tabernacle was erected on Mount Zion. In the Tabernacle at Shiloh, apparently the chief Sanctuary in the days of the Judges, 'the Baal' of Syria was worshipped; and possibly as early as Eli's time, or even earlier, the Name JHVH was used in Israel, but not with the high spiritual meaning which was attached to that Name in later days: for the account in 18.i-iii is manifestly a composition out of a much later age-perhaps that of Solomon (P.V.App.III.23, see note 38),—and reflects the spirit and views of the writer, living two centuries after the birth of Samuel. This 'worship of JHVH,' then, came from' the Canaanites; especially, the Name ‘JHVH' seems to have been derived from the more advanced worship of the Syro-Phoenician tribes in the north of Palestine. But the Baal,' the Sun-God, was 'the God of the land' throughout the whole district: and, if his chief place of worship for Israel was at Shiloh, yet 'the Baalim,' as representatives of the Baal,' were doubtless worshipped in various places, as is indicated by the names Baal-Berith, Baal-Gad, Baal-Hamon, Baal-Hazor, Baal-Hermon, Baal-Meon, Baal-Perazim, Baal-Zephon, Baal-Shalisha, Baal-Beer, Baal-Tamar, &c.: comp. also Beth-Shemesh, 'House of the Sun,' with Beth-El, House of El,' and note EnShemesh, 'Fountain of the Sun,' Jo.xv.7,xviii.17, Ir-Shemesh, City of the Sun,' Jo.xix.41, Kheres, 'the Sun,' Ju.i.35, Timnath-Kheres, 'Timnah of the Sun,' Ju.ii.9. Comp. also the mythic Hebrew Hercules, Samson (jivi, 'the Sun'). If even these names were all given originally by the ancient Canaanites, they would prove (i) that the Baal' was the Sun, and (ii) that Sun-worship was at that time common in the land; and the whole history teaches us that the Israelites made such names their own, by adopting the worship of 'the Baalim' all over the land, as in the case of Gideon's father, who had 'an altar of the Baal,' Ju.vi.25.

10 No! Before Samuel's time JHVH-worship was Baal-worship, and such it continued to be for the mass of the people, even down to the time of the Captivity. Only in every age, from Samuel downwards, a few of higher mind were Divinely taught to look themselves, and strove-but for the most part in vain to teach their people to look, above JHVH, the Sun-God, to JEHOVAH, the living Elohim, who made the Sun to rule by day, and the Moon by night.'

11 It will be seen that our view does not require this 'unnatural' supposition. We do not imagine that the Hebrews, on coming out of Egypt, where (if the tradition is to be relied on at all) they had been living in an abject and miserable condition, had any particular national Deity. They most probably worshipped the gods of Egypt (see Ez.xx.7,8), and followed to some extent the Egyptian customs.

18. Every people of antiquity, every tribal confederation, had its God, after whom it was named, in whose name it was summoned to battle, by whom solemn oaths were taken. This God protected his people and fought for it; so that, from the more or fewer victories which the people gained, the might or weakness of its God appeared, 2K.xix. 12. And, naturally, each people regarded its own God as the God of Gods. Moab was the people of Chemosh, N.xxi.29, Jer.xlviii.7,13, 1K.xi.7,33, 2K.xxiii.13; Ammon's God was Milchom, 2K.xxiii.13, anciently,—perhaps when that people was more closely united with the Moabites, -also Chemosh, Ju.xi.24; that of the Philistines was Dagon, Ju.xvi.23, 1S.v.2, that of the Sidonians, Astarte, 1K.xi.5,33.12

19. 'No people ever fell away from its God.' This was in Jeremiah's days a well-known truism, which led him to exclaim to Israel, ii.11:

'Has ever a nation changed its God, though it is no God? Yet my people has changed its Glory for a thing of naught.'

But they had no attachment to this worship as a national worship inherited from their fathers, and would very naturally—if only to ingratiate themselves with the people of the land-adopt the worship which they found in Canaan. And this is just exactly what they did, according to the statements of the Bible itself, though in later Deuteronomistic notices, Ju.ii.11-13, &c. But even the Elohistic story implies that they knew nothing about JHVH till the time of the Exodus, E.vi.2-7, which seems to be based on the historical fact, that they knew nothing of it before they left Egypt and (probably after a short-not forty years'-wandering) entered into Canaan.

Nor again, is there any sign, as it seems to me, of any definite 'national character' having been formed among them, till the time of Samuel's efforts for the organisation of the whole community, the progress of which was somewhat interrupted during the reign of Saul, but brought to completion under David.

The adoption of the religion of Canaan by the invading Israelites may perhaps be paralleled with the adoption of Christianity by the northern barbarians, who made their irruptions into the Roman Empire.

12 But, even according to the Pentateuch itself, JHVH was not the God of Israel before the time of Moses, E.vi.2-7: and this account of the Elohist of Samuel's time seems to point, as we have argued, to the historical fact, that JHVH was not really known to the Israelites until they left Egypt and settled in Canaan; while other indications seem to show, as I have argued in Part V, that in Samuel's days JHVH had been only recently set forth-probably, by Samuel himself—as JEHOVAH, the Living God, the God of Israel.

It may be said, in answer to this complaint, that the Israel of Jeremiah's days was, according to the Prophet himself, an example of a people changing its God. But be it remembered that here an ambassador is speaking, who characterised, as revolt from JHVH, whatever in the popular religion was in his view unlawful, whatever practice conflicted with his own idea of JHVH-ism. Although in Jeremiah's time the Gods of Judah were even more in number than their cities,' Israel was still, nevertheless, then as ever, the people of JHVH.

20. The language of the Prophets, who continually reproached the people with forsaking JHVH,-the notices of the writers of Judges and Samuel, who knew no other causes of national affliction than idolatry, and constantly ascribed the miseries of Israel to that source, might easily lead us on a false track. Before the Captivity, Israel was absolutely not in the possession of Monotheism. A few might raise themselves to this height; but the mass of the people were thorough-going polytheists. Still, that did not prevent JHVH remaining all along the God of Israel.13 An anti-JHVH-istic worship was never popular in Israel.

21. How deeply, indeed, the reverence for JHVH had penetrated the heart, not merely of Priests and Prophets, but of the People, appears from the religious history of the northern kingdom. Surely, if in the days of Saul and David JHVH stood in the shadow of Baal,-nay, had even his place contested, as the God of Israel, then it is inexplicable that Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, should have established a worship of JHVH, of which fact, however, there can be no doubt.14 He would rather, in

18 Certainly, JHVH remained all along the God of Israel,—that is, as we suppose, from the time when Samuel and the prophets of his school first introduced the idea of JEHOVAH being the Covenant-God of Israel.

14 It is not at all inexplicable if, in the eyes of the people, JHVH was the same as the Baal. And that this was the case we gather from the fact that both Saul and David had sons whose names were compounded with Baal, viz. Eshbaal, Baalyadah (15.v), as well as others whose names were compounded with JHVH, as Jonathan, 18.xiii.2, Adonijah, Shephatiah, 2S.iii.4. Accordingly, at Byblus, Adonis (JHVH)