the evolution of theology-第2部分

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the　prophet；　but　only　that　the　woman's　allusion　to　the　prophetic

mantle　and　to　the　aged　appearance　of　the　spectre　convinced　him

that　it　was　Samuel。　Reuss　in　fact　translates　the　passage

〃Alors　Saul　reconnut　que　c'etait　Samuel。〃　Nor　does　the　dialogue

between　Saul　and　Samuel　necessarily；　or　probably；　signify　that

Samuel　spoke　otherwise　than　by　the　voice　of　the　wise　woman。

The　Septuagint　does　not　hesitate　to　call　her　＇Greek＇；　that　is　to

say；　a　ventriloquist；　implying　that　it　was　she　who　spokeand

this　view　of　the　matter　is　in　harmony　with　the　fact　that　the

exact　sense　of　the　Hebrew　words　which　are　translated　as　〃a　woman

that　hath　a　familiar　spirit〃　is　〃a　woman　mistress　of　Ob。〃

Ob　means　primitively　a　leather　bottle；　such　as　a　wine

skin；　and　is　applied　alike　to　the　necromancer　and　to　the　spirit

evoked。　Its　use；　in　these　senses；　appears　to　have　been　suggested

by　the　likeness　of　the　hollow　sound　emitted　by　a　half…empty　skin

when　struck；　to　the　sepulchral　tones　in　which　the　oracles　of　the

evoked　spirits　were　uttered　by　the　medium。　It　is　most　probable

that；　in　accordance　with　the　general　theory　of　spiritual

influences　which　obtained　among　the　old　Israelites；　the　spirit

of　Samuel　was　conceived　to　pass　into　the　body　of　the　wise　woman；

and　to　use　her　vocal　organs　to　speak　in　his　own　namefor　I

cannot　discover　that　they　drew　any　clear　distinction　between

possession　and　inspiration。



If　the　story　of　Saul's　consultation　of　the　occult　powers　is　to

be　regarded　as　an　authentic　narrative；　or；　at　any　rate；　as　a

statement　which　is　perfectly　veracious　so　far　as　the　intention

of　the　narrator　goesand；　as　I　have　said；　I　see　no　reason　for

refusing　it　this　characterit　will　be　found；　on　further

consideration；　to　throw　a　flood　of　light；　both　directly　and

indirectly；　on　the　theology　of　Saul's　countrymenthat　is　to

say；　upon　their　beliefs　respecting　the　nature　and　ways　of

spiritual　beings。



Even　without　the　confirmation　of　other　abundant　evidences　to　the

same　effect；　it　leaves　no　doubt　as　to　the　existence；　among　them；

of　the　fundamental　doctrine　that　man　consists　of　a　body　and　of　a

spirit；　which　last；　after　the　death　of　the　body；　continues　to

exist　as　a　ghost。　At　the　time　of　Saul's　visit　to　Endor；　Samuel

was　dead　and　buried；　but　that　his　spirit　would　be　believed　to

continue　to　exist　in　Sheol　may　be　concluded　from　the　well…known

passage　in　the　song　attributed　to　Hannah；　his　mother：





Jahveh　killeth　and　maketh　alive；

He　bringeth　down　to　Sheol　and　bringeth　up。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（1　Sam。　ii。　6。）





And　it　is　obvious　that　this　Sheol　was　thought　to　be　a　place

underground　in　which　Samuel's　spirit　had　been　disturbed　by　the

necromancer's　summons；　and　in　which；　after　his　return　thither；

he　would　be　joined　by　the　spirits　of　Saul　and　his　sons　when　they

had　met　with　their　bodily　death　on　the　hill　of　Gilboa。　It　is

further　to　be　observed　that　the　spirit；　or　ghost；　of　the　dead

man　presents　itself　as　the　image　of　the　man　himselfit　is　the

man；　not　merely　in　his　ordinary　corporeal　presentment　（even　down

to　the　prophet's　mantle）　but　in　his　moral　and　intellectual

characteristics。　Samuel；　who　had　begun　as　Saul's　friend　and

ended　as　his　bitter　enemy；　gives　it　to　be　understood　that　he　is

annoyed　at　Saul's　presumption　in　disturbing　him；　and　that；　in

Sheol；　he　is　as　much　the　devoted　servant　of　Jahveh　and　as　much

empowered　to　speak　in　Jahveh's　name　as　he　was　during　his　sojourn

in　the　upper　air。



It　appears　now　to　be　universally　admitted　that；　before　the

exile；　the　Israelites　had　no　belief　in　rewards　and　punishments

after　death；　nor　in　anything　similar　to　the　Christian　heaven　and

hell；　but　our　story　proves　that　it　would　be　an　error　to　suppose

that　they　did　not　believe　in　the　continuance　of　individual

existence　after　death　by　a　ghostly　simulacrum　of　life。　Nay；　I

think　it　would　be　very　hard　to　produce　conclusive　evidence　that

they　disbelieved　in　immortality；　for　I　am　not　aware　that　there

is　anything　to　show　that　they　thought　the　existence　of　the　souls

of　the　dead　in　Sheol　ever　came　to　an　end。　But　they　do　not　seem

to　have　conceived　that　the　condition　of　the　souls　in　Sheol　was

in　any　way　affected　by　their　conduct　in　life。　If　there　was

immortality；　there　was　no　state　of　retribution　in　their

theology。　Samuel　expects　Saul　and　his　sons　to　come　to　him

in　Sheol。



The　next　circumstance　to　be　remarked　is　that　the　name　of

Elohim　is　applied　to　the　spirit　which　the　woman　sees

〃coming　up　out　of　the　earth；〃　that　is　to　say；　from　Sheol。

The　Authorised　Version　translates　this　in　its　literal　sense

〃gods。〃　The　Revised　Version　gives　〃god〃　with　〃gods〃　in　the

margin。　Reuss　renders　the　word　by　〃spectre；〃　remarking　in　a　note

that　it　is　not　quite　exact；　but　that　the　word　Elohim　expresses

〃something　divine；　that　is　to　say；　superhuman；　commanding

respect　and　terror〃　（〃Histoire　des　Israelites；〃　p。　321）。

Tuch；　in　his　commentary　on　Genesis；　and　Thenius；　in　his

commentary　on　Samuel；　express　substantially　the　same　opinion。

Dr。　Alexander　（in　Kitto's　〃Cyclopaedia〃　s。　v。　〃God〃）　has　the

following　instructive　remarks：





＇Elohim　is＇　sometimes　used　vaguely　to　describe　unseen

powers　or　superhuman　beings　that　are　not　properly　thought　of　as

divine。　Thus　the　witch　of　Endor　saw　〃Elohim　ascending　out　of　the

earth〃　（1　Sam。　xxviii。　13）；　meaning　thereby　some　beings　of　an

unearthly；　superhuman　character。　So　also　in　Zechariah　xii。　8；　it

is　said　〃the　house　of　David　shall　be　as　Elohim；　as　the　angel　of

the　Lord；〃　where；　as　the　transition　from　Elohim　to　the　angel　of

the　Lord　is　a　minori　ad　majus；　we　must　regard　the　former　as　a

vague　designation　of　supernatural　powers。





Dr。　Alexander　speaks　here　of　〃beings〃；　but　there　is　no　reason　to

suppose　that　the　wise　woman　of　Endor　referred　to　anything　but　a

solitary　spectre；　and　it　is　quite　clear　that　Saul　understood　her

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　scath