character, which had no vowels,1 Moses was written, M S H, and Manasseh, M N S H. The names, therefore, only differed by a single letter. Thus altered, the name of Jonathan's grandfather naturally reminded the reader of the godless king of Judah, Manasseh, the idolater. To strengthen the impression still further, this scribe adds on first mentioning the Levite of Bethlehem in Judah that he was "of the family of Judah." This makes no sense, however, for the man was either a Levite or a Judæan by descent. He cannot have been both at once; and the very reason why Michah was so delighted with his priest was that he was a Levite, and therefore not a Judæan. The scribe, however, added the note to indicate that this Jonathan was not worthy to belong to the tribe of Levi. On hearing this explanation my readers may not unnaturally ask: "How do you know all this? Is it only a guess?' Even suppose it were, it should not be rejected on that account, for at any rate it gives some explanation of that odd expression, "A Levite of Bethlehem of Judæan extraction," which is as absurd as a Frenchman of London of English extraction." But as a fact my explanation does not, in this instance, rest upon mere conjecture, but is supported by tradition. You must know that in the centuries after Christ, when Hebrew had long been a dead language, the scribes took inconceivable pains to fix the text of their Holy Scripture as accurately as possible, and to preserve the pronunciation of the words from being forgotten. Now in this passage they wrote the N of the word M S H in a peculiar way "hanging," as it was called and added a note to show that this was not an accident, but was done on purpose; and we are told by the Jewish tradition that the N was written thus because this Levite was really the grandson of Moses, but his actions made one think of king Manasseh, and that he is said to be "of Judæan extraction" for the same reason. The translation of the Romish Church, the Vulgate, still reads "Moses.” 66 N After this digression we may return to the original story, which throws some light on the early religion of Israel. Nothing could be more misleading than the idea of the Pentateuch and the book of Joshua that the Israelites had an elaborate code of religious laws, fixed forms of worship, and a regular priesthood, when they conquered Canaan. Centu 1 See p. 258. 2 Judges xvii. 7. 8 See p. 304. 2 ries later the greatest latitude was still allowed in matters of religion. The most important sacred object was the ark of Yahweh,1 which was placed in a sanctuary at Shiloh, between Bethel and Shechem. But no one thought as yet of unity of worship. Every religious man who could afford it raised altars and massebahs, or built a chapel, as Michah did, and had worship conducted in it for himself and his dependants. Such chapels were by no means rare, and certainly gave no offence. Michah appointed his own son as priest, but it was only because he could not get a better, for he preferred a Levite as soon as he could find one. Nor was he alone in this preference, for the Danites also desired Jonathan to be their spiritual father. The history of Israel's religion shows that the Levites were everywhere preferred to others for the office of priests, and at last, in the course of centuries, acquired an exclusive right to its exercise. We can readily conceive why their countrymen were so anxious to secure their priestly services. But before we explain this preference we must say a word or two about the time at which Michah lived. If this Jonathan was really the grandson of Moses, we must place these events, which took place while he was still young, very soon after the conquest of Canaan; and the fact that some of the Danites were still without a settled home seems to strengthen this conclusion. But, on the other hand, it is easier to place the expedition of the Danites to the far north, through the territory of the Canaanite king at Hazor, after Deborah's victory than before it; and we know that long afterwards certain clans, from time to time, still left their settled homes, if they had ever had any, in search of others. These migrations occurred as late as the time of Saul. It is quite possible, therefore, that this Jonathan was a descendant of Moses, through Gershom's branch, but not literally his grandson. The chief interest of the narrative, however, does not depend upon the exact period to which it refers. What was the idea in the mind of such a man as Michah when he exclaimed: "Now I know that Yahweh will bless me, because I have got this Levite for my priest"? To answer this question we must have a clear idea of the duties the priest had to perform. The most important of them all was that of consulting the deity. Clothed in the ephod, and with the help of the teraphim, he inquired the will of God. We do 1 See pp. 322, 323. 2 Judges xviii. 31. 1 Samuel i. ff. not know for certain how he did this, but sometimes the lot was employed. He asked, then, as occasion rose, whether a journey must be undertaken or not; whether a descent upon a neighboring Canaanite district would prove successful; whether a sick child would recover or die; and so on. It was not a matter of indifference, however, in what way God was consulted, and the answer was not fixed beforehand, for the deity might be made propitious or the reverse, and this might sometimes affect his decision. Before consulting him, therefore, a sacrifice was made to induce him to give the desired answer. Then, again, in case of disasters, the wrath of the deity must be appeased by sacrifice and penance. People wanted to know how they had excited the divine anger, and how to keep the Mighty One their friend. For all this a priest was needed. Now when Michah, for instance, employed his own son for this purpose, he can hardly have supposed him to know any more than he did himself about the way in which the deity ought to be served. But no doubt he thought that wisdom came with the sacred garment, and that a priest, by being constantly employed in the things of God, gradually learned better how to manage them. Arguing thus, a man might appoint his son to be his father and priest.' And yet, as a matter of course, he would prefer a Levite. For was not Yahweh the god whom the Israelite served above all others? And what did he know of Yahweh? That he had revealed himself to Moses; and moreover that he was a mighty god, for it was by his help that Israel had conquered his inheritance. But how must he be served? Each deity had his own special desires. How was Yahweh to be consulted and appeased? Michah, for instance, could not tell; nor could his son learn it except by degrees. But the Levites, the tribesmen of Moses, his fellow-workers, who had helped him to introduce the worship of Yahweh, in whose service they were so zealous, surely they understood these things. Happy the man who could get one of them to be his spiritual father! The Nothing could be more natural than this. And so there gradually rose a priestly caste in Israel, powerful and ambitious as such a caste everywhere and at all times is. germs of a rule of priests, or hierarchy, were already present; and nothing can be more disastrous to the religious and moral life of a nation than such a rule; for it is the mother of fanaticism and stupidity. And yet it must spring up wherever people suppose that the deity can be consulted by means of ceremonies which are not generally understood; wherever they fancy that his favor can be won or his wrath averted by sacrifices offered in a special manner, or by purifications and atonements; wherever they believe that he issues external commandments, such as abstinence from certain kinds of food, or the adoption of particular doctrines. In a word, the priest becomes powerful wherever the service of the deity is supposed to require knowledge which is not accessible to every one. This was the case in Israel as in all other ancient nations. No wonder that the priests hated and persecuted him who taught that God requires from his worshippers nothing but obedience to the law of love. This truth puts an end to their power. CHAPTER XVII. GIDEON. JUDGES VI. - VIII. 28. OR some time after the conquest of Canaan the Israelites Jordan. It consisted of the territories of Reuben and Gad and the district of Gilead, north of which the King of Bashan ruled. The power of this monarch, however, seems to have been but small, and his country was far from serving the Israelites as an effective bulwark against the Bedouins. These wandering tribes maintained themselves on the wide steppes between the Jordan and the Euphrates, and their rapacity was constantly excited by the fruitful Canaan, into which they made frequent raids, especially about harvest time, when rich booty might be easily obtained. From across the Jordan, along the great route of the caravans, these Midianites, Amalekites, or sons of the East, as they are indifferently called, penetrated to the plain of Jezreel, and then dispersed southwards over the territory of Manasseh. They spread terror and destruction everywhere. The Israelites were unable to resist them, and were compelled, in some places, to desert their homes in the valleys and to hide themselves in caves in the mountains, or to build strongholds among the rocks. But though they saved their lives in this way they could not protect their crops, which fell year after year, together with a great part of their cattle, into the hands of the Midianites, for their bands followed the great highway of commerce, and overran the land as far as Gaza. The Israelites lamented their lot bitterly, but what were they to do? These sons of the East swarmed like locusts, and their camels were innumerable. One of the places rendered unsafe by the Midianites was the village of Ophrah, the abode of the Manassite house of Abiezer, whose chief at this time was a certain Joash. One day Gideon, the son of Joash, was employed in thrashing wheat, but it was in a most unusual place. The Israelites used to thrash their corn in some open place, perhaps upon a hill, where the wind could carry away the chaff; but Gideon dare not do so now for fear of the Midianites, so he was thrashing in the covered shed where the grapes were pressed. While he was thus employed — naturally somewhat dejected the angel of Yahweh came to him and said; "Yahweh is with thee, thou mighty hero!" His words fell upon the young man's ear like bitter mockery. "Ah, sir!" he answered, "if Yahweh were with us, would all these misfortunes come upon us? Our fathers have told us what wonderful things he did when he led them out of Egypt; but we see small sign of it ourselves. He has left us to our fate, and we have fallen into the power of the Midianites!" So spoke the hero in the bitterness of his soul; but he was terrified and ashamed when Yahweh turned upon him in all his majesty, and cried with a loud voice, "Go forth in the might now given you, and deliver Israel from the hand of the Midianites! Have not I sent you?" But Gideon shrank from the task thus laid upon him, and said: "Lord! How can I do this thing? My clan is the smallest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest member of my family. Can I put myself at the head of the Israelites?" But his courage rose when he received the answer: “You will smite the Midianites like a single man, for I will help you." Half convinced, he cried in supplication: "Give me a sign that it is indeed Yahweh himself that speaks to me. me bring a present, and do thou wait here till I have prepared it." "I will wait till you return," was the reply: and Gideon went to prepare a meal. When the food was ready he returned with meat and cakes, which he set before his exalted guest as he reclined beneath the sacred terebinth tree. But instead of eating the food he ordered him to put it on a Let |