Jan.9] SOCIETYOK BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY. [1894.(\ovov), in sacrificing wash (i/iVtov), in finishing the sacrifice wash
(nVroy).
Theevil spirit is mentioned underthe names 2«Tai,a?, ?ia/3o\o?,
andBeXidp,the last being calledthe spirit of the air, corresponding
to the " prince of the power of the air."
Josephaddsto the Biblical account, thatthe Egyptian woman
heardhimsinginghymnsto the Lord in the house of darkness ; as
PaulandSilaswereoverheardalsosinginghymnsby the prisoners
at Philippi. Thisincidentis in harmony withthe practice of pious
menof the period. Accordingto Philo, whenthe Alexandrian Jews
had a breathing timefrom persecutionafterthe seizure of Flaccus
theirgovernour,theyconsumedthe whole nightin hymnsand sacred
songs.
Theseconddreamof Nephthali recallsthe walking on the sea,
the stilling the storm, and the shipwreck of St. Paul. Thereis the
fhip and the boat, the squall (\ni\of),the driving before the wind
(i!(j)cpofie0a),the filling of the ship, the escape on boards (cV<aavlatv),
the sudden calm, and the immediate arrival of the ship at the
shore—which lastincident is mentioned onlyby St. John in the
Gospels. Thediscoveryof the Hebrew textprovesthatthe dream
is an interpolation. Probablythereis in it a mixture of borrowed
incidents, exemplifyingthe poverty of invention which Dr. Gaster
has so acutely notedas characteristic of this class of literature.
The ringof these wordsof the Epistle to the Hebrews, " They
werestoned,theyweresawnasunder, weretempted(iTKiOaaOijaav,
eirpi'oOijaav,ijweipaa9r)imv)," fastens itself on the memory of the
reader. It seems echoedin the word t<f3v\Kio9ijv, eTvirria0liv(sic)
luvKjtiptaBtiv,occurringin a somewhat similarcontextof the Testa
mentof Joseph.
These selected coincidences, the designation of the Messiah
as the Lamb of God —the Lamb withoutblemish—as coming as a
man and eatingand drinking with men; of the HolySpiritas
witnessing and accusing; the expressions, " By doing good he
overcomesthe evil man," " I kept (aweiypow) thesewordsin my
heart,"withmanyothers,implya familiarity withthe text of the New
Testament,andnot merely a general acquaintancewiththe history
anddoctrinesof Christianity.
Verytrulyyours,
J. Marshall.
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