Volume - The Clarence Darrow Collection

374 FROM THE DIVINE ORACLES TO THE HIGHER CRITICISM
Balak to Balaam, " I called thee to curse mine enemies, and,
behold, thou hast altogether blessed them." *
No less fruitful have been modern researches in Egypt.
While, on one hand, they have revealed a very considerable
number of geographical and archaeological facts proving the
good faith of the narratives entering into the books attributed
to Moses, and have thus made our early sacred literature
all the more valuable, they have at the same time revealed
the limitations of the sacred authors and compilers.
They have brought to light facts utterly disproving the sacred
Hebrew date of creation and the main framework of the
early biblical chronology ; they have shown the suggestive
correspondence between the ten antediluvian patriarchs in
Genesis and the ten early dynasties of the Egyptian gods,
and have placed by the side of these the ten antediluvian
kings of Chaldean tradition, the ten heroes of Armenia, the
ten primeval kings of Persian sacred tradition, the ten " fa-
thers " of Hindu sacred tradition, and multitudes of other
* For Prof. Brown's discussion, see his Assyriology, its Use and Abuse in Old
Testament Study, New York, 1885, fassim. For Prof. Sayce's views, see The
Higher Criticism and the Monuments, third edition, London, 1894, and especially
his own curious anticipation, in the first lines of the preface, that he must fail to
satisfy either side. For the declaration that the " higher critic " with all his offences
is no worse than the orthodox " apologist," see p. 21. For the important ad-
mission that the same criterion must be applied in researches into our own sacred
books as into others, and even into the mediaeval chronicles, see p. 26. For justi-
fication of critical scepticism regarding the history given in the book of Daniel, see
pp. 27, 28, also chap. xi. For very full and explicit statements, with proofs, that
the " Sabbath," both in name and nature, was derived by the Hebrews from the
Chaldeans, see pp. 74 et seq. For a very full and fair acknowledgment of the " Babylonian
element in Genesis," see chap, iii, including the statement regarding the ex-
pression in our sacred book, " The Lord smelled a sweet savour," at the sacrifice
made by Noah, etc., on p. 119. For an excellent summary of the work, see Dr.
Driver's article in the Contemporary Review for March, 1S94. For a pungent
but well-deserved rebuke of Prof. Sayce's recent attempts to propitiate pious sub-
scribers to his archaeological fund, see Prof. A. A. Bevan, in the Contemporary Re-
view for December, 1895. For the inscription on the Assyrian tablets relating in
detail the exposure of King Sargon in a basket of rushes, his rescue and rule, see
George Smith, Chaldean Account of Genesis, Sayce's edition, London, 1880, pp.
319, 320. For the frequent recurrence of the Sargon and Moses legend in ancient
folklore, see Maspero and Sayce, Dawn of History, p. 598 and note. For various
other points of similar interest, see ibid., passim, especially chaps, xvi and xvii ;
Jensen, Die ,
Kosmologie der Babylonier, and Schrader, The Cuneiform Inscriptions
'
and the Old Testament de I'Histoire.
;
also Lenormant, Origines
also