(d) But tnere are in the Bk. of Jg also such life- like and vivid narratives as cannot be set down to the ideas or tendencies of a later age.
(o) The history of Abimelech (Jg 9) even M. Vemes (Hist, jutve, p. 218) calls 'un r^cit d'une precision, d'un relief 6tonnant.' But it is not the only one of this class in Jg, as he atids, but it is the only one that is almost wholly secular in its character. It is the only narrative in Jg which is true to the life — only for those critics to whom the secular life is the only real life of ancient Israel. Critics who occupy such a standpoint will not deny the attribute of antiquity to siicli a story as that of the Beniamite Ehud, who with bis le^t hand stabbed the tyrant Eglon (Jg S"*). Sucli critics will not be disposed to deny the historicity of the bold figure of Jephthah, or of the tragic end of his only child (ll'-I2'). As a ' h<^ros d aventurea privies even Samson has found grace in tho eyes of M. Vemes (p. 238), according to whom the ex-
Sloits of Samson belonged to the ' disputes qui evaient naitre fri^ouemment ii I'ipoque uistoriquu des relations ^tablies entre populations anlipa- thiques.' •
* M. Vemes adtls the following note ; * II s'a^t U, cs nous si'inblf. d'uiie anliiwthio comme entre An>:lals et fSmncais k tant il'i>[KMut'S de notre hisloire. On e«t en palx offlcictle, on ■'unit i>Ar (Irs nurho^'rit, eti'., inais de t«n)fie en temps la halne natioiiAle He fail Jour \^ir des explosions ^totentes. U reste k rvuianiuer que Saiuson ne se Itat fM une seule fois aveo rejw-s ou la lajios . jamais U D'est k la t^le d'une troups quslcoo^ur
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JUDGES, BOOK OF
JUDGES, BOOK 0¥
iP) But the religiotis life also was a real one in ancient Israel. As early as the time of Moses and during the following centuries zeal for the cause of Jahweh could burn (Ex 3-J^"-), and enthusiasm be aroused for the defence of His honour. For, if the llaiue of reverence for J" had not been kindJed by Moses, why should he and not Samuel have been named as the greatest hero of the religious de- velopment of Israel ? If the fire of enthusiasm for the religion of J" was not lighted at the great epoch 01 the deliverance from Egypt, how could this lire have burst out just at a period of the deepest depression (1 84""-), and why should Israel have felt convicted of impiety against Jahweh? (1 S 7'*'). Hence there is no reasonable ground for doubt that Gideon (Jg G""-) contended for the cult of Jahweh in opposition to the preference for Baal, or that he could have taken for his battle-cry, ' For Jahweh and for Gideon (will we tight),' Jg 7'*^ Besides, it is in the highest degree worthy of notice that it is precisely in the historj^ of a hero belonging to tne tribe of Ephraim, i.e. to central Caanan, that the use of e* for the relative appears (6" 7" 8=«). For it is of the tribe of E^iraim alone that it is recorded in the OT that its dialect difl'ered from that of other Hebrews (Jg 12*) ; cf. on the speech of Ashdod as a Hebrew dialect, etc., Konig, Lehrgehdude, ii. 349, 353. Further, it is a fact that in the narratives con- cerning Elijah and Elisha the following linguistic peculiarities appear : niK ' with,' 2 K !'■ " 3'"- ^ gi6. 19 gs. jiig shorter form Eliyya (and Ahazya), !=-<. 8. 12. .p^ ('am, 'thou,' fem.) 4i«- =3 8'; the corresponding 'r'? ('to thee,' fem.) 4?; "d ('thy,' fem.) 43-'; v, relative, 6"; cf. n^-K 'where' ?, 6", so elsewhere only in Ca 1' (Kethlbh); r\-\a7ii 2K 7", and the same phenomenon shows itself in ancient histories like those of 1 S 13-', 2 S 16-. Therefore it is a sufficiently well-grovinded judg- ment that the present narratives concerning Gideon are compiled from materials which, so to say, bear a local colouring. This judgment is at least sup- ported, further, by two material circumstances. For it is a fact, admitted even, e.g., by Wellhausen (Prolegom. p. 71), that the description of the offer- ing contained in Jg 6"'- corresponds to the earliest stage of the history of the cultus in Israel. Another point has hitherto not been emphasized, but it is of no less importance. The disinclination manifested by Gideon to accept of the offer made to him to be ruler (Wd Jg 8^ ' the Lord shall rule over you ') is perfectly in place in the period before Samuel. For it was not till his time that Israe- rejected the kingship of Jahweh (Ex 15") ('they have re- jected me, that I should not reign over them,' 1 S 8').
(7) In like manner the antiquity of the narrative contained in Jg 17 f. is witnessed to. For the pos- session by the Ephraimite Micah of a private house of gods (17°*) tallies with the circumstance that in the earlier period a plurality of places of worship was allowed (Ex 20**"^). Further, we see a Levite wandering about, ready to settle down wherever he found office and bread [ll^- IS'"- 19'). This situation of the members of the tribe of Levi was an actual one as long as a number of the Levitical cities were not yet conquered, such as Gezer (Jos 21=> 16i», Jg 12»), and those remarks of the Bk. of Jg about the Levites would have possessed no probability if they had proceeded from a period when Jeroboam selected priests from among the people at large (1 K 12^'). For the Levite spoken