LiTERATimB. — The Biblical material can best be surveyed with the help of the Lexicons on the terms einijloyed (esp. Crcnier), the commentaries on the passages, antl the sections in the several treatises on Biblical Theology dealin[f \v\th this and connate themes ; amon^ Ihetie last, tlte works of Dillmann on the OT, and lloltzmann on the NT, may be especially profitably consulted. The Pauline doctrine has, in particular, been made the subject of almost endless discussion, chiefly, it must be confessed, with the object of softening its outlines or of explaining it more or less nway. Perhaps the following are the more important recent treatises: — I'oelnian, de Jam ApogtotoruiaquCt Paidi pripjt^rthn, doctrina de prcedestiiwlinne dim'na ti ntorati nominii lihertaU, Gron. 1S51 ; Weiss, ' Predeatinationslehre des Ap. Paul,' in Jahrbh. /. D. Tfieut, i857, p. 54 f. ; Lamping, Pauti de prtEdeslirialifjne decrdorum eiiarratiu, Leov. ISoS ; Ooens, Le T6le de ta liberty humahw. rfa/w la prihii'alination Paidiniemv-, Lausanne, 1884 ; Ment-goz, La prMeMttnatiim dans ta IfiMlofiir I'auiinicnne, Paris, 1»S.^ ; I>almer, ' Zur Paulinischen Erwahlungslehre,' in (irei/vwutder Studien, Gulersloh, 1895. The publication of Karl Miiller's valuable treatise on /)('« Gvtttic/ie Zurorersehujifj und Erwdhlung, etc. (ILalle, IS02), has called out a new literature on the section Ito 9-11, the most important items in which are probably the rejtrint of Heyschlag's Die I'anliiiuche Theodicee (1896, first published in 18<Vs), and Dalmer, Die Erwdhlung Israels nacfi der lleilsver- kundirjuiyj det Ap. Paul. (Giiter'sloh, 1S94), and Kuhl, 'Zur Paulinim-hen Theodicee,' in the TheoUtfjiifche SUulien, presented to B. Weiss (Gottingen, 1S97). But of these only Goens recog- nizes the rlouble predestination; even Muller, whose treatise is otherwise of the first value, argues against it, and so does Dalmer in his very interesting diiicussions; the others are still less in accordance with their text (cf. the valuable critical note on the recent literature in lloltznmnn's NT Theotogie, 11. 171-174).
Discussions of the doctrine of post-Canonical Judaism may be found in Hamburger, /(caf-ii'/jcvc. ii. 102 f., art. ' Bestinunung'; Weber, Jiid. Theol. 148 II., ^^0i ff.; Schiirer, UJP n. ii. 14 f. (cf. p. 2f. , where the i>a.ssages from .losepbus are collectedl; Kdersbeim, Life and Times of Jetnis, \. ;jl6fT., art. ' Philo' in Smith anil Wace, 38;i», and Speak. Com. on Eccleslusticiis, pp. 14, Ifi ; Ryle and James, J'snhns of Solomon on 1)7 and Introd. ; Montet, Oriffinen des partis fotlnc^en el pharisien, 2.^8f, ; Holtzmann. AT Thri.lor,ie, I. 32, SS ; P. J. Muller, De GmUleer der inittdeleeuirisrfie Jmlen, Groningen, 18flS ; furtlier literature Is given in .Schurer. — For post-Canonical Chrivtian discussion, see the literature at the end of art. Kl.Kc-rioN in the present work, vol. 1. p. 881. B. B, WaUFIKLD.
PREDICTION — See Prophecy, p. 120 f.
PRE-EXISTENCE OF SOULS.— The only hint in NT of a belief in the existence of human .souls prior
to birth is in Jn 9-, where the disciples of Jesus l)Ut the que.<ition, 'Rabbi, who did sin, tkii m/tn, or his parents, that he should be burn blind ':•' The ^jrimd facie interpretation of this passage certainly IS that the di.sciples believed it possible that the soul of this man lijid sinned before the man was born. M.any commentators, as, e.g., Dr. David Brown, hold this to be untenable, because ' the Jews did not believe in the i)re-existence of souls.' If by this is meant that this belief did not form part of the older Jewish religion, that would be correct, for the tenor of OT teaching is distinctly tradiuian. In Gn 2' we are taught that the soul of the lirst man was due to the Divine in-breathing ; and Gn 5' tells that ' Adam begat a son, after his im.age.' But to atiirm that Jews in Christ's time did not believe in pre-existence, is simply inaccu- rate. The disciples of Jesus had at all events some points of adinity with the Essenes ; and Josephus expressly states that the Essenes believe that the souls of men are immort.tl, and dwell in the subtlest ether, but, being drawn down by physical passion, they are united with bodies, as it were in prisons {/ij it. viii. 11). In Wis 8" the doctrine is clearly taught : ' A good soul fell to my lot : naj' rather, being good I came into a body that was undefiled.' Philo also believed in a realm of incorporeal souls, which may be arranged in two ranks : some have descended into mortal bodies and been released after a time ; others have main- tained their |mrity, and kept aloft close to the ether itself (Drumiiiond, rhilo .Judauui, i. 336). In the Talmud and Midrash, pre-existence is con- stantly taught. The abode of souls is called Guj>/i, or the Treasury (li'K), where they have dwelt since they were created in the beginning. The angel Lilitli receives instruction from God as to which soul shall inhabit each body. The soul is taken to heaven and then to hell, and afterwards enters the womb and vivilies the fa'tus. (Weber, Lehren des Talmud, 204, 217 Ii'. [./)«/. Thcologie auj Grund des Talmud'-, etc. 212, 225 11'.]).
Whence did Judaism derive a creed so much at variance with its earlier faith ? Most jirobably from Plato. There are some scholars, however, who find support for the doctrine even in tlie OT : e.g. Job 1-' ' Naked came I from my mutlier's womb, and naked shall I return thither.' To lind pre-existence here, one must suppose the mother's womb to be the abode of souls, and ' 1 ' to be the naked soul. Sir 40' seems to be explaining the word 'thither' in .lob 1'-', when it says, 'Great travail is created for every man, from the day they go forth from their mother's womb to the day of their return to the mather <if nil living.' Again, in Ps 13!)'''"'* some scholars lind an account of the origin, tirst, of the body, tlien of the soul : ' Thou hast woven me in the womb of my mother. My subst.ance was not hid from thee, when I was formed in the secret place, when 1 was wrought in the deejis of the earth.' Since the doctrine of