There is a full account of modem German litera- ture on this subject in Clemen's Nieclcrgefahreii zu den Toten. He interprets 1 P 3" as refeiTing to human spirits, and builds on it an argument in favour of ' the larger hope,' though he does not commit himself to any theory of Universal Resti- tution. He makes much use of English books, especially Dean Plumptre's The Spirits in Prison.
This survey of the whole course of the controversy leads to the conclusion that eventually agreement will be reached as to the exegesis of the passage in 1 Peter. The weighty authority of Professor Charles may be invoked to prove that the interpretation which accepts Christ's mission to the dead tits in with our fuDer knowledge of contemporary Jewish literature. It throws light on one of the darkest enigmas of the Divine justice. At the same time full justice will be done to the early Christian tradition that in some way or other Christ benefited the souls of the faithful oeparted. But it must be admitted that the bare statement of the Apostles' Creed asserts only that Christ's soul passed into the condition which our souls will enter at death, sanctifying every condition of human existence. Haniaok writes 'that ' the clause is too weak to niiiiiit.iiii it- uiiumd beside the others, as equally iihl. |i'imIi lit :iiiil authoritative,' but, as Swete (1>. li-'i >:i\ >, lir hiils to point out in what the weak- ness lies, « hile ' to US it appears to possess in a verj' high degree the strength which comes from primitive simplicity and a wise reserve.'
Thus the consensus of theological opinion justifies the teaching of the poet of the Christian Year : *
' Sleep'sl Thou indeed? or is Thy spirit fled At large among the dead ? Whether in Eden bowers Thy welcome voice Wake Abraham to rcioico.
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HELLENISTS
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HELLENISTS.— See Grecians.
HEM OF GARMENT.— This is the AV transla- tion of KpdaTreSop in Mt 9'-" 14*' (of touohin;^^ the hem of Jesus' jjariiient with a view to healing). In these places, as on its occurrence elsewhere (Mt 23^ Mk 6'«, Lk 8"), RV adopts the rendering ' border. ' See art. Border.
HEN.— See Anim.\ls, p. 64».
HERB. — In modern botanical science, 'herb' is .a well-defined term, and is applied to plants whose stem dies down annually. In the Bible it is used popular sense, being employed to translate Hebrew and Greek words of varying significance. In the NT it is (except in He 6', where the original has ^otAi/tj) the rendering of \6Lxava (Mt 13^^ Mk 4^% Ro 14-) or Xd^avoi' (Lk 11*^), which denotes garden-herbs or vegetables. Many of these, such as lettuce, parsley, mint, etc., are in constant use to the present day. Delitzsch (Heh. NT) renders this word by p-;;, which means 'green herbs' (cf. Dt U'", Pf 15"). The other term, pordv-q, means ' pasture,' but is evidently used (l.c.\oi herbage in general, including cereals. Delitzseh's translation is ^^k, 'esebh, which has the same signification. Hugh Duncan.
HERMON.— A mountain on the north-eastern border of Palestine, the culminating point of the range of Anti-Lebanon, rising to an elevation of 9200 ft. above the sea. Its dome-like summit, usually covered with snow till late in summer, can
be seen from almost every part of Palestine. Jesus in His youth must have often seen it from the liill west of Nazareth, and, during His ministry, from the Sea of Galilee. It is not mentioned by name in the Gospels, but is generally believed to be the ' high mountain ' of Mt 17', Mk 9=, and the ' moun- tain' of Lk 9^ where the Transfiguration took place. This was probably not on the summit, which could be reached only by long and hard climbing, but on one of the elevated platforms on the southern slope. That Herraon, rather than Tabor (on which there was then a fortified city), is the ' high mountain ' referred to, seems clear from the fact that the conversation (Mt le-'"^) which preceded the Transfiguration by si.v days was closely connected with Peter's confession ; and this occurred atC.<esarea Philippi (Mt 16'^''"), which stood just at the base of Hermon by the springs of Jordan. See also art. Transfiguration.
LlTSBATHRK.— For description of Hermon, see Robinson, BRP iii. 344, 357 ; Stewart, Land of Israel, 296-301 ; Conder, Tent- Work, ch. viii.; SH'P (' Jerusalem' Volume, Appendix, and Volume of Special Papers). \V. W. MoORE.
HEROD CHpySjjs).- The rise of the Herodian dynasty * to the throne of the Hasmonsan priest- kings, begun by Antipater the Idumoean, and realized by his second son, Herod the Great,t was closely connected with the ascendency of Roman power in Palestine. Antipas or Antipater, the grandfather of Herod, had mdeed been appointed governor of Idunu-ea by Alexander Jannsus (Ant. XIV. i. 3), but it was not until after the death of Ale.\andra (B.C. 67) that Antipater, who had suc- ceeded his father Antipas in Idumica, found oppor- tunity to advance his interests in the dissensions between Hyrcanus, the legal but weak heir to the throne in Jerusalem, and the younger but more vigorous Aristobulus. Allying "himself with Hyr-