fact that he was known to have had a natural birth ; whereas the return of Elijah would neces- sarily exclude such birth. Jesus' answer to the disciples simply removes the case from the physical into the spiritual sphere, and thus makes the question before their minds an irrelevant one. The prophecy had been fulfilled, but its fulfilment involved neither the reincarnation of Elijah nor his descent from heaven with his first body.
Another instance of belief which might be mistaken for transmigration is that suggested in Herod's words (Mt 14"-) identifying Jesus with John the Baptist. But here, too, the words scarcely point to belief in transmigration. All that is necessary to assume is that the remorse- stricken Herod saw in the miracles reported of Jesus that John the Baptist had risen from the dead. It is belief in resurrection rather than in rebirth.
Still another case is that in which the dis- ciples, in answer to the question of Jesus, report that some believed Him to be Elijah, others Jere- miah, and others one of the jirophets (Mt 16'^, Mk gi4-i7) The idea of transmigration is more natural in this passage, but even here it is not clearly set forth. As far as Jesus is concerned, it is certainly not only not held or encouraged by Him, but quite definitely set aside. At most, it can be only an idea entertained by the common people.
Outside of the Gospels, the traces that a belief in metempsychosis was held in Palestine at the time of Jesus are very scanty. It appears that among the Essenes it was held that the soul was immortal, and its life upon earth due to its being drawn from its native ether and entangled in the body as in a prison cell (Jos. BJ li. viii. 11). The affinity of this belief with the Platonic teaching regarding the nature and origin of the soul suggests that the Platonic idea of transmigration, as its inevitable logical corollary, was held also by the Essenes.
In general, there was nothing in the nature of Jewish thought to prevent the adoption of the idea of transmigration as soon as the distinction between soul and body supplanted the older idea of the unitary character of the human being. On the contrary, there was very much to make the thought welcome in the Rabbinical system. Tlie doctrine of pre-existence (of the Messiah, of the Torah, of the Tabernacle) would easily lend itself as a basis for the idea of the pre-existence in some form or other of human souls. Further, belief in the possession of the body by more than one spiritual being (demoniac possession) would tend to prepare the way for the belief in the return of disembodied spirits into human bodies. Finally, the idea of resurrection from the dead furnished an analogue to reincarnation. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, if the notion should appear more or less clearly in the later Rabbinical the- ology (cf. Epiphanius Wilson, The Talmud, Pre- face). The question of its existence in the days of Jesus Christ must be left open, while the question of its being entertained by Him or taught in the Gospels must be answered in the negative.
LiTERATiTRB. — On the general subject of metempsychosis, cf. Alger, Hist, of the Doctrine of the Future Life, li, Boston, 1889, pt. V. ii. ; ed. D. Walker, Reincarnation : A Study of Forgotten Truth, Boston, 1888 On the allied doctrines of pre- existence of souls in Jewish thought, cf. Weber, Jiid. Theolfi pp. 212, 225 ff.; Drummond, Philo Judceus, i. 336; Siegfried, Philo V. Alexandria, p. 242 ff. On the idea of transmigration in the NT, Pryse, Reincarnation, in the NT, N.Y. 1900. [This last work, however, is scientifically of very little value].
A. C. Zenos. TRAVEL. — Travelling for pleasure was almost, if not altogether, unknown in the ancient world. This is to be accounted for by lack of roads, lack of conveyances, and perils by the way. Travellers had usually some definite object in view ; Abraham
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seeking for a home at the command of Jehovah (Gn 12>«'-) ; Jacob fleeing from his brother (Gn 28'") ; the Israelites going uj) to their sacred places, and later to the Temple at Jerusalem. As the sea had special terrors, travelling was chiefly by land, and not till well on in histor-y' did men launch boldly out into the deep. In the days of the Empire, sailing was conhned to certain well defined tracks, and to certain seasons. On land, travel was done for the most part on foot ; hence the custom of washing the feet (Gn 18'*, Jg 19-' etc.) was almost a necessity as a token of hospitality. Horses were used for war, and camels for the desert. Persons of rank rode on mules (2 S IS^^, 1 K 1=»), while the ass was more usually kept as a beast of burden. Wheeled waggons were not in general use, and, on the rare occasions on which they were employed, were heavy, cumbersome, and without springs. Joseph sent waggons for his father (Gn 45'''- ^') ; the kings of Israel had their chariots ( 1 K 22^^*) ; and the Ethiopian eunuch made his journey to Jerusalem in a chariot (Ac 8-^) ; but wheeled vehicles of any kind were rare. Long journeys were gener- ally undertaken in the summer, wlien the roads were good and firm. In the winter the roads were soft, and other conditions unfavourable. In Mt 24^*^ Jesus says, ' Pray that your flight be not in the winter time,' which means the rainy season, when roads are practically impassable, and food difficult to obtain en route. This accounts for St. Paul's desire to have Timothy with him before the winter set in (2 Ti 4'-'). In the morning the tra- veller started on his journey, and continued it till noon-day, when he took refuge for an hour or two under some kindly shade from the scorching rays of the sun, and then resumed his course (Ca 1^). To refuse hospitality to a traveller was a breach of good manners, if not, indeed, an insult to God. This state of aft'airs continues largely in Palestine to-day, though on the tourist routes the people have fallen in with the spirit of the age.