Gnostic origin, bearing the whole length form of a man in flowing robes with an ass's head, and holding an open book with the inscription " Deus Christiano- rum menenychites." It is not likely that mere malice would engrave its spite upon amulets, although, if Ja- blonski be correct, the ass was held in contempt in Egypt, and, therefore, in Alexandria ; but among the Arabs and Jews we have " the voice of one crying in the wilderness," a solemn allusion derived from the wild ass, almost the only voice in the desert; and in the distinguishing epithet of Mirvan II, last Ommiad caliph, who was called Hymar al-Gezerah, or wild ass of Mesopotamia— proofs that no idea of contempt was associated with the prophet's metaphor, and that, by such a designation, no insult was intended to the per- son or dignity of the prince. In more remote ages Tartak or Tarhak was an ass-god of the Avim, and Yauk was the Arabian name of another equine divin- ity, or a different name for the same Tartak, whose form may possibly be preserved to the present day in the image of the Borak, or mystical camel, which," ac- cording to the Koran, bore Mohammed, and is now carried in processions at the Nurus. It is shaped like a horse, having a white body with red legs, a pea- cock's- tail, and a woman's instead of an ass's head. Yet this attributing of the worship of the ass (ass's head) to the Jews (Plut. Si/mpos. iv, 5 ; Tacit. Hist. v, 4 ; Diod. Sic. Exc. ii, 225 ; comp. Josephus, Apion, ii, 7) was a highly odious misconstruction (see Bernhold, in the Erlang. Anzelg. 1744, No. 52). The historical foundation of this tradition cannot be traced to the well-known legend of a fountain of water discovered in the desert by an ass (Tacit, ut svpra), for the ar- guments adduced by Creuzer {Comment. Herod, i, 270 sq.) lead to no clear result (see Fuller, Miscell. hi, 8, p. 332 sq.), and the etymological reference by Hase (De lapide fundamenti, in Ugolini Thesaur. viii) to the idol Ashimam (q. v.) is as little satisfactory (see Mai- ler, in the Stud, u. Krit. 1843, iv, 909 sq. ; Bochart, Hieroz. i, 199 sq. ; comp. Minuc. Fel. ix, 4 ; and the Talmud, Shalb. v, 1). See generally, on this subject of onolatry, the treatises of Polemann (Brem. 1706); Morinus (in his Dissert, p. 285-336) ; Hasanis and Ot- tius (Erf. 1716) ; Del Monaco (Neap. 1715) ; Bernhard (in the Erl. Gel. Anzeig. 1744, No. 52); Linder (Exc. ad Minuc. Fel. ix, 4); Grape (Lips. 1696); Hasanis (in the Bill. Brem. iii, 1036 sq.) ; Heine (in his Dis- sert, ii, 1. c. 10); Schulze (in his Dissert, i); Schu- macher (De cultu animalium, p. G0-90); Miinter (D. Christen im heidn. Hause, p. 118 sq.). See Onolatry. Ass of Balaam. — Here we shall only inquire whether it were a reality or an allegory ; an imagina- tion, or a vision of Balaam. Augustine, with the great- er number of commentators, supposes it was a certain fact, and takes it literally (QucBst. in Gen. 48, 50). He discovers nothing in the whole relation more sur- prising than the stupidity of Balaam, who heard his ass speak to him, and who replied to it, as to a reason- able person ; and adds, as his opinion, that God did not give the ass a reasonable soul, but permitted it to pro- nounce certain words, to reprove the prophet's covct- ousness. Gregor}' of Nyssa (in Vita Jllosis) seems to think that the ass did not utter words ; but that, hav- ing brayed as usual, or a little more than usual, the diviner, practised in drawing presages from the voices of beasts and of birds, easily comprehended the mean- ing of the ass ; and that Moses, designing to ridicule this superstitious art of augury, relates the matter as if the ass really spoke articulately. (But see 2 Peter ii, 16.) Maimonides asserts the whole dialogue to be but a kind of fiction and allegory, whereby Moses re- lates what passed only in Balaam's imagination as real history. Philo, in his life of Moses, suppresses it entire- ly. So most Jewish authors (not Joseph. Ant. iv, 6, 3) consider it, not as a circumstance which actually took place, but as a vision, or some similar occurrence. Le Clerc solves the difficulty by saying Balaam believed
ASSABIAS
478
ASSASSINS
in the transmigration of souls, passing from one body into another, from a man into a beast, reciprocally ; and, therefore, he was not surprised at the ass's com- plaint, but conversed with it as if it were rational. Others have imagined different ways of solving the difficulties of this history. In considering this ques- tion, Mr. Taylor (in Calmet, Diet.) assumes as facts, (1.) That Balaam was accustomed to augury and pre- sages. (2.) That on this occasion he would notice every event capable of such interpretation, as presages were supposed to indicate. (3.) That he was deeply intent on the issue of his journey. (4.) That the whole of his conduct toward Balak was calculated to represent himself as an extraordinary personage. (5.) That the behavior of the ass did actually prefigure the conduct of Balaam in the three particulars of it which are re- corded. First, the ass turned aside, and went into the field, for which she was smitten, punished, reproved ; so Balaam, on the first of his perverse attempts to curse Israel, was, as it were, smitten, reproved, punished, [1.] by God, [2.] by Balak. The second time the ass was more harshly treated for hurting Balaam's foot against the wall ; so Balaam, for his second attempt, was, no doubt, still farther mortified. Thirdly, the ass, seeing inevitable danger, fell down and was smitten severely ; in like manner, Balaam, the third time, was overruled by God to speak truth, to his own disgrace, and escaped, not without hazard of his life, from the anger of Balak. Nevertheless, as Balaam had no sword in his hand, though he wished for one, with which to slay his ass, so Balak, notwithstanding his fury, and his seeming inclination, had no power to de- stroy Balaam. In short, as the ass was opposed by the angel, but was driven forward by Balaam, so Ba- laam was opposed by God, but was driven forward by Balak, against his better knowledge. Were we suvo that Balaam wrote this narrative, and that Moses cop- ied it, as the rabbins affirm, this view of the subject would remove the difficulties which have been raised against it. It might then be entitled "a specimen of Balaam's augury." See Balaam.