We know that all ancient nations, especially Orien- tals, have been fond of riddles (Kosenmiiller, Morgenl. iii, 68). We find traces of the custom among the Arabs (Koran, xxv, 35), and, indeed, several Arabic books of riddles exist— as Ketab el-Algaz in 1469, and a book of riddles solved, called Akd el-Themin. But these are rather emblems and devices than what we call riddles, altlioiigh they are very ingenious. The Persians call them Ali/az and Maamma (DTIerbelot, s. v. "Algaz"). They were also known to the ancient Egyptians (Ja- blonski. Pantheon .Fi/ypt. p. 48). They were especially used in banquets both by Greeks and Romans (]Miiller, />or, ii, 392; Athen. x,457; Pollux, vi, 107 ; (iell, xviii, 2), and the kind of witticisms adopted may be seen in
RIDDLE
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RIDDLE
the literary dinners described by Plato, Xenophon, Athe- iiajus, Plutarch, and Macnibius (see Zorn, l)e yEnigma- iibiis Nupiialibus [Lips. 17"24]). Some have ground- lessh^ supposed that the proverbs of Solomon, Lemuel, and Agur were propounded at feasts, like the parables spoken by our Lord on similar occasions (_Luke xiv, 7, etc.).
Riddles were generally proposed in verse, like the celebrated riddle of Samson, which, however, was prop- erly (as Yoss points out, Iiistt. Oratt. iv, 11) no ridiUe at all, because the Philistines did not possess the only clue on which the solution could depend. For this reason Samson had carefully concealed the fact, even from his parents (Judg. xiv, 14, etc.). Other ancient riddles in verse are that of the Sphinx, and that which is said to have caused the death of Homer by his mortification at being unable to solve it (Plutarch, Vit. I/om.).
The pleasure of the propounder is derived from per- plexing his hearers, and theirs from overcoming the dif- ficulty, which is usually renewed by their proposing an- other enigma. This kind of amusement seems to have been resorted to, especially at entertainments, in all ages among different nations, and has even been treated as an art and reduced to rules. The chief writers on this curious subject are Nic. Peusner {,Enirjmatograph.') and F. Menestrier. The principal rules laid down for the construction of an enigma are the following : that it must be obscure, and the more obscure the better, pro- vided that the description of the thing, however cov- ered and abstract, and in whatever remote or uncommon terms, be really correct; and it is essential that the thing thus described be well known. Sometimes, and especially in a witty enigma, the amusement consists in describing a thing by a set of truisms, which tell their own meaning, but which confound the hearer through his expectation of some deep and difficult meaning.
Franc. .Junius distinguishes between the cjreutei- enig- ma, where the allegory or obscure intimation is continu- ous throughout the passage (as in Ezek. xvii, 2, and in .such poems as the Syrinx attributed to Theocritus), and the lesser enigma or vnaiviyiia, where the difficulty is concentrated in the peculiar use of some one word. As specimens of the enigmatical style of the former kind in the Old Test., Winer points out Prov. xxx, 1'2-19; Isa. xxi, 12. The speech of Lamech to his wives Adah and Zillah (Gen. iv, 23, 24) is possibly an enigmatic mode of communicating some painful intelligence. In the New Test, we may adduce our Lord's discourse with Nicodemus (John iii, 3), and with the Jews (vi, 51, etc.), where the enigmatical style is adopted for the purpose of engaging attention in an unrivalled manner (Stuck, A nliq. Conric. iii, 17). It may be useful to refer to one or two instances of the latter kind, since they are very frequently to be found iu the Bible, and especially in the prophets. Such is the play on the word DI'J ("a portion," and "Shechem," the town of Ephraim). in Gen. xlviii, 22; on "i1^'2 {ma/zor, "a fortified city") and D'^'^^'^ {Mizraim, Eg}-pt),in Mic. vii, 12; on ^i^'^ (jS/ioAtW, "an almond -tree") and "IJT'd (shiddil, " to hasten"), in Jer. i, 11; on ilTlsi'n (^Dumah, meaning " Edom" and " the land of death"), in Isa. xxi, 1 1 ; on TIT13TI3, Sheshach (meaning " Babylon," and perhaps " ar- rogance"), in Jer. xxv, 26; li, 41. The description of the Messiah under the name of the " Branch" ("i.13, nezer), when considered in regard to the occasion and context, may be taken as a specimen of the lesser enigma (see Lowth upon the passage). See Nazaiute.
It only remains to notice the single instance of a rid- dle occurring in the New Test. — viz. the number of the beast. This belongs to a class of riddles very common among Egyptian mystics, the Gnostics, some of the fathers, and the Jewish Cabalists. The latter called it Gematria (i. e. -yeMfitTpia), of which instances may lie found in Carpzov (A pp. Vrit. p. 542), Reland (^4 nt. IJcbr. i, 25), and some of the commentators on Rev. xiii, IC-
18. Thus CH3 (iiachuslt), "serpent," is made bj' the Jews one of the names of the Messiah, because its nu- merical value is equivalent to ri"^iy"0; and the names Sluishan and Esther are connected together because the numerical value of the letters composing them is GGl. Thus the IMarcosians regarded the number 24 as sacred from its being the sum of numerical values in the names of two quaternions of their ;vous, and the (inostics used the name Abnixits as an amulet because its letters amount numerically to 305. Such idle fancies are not infrecpient in some of the fathers. Instances occur in the mystic explanation by Clem. Alexandrinus of the number 318 in Gen. xiv, 14, and by Tertullian of the number 300 (represented by the letter T or a cross) in Judg. vii, (), and similar instances are siqi|)lied by the Testimonia of the Pseudo- Cyprian. The most exact analogies, however, to the enigma on the name of the beast are to be found in the so-called Sibylline verses. We quote one which is exactly similar to it, the answer being found in the name 'h]aoi''g = 8S8, thus: 1 = 10 + ,,=z8 + CT = 200 + o = 70-|-i^=400 + f = 200=888, It is as follows, and is extremely curious :