Delphi Complete Works of George Eliot (Illustrated) (713 page)
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Authors: George Eliot
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bodily eyes of later magi.,
Tills particular, however, as well as tlie journey of the magi into Judca, and their costly presents to the child., bear a relation to other passages in the Old Testament.
In the description of the happier future, given in Isaiah, cliap. lx., tlic prophet foretels that, at that time, the most remote people and kings will come to Jerusalem to worship Jeliovah, witli offerings of gold and incense and all acceptable gifts.* If in this passage tlie messianic times alone are spoken of, wliile the Messiah himself is wanting, in Psalm Ixxii.
In the description of the happier future, given in Isaiah, cliap. lx., tlic prophet foretels that, at that time, the most remote people and kings will come to Jerusalem to worship Jeliovah, witli offerings of gold and incense and all acceptable gifts.* If in this passage tlie messianic times alone are spoken of, wliile the Messiah himself is wanting, in Psalm Ixxii.
we read of a king wlio is to be feared as long as tlic sun and moon endure, in wliose times tlie righteous sliall nourish, and whom all nations sliall call blessed; this king might, easily be regarded as the Messiah, and tlie Psalm says of him nearly in tlie words of Isai.
lx., that foreign kings shall bring him gold and other presents. To tills it may be added, that tlie pilgrimage of foreign people to Jerusalem is connected with a risen lia’ht,+ wliicli mio’ht suwest the
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star of Balaam. What was more natural, when on tlie one hand was presented Balaam’s messianic star out of Jacob, (for the observation of which magian astrologers were tlie best adapted,) on tlic other, a liglit wliicli was to arise on Jerusalem, and to which distant nations would come, bringing gifts,-than to combine tlie two images and to say: In conse.quen.cc of the star which liad risen over Jerusalem, astrologers came from a distant land witli presents for tlic Messiah whom the star announced? But wlicn the imagination once had possession of tlie star, and of travellers attracted by it from a distance, there was an inducement to make tlie star the immediate guide of their course, and the torch to light them on their way. This was a favourite idea of antiquity: according to Virgil, a star, stclla facein ducens, marked out tlie way of Aeneas from tlie shores of Troy to tlie west; { Thrasybulus and Timoleon were led by celestial tires ; and a star was said to have guided Abraham on Ills way to Moriali. § Besides, in tlie prophetic passage itself, the heavenly light seems to be associated with tlie pilgrimage of the offerers as the guide of their course; at all events the originally figurative language of tlie prophet would probably, at a latter period, be understood literally, in accordance with tlic rabbinical spirit of interpretation. Tlic rnagi are not conducted by the star directly to Betlileliem where Jesuu was; they rirst proceed to Jerusalem.
One reason for tills miglit be, tliat tlic prophetic passage connects the risen liglit and tlie offerers with Jerusalem; but tlie chief reason lies in tlie fact, tliat in Jerusalem Herod was to be found; for
* As in Matt, ii. 11, it is said of the ma^i vpoarivsynav auTo-xpvaov sac ‘ki.0a.vav ;
BO in Isai. lx. G (LXX) : »/^0tii7(, fspovT’-c ^pvaipv, KCU /lip’orov oiaovai. Tile third present is in Mattli. G^ivpva, in Isai. /^oc 77//£oc*
fv. 1. mul 3: -p-iS; iSSU “‘3 (Lxx: ‘kpMwiA^.) ‘•1-1:1^ •’-iltS l?3-ip
:^n-if nsisb ti-cbtti ‘Tri^b Em:» •Gbn’i--:mT ^by mrp
BIETH AND EAELY LIFE OF JESUS.
173
173
what was better adapted to instigate Herod to his murderous decree, than tlie alarming tidings of the magi, that they had seen the star of the great Jewish king ?
To represent a murderous decree as having been directed by Herod against Jesus, was the interest of tlie primitive Christian le°’end.
In all times legend lias glorified tlie infancy of great men by persecutions and attempts on tlieir life ; the greater tlie danger that hovered over them, the higher seems their value ; tlie more unexpectedly tlieir deliverance is wrought, the more evident is the esteem in which they are held by heaven. Hence in tlie history of the cliildliood of Cyrus in Herodotus, of Romulus in Livy,* and even later of Augustus in Suetonius, f we find this trait; ncitlier has the Hebrew legend neglected to assign such a distinction to Moses.f One point of analogy between the narrative in Exod. i.
In all times legend lias glorified tlie infancy of great men by persecutions and attempts on tlieir life ; the greater tlie danger that hovered over them, the higher seems their value ; tlie more unexpectedly tlieir deliverance is wrought, the more evident is the esteem in which they are held by heaven. Hence in tlie history of the cliildliood of Cyrus in Herodotus, of Romulus in Livy,* and even later of Augustus in Suetonius, f we find this trait; ncitlier has the Hebrew legend neglected to assign such a distinction to Moses.f One point of analogy between the narrative in Exod. i.
ii., and tliat in Mattliew, is tliat in both cases the murderous decree does not refer specially to tlie one dangerous cliild, but generally to a certain class of children ; in tlie former, to all new-born males, in tlie latter to all of and under tlie age of two years. It is true that, according to tlic narrative in .Exodus, tlie murderous decree is determined on without any reference to Moses, of wliose ‘birth Pharaoh is not supposed to liave ‘had any presentiment, and who is therefore only bv accident implicated in its consequences.
But this representation did not sufficiently mark out Moses as the object of hostile design to satisfy tlie spirit of Hebrew tradition, and by the time of Joscphus it had been so modified as to resemble more nearly tlie legends concerning Cyrus and Augustus, and above all the narrative of Matthew. According to the later legend, Pharaoh was incited to issue his murderous decree by a communication from his interpreters of the sacred writings, wlio announced to liiin the birth of an infant destined to succour tlie. Israelites and humble the Egyptians.§ Tlie interpreters of tlie sacred writings here play the same part as tlie interpreters of dreams in Herodotus, and the astrologers in Matthew. Legend was not content witli thus signalizing tlie infancy of tlie lawgiver alone-it soon extended tlie same distinction to tlic great progenitor of tlic Israelitish nation, Abraham, whom it represented as being in peril of his life from the murderous attempt of a. jealous tyrant, immediately after Ills birth.
Moses was opposed to Pharaoh as an enemy and oppressor; Abraham lield tlie same position witli respect to Nimrod.This monarch was forewarned by his sages, whose attention had been exited by a remarkable star, tliat Tharah would liave a son from
* Herod, i. 108 ft’.
Liv. 1. 4. ^ Octav. 94 :-ante p’lucos qwim nascfrefur menses prodiyium Romw j’actum publtce^ quo dwwiS’tahnfur, rc’gem populi liomani naiuram parfuTvre.
Kenaiuin cxtemtuin, censuisse, tie quis illo anno genittis fducaretur. j-^os, qiu gravidas vxores haberent, quo ad se quisqye sprm tniheret, cuirasse, ne Sm.atus cmtsulluni, ad acrarium diferrefw. t Bauer (ulier das AIythische in der fruheren Lcliensper. des iloses, In the n. Theol. Journal 1°>, 3) liad already compared tlie marvellous deliverance of Moses witli tliat of Cyrus and Komulus ; tlie comparison of tlie infanticides was added by De
Liv. 1. 4. ^ Octav. 94 :-ante p’lucos qwim nascfrefur menses prodiyium Romw j’actum publtce^ quo dwwiS’tahnfur, rc’gem populi liomani naiuram parfuTvre.
Kenaiuin cxtemtuin, censuisse, tie quis illo anno genittis fducaretur. j-^os, qiu gravidas vxores haberent, quo ad se quisqye sprm tniheret, cuirasse, ne Sm.atus cmtsulluni, ad acrarium diferrefw. t Bauer (ulier das AIythische in der fruheren Lcliensper. des iloses, In the n. Theol. Journal 1°>, 3) liad already compared tlie marvellous deliverance of Moses witli tliat of Cyrus and Komulus ; tlie comparison of tlie infanticides was added by De
Wette Kritil.- <“lo,. Mna n>.a,.l.i,.litB e 171;.S Ji>ai.Tili
A lltin i i. i l. •>,
A lltin i i. i l. •>,
THE LIFE OP JESUS.
whom a powerful nation would descend. Apprehensive of rivalry, Nimrod immediately issues a murderous command, which, however, Abraham happily escapes.* What wonder, then, tliat, as the great progenitor and tlic lawgiver of the nation had their Nimrod and Pharaoh, a«.corrcsponding persecutor was found for tlic restorer of the nation, tlie Messiah, in tlie person of Herod ;-tliat this tyrant was said to have been apprised of the Messiah’s birth by wise men, and to have laid snares against his life, from which, liowevcr, he happily escapes? Tlic apocryphal legend, indeed, lias introduced an imitation of this trait after its own style, into tlic history of tlic Fore-runner ; lie, too, is endangered by Herod’s decree, a mountain is miraculously cleft asunder to receive him and his mother, but Ills father, refusing to point out tlie boy’s hidingplace, is put to dcath.f
Jesus escapes from tlic liostile attempts of Herod by oilier means than those by which Moses, according to the mosaic history, and Abraham, according to tlie Jewish legend, chide tlie decree issued against tlicm ; namely, by a flight out of Ills native land, into Egypt.
In the life. of Moses also there occurs a night into a foreign land ;
not, however, during his childhood, but after lie liad slain tlic Egyptian, wlic.n, fearing tlic vengeance of Pharaoh, lie takes refuge in Midian (Exod. il. 15.). Tliat reference was made to tills night of tlic first God in tliat of tlic second, our text expressly shows, for tlie words, which it attributes to tlie angel, wlio encourages Josepli to return out of Egypt into Palestine, are tliose by wincli Moses is induced to return out of Midian into Egypt4 Tlie clioicc of Egypt as a place of refuge for Jesus, may be explained in the simplest manner: tlie young Messiah could not, like Moses, tiec out nf Egypt;
hcnec, that his history might not be destitute of so significant a feature as a connexion with Egypt, tliat ancient retreat of tlic patriarchs, tlie relation was reversed, and lie was made to flee into Egypt, which, besides, from its vicinity, was tlic most appropriate asylum for a fugitive from Judea.
Tlie prophetic passage wliicli tlic evangelist cites from llosca xi. 1.Out of .Egypt /uive I called my sunis less available for tlic clucid’.ition of this particular in our narrative.
Tlie prophetic passage wliicli tlic evangelist cites from llosca xi. 1.Out of .Egypt /uive I called my sunis less available for tlic clucid’.ition of this particular in our narrative.
For the ini mediate proofs tliat the Jews referred tills passage to the Messiali arc very uncertain ;§ though, if we compare such passage as Ps. ii. 7. in which tlie words finx ‘‘?3 {thou art ‘my son’) arc interpreted of tlie Messiali, it cannot appear incredible tliat tlie expression “‘33’? (iny sort) m Hosea was supposed to liave a messianic signification.
* Jalkut liubcui (cont. of the passage cited in No. G) : dixerunt s’lpu-nt.rs Ximrodt ;
natus tst Tharwji.lins hue ipsii hora, ex quo egressus cst pnpuliiJ!, qil.i /Mi’eiitt ibll pra’-seas et J’l.iturun seculum; si tibi placuerU, dvlur pniri ipsius dunnis iliymlo mow/us plena, et oecidnt ipsum.
Comp. tlie passage of the Arabic book quoted by Fabric, Cod. pscudepigr.
Comp. tlie passage of the Arabic book quoted by Fabric, Cod. pscudepigr.
ut sup.
•;’ Protev. Jacob), c, xxii. f.
•;’ Protev. Jacob), c, xxii. f.
t Ex. iv. 1;1, LXX : Matt.ii.20:
puSi^c, un’ri’.ae E;(- Myvir-ov, TS’-QvTjicaal yup ..e/Ep^rir-wopcvov eic yfiv ‘lafiafi^ To»i^wuvTCf ol fr/Tow-ircc auv ryv ^ivy/v.naot yup Ot friTOWTt’c riiv ^iv^v TOD irai&ov.
We may n’niark that tin; in.ipropriate use of tlie plur.il in tlie evangeliral passage, can
BIETH AND EAELT LIFE OF JESUS.175
Against this mythical derivation of the narrative, two objections have been recently urged. First, if the history of the star originated in Balaam’s prophecy, wliy, it is asked, does not Matthew, fond as he is of showing the fulfilment of Old Testament predictions in the life of Jesus, make, the, sliglitcst allusion to that prophecy ?* Because it was not he wlio -wove this history out of the materials furnished in tlic Old Testament ; lie received it, already fashioned, from others, wlio did not communicate to him its real origin. For tlic very reason tliat many narratives were transmitted to him without their appropriate keys, he sometimes tries false ones ; as in our narrative, in relation to tlie Bethlehem massacre, he quotes, under a total misconception of tlic passage, Jeremiah’s image of Rachel weeping for her children, f Tlie other objection is this : liow could tlie communities of Jcwisli Christians, wlience this pretended mythus must have. sprung, ascribe so high an importance to the heathen as is implied in tlie star of tlie magi ?^
As if tlie prophets liad not, in such passages as we have, quoted, already ascribed to them this importance, which, in fact, consists but in their rendering homage and submission to tlic Messiali, a relation that must be allowed to correspond witli the, ideas of the Jewish Christians, not to speak of tlie particular conditions on which the heathen were to be admitted into tlie kingdom of the Messiali.
We must therefore abide by tlic mythical interpretation of our narrative, and content ourselves witli gathering from it no particular tact in tlie life of Jesus, but only a new proof liow strong was the impression of his messiahship left by Jesus on the minds of his contemporaries, since even the history of his childhood received a messianic form.§
Let us now revert to the narrative of Luke, chap. ii., so far as it runs parallel with tliat of Matthew.
We have seen that tlie narrative of Matthew does not allow us to presuppose tliat of Luke as a series of prior incidents: still less can tlie converse be true, namely, tliat the magi arrived before tlic shepherds: it remains tlien to be asked, whether tlie two narratives do not aim to represent the same fact, though they have given it a different garb ? From the older orthodox opinion tliat tlie star in Mattlicw was an angel, it was an easy step to identify tliat apparition witli the angel in Luke, and to suppose tliat the angels, wlio appeared to tlie shepherds of Bethlehem on tlie night of tlic birth of Jesus, were taken by tlie distant magi for a star vertical to Judca,|| so that. both tlie accounts might be essentially correct. Of late, only one of the Evangelists
We have seen that tlie narrative of Matthew does not allow us to presuppose tliat of Luke as a series of prior incidents: still less can tlie converse be true, namely, tliat the magi arrived before tlic shepherds: it remains tlien to be asked, whether tlie two narratives do not aim to represent the same fact, though they have given it a different garb ? From the older orthodox opinion tliat tlie star in Mattlicw was an angel, it was an easy step to identify tliat apparition witli the angel in Luke, and to suppose tliat the angels, wlio appeared to tlie shepherds of Bethlehem on tlie night of tlic birth of Jesus, were taken by tlie distant magi for a star vertical to Judca,|| so that. both tlie accounts might be essentially correct. Of late, only one of the Evangelists
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