/2/
*****************************
2. In Judges v. Jehovah retains his original abode in the
wilderness of Sinai, and only on occasions of necessity quits it
to come to Palestine.
****************************
But it was not to be expected that the divinity of the land
should permanently be different from the God of the dominant
people. In proportion as Israel identified itself with the
conquered territory, the divinities also were identified. Hence
arose a certain syncretism between Baal and Jehovah, which had not
been got over even in the time of the prophet Hosea. At the same
time the functions of Baal were more frequently transferred to
Jehovah than conversely. Canaan and Baal represented the female,
Israel and Jehovah the male, principle in this union.
Had the Israelites remained in the wilderness and in barbarism,
the historical development they subsequently reached would hardly
have been possible; their career would have been like that of
Amalek, or, at best, like those of Edom, Moab, and Ammon. Their
acceptance of civilisation was undoubtedly a step in the forward
direction; but as certainly did it also involve a peril.
Pages:
967
968
969
970
971
972
973
974
975
976
977
978
979
980
981
982
983
984
985
986
987
988
989
990
991