2O5
APPEND
HE
I
X.
A.
author believes that his remarks on Professor
s Mythology among the Hebrews (trans Mr. Russell Martineau), which are here reprinted by
Goldziher
lated
from the Transactions of the Victoria Institute, Vol. XII., p. no, may not be without interest to the reader of the foregoing Studies. In the elaborate work of Prof. Goldziher asserted that
Abraham, Sarah,
it
is
Isaac, Jacob, Esau,
seriously
and the
whole group of patriarchal characters of the Bible in general had no real existence, but are mythical creations belonging to a system of very early development.
The first
general line of argument
is
twofold.
The author
endeavours to establish an etymology of the proper
names suitable to or some selected
his theory,
and then knits up the
particulars, into the mythical web.
story,
He
has thus translated the old fathers far away from the earth
and
its
For sky.
doings. instance,
Abram
Sarah (princess)
is
(father of height)
the
moon
:
so
is
is
the
nightly
probably Milka.
is a solar name. Isaac (the laugher) but further the on the sun, smiling one originally whom the high father intends to slay, is the smiling day, or more closely defined the smiling sunset, which gets the
Hagar
(the flying one)
"
is