Footnote 15: The rationalistic objection, that at so great an age, and on the brink of the grave, man is not wont to compose poems, may be refuted by a reference to the history of the ancient Arabic poetry. The Arabic poets before the time of Mohammed often recited long poems extempore,--so natural to them was poetry. (Compare _Tharaphæ Moallakah_, ed. _Reiske_, p. xl.; _Antaræ Moallakah_, ed. _Menil._ p. 18.) The poet _Lebid_, who attained to the age of 157 years (compare _Reiske prolegg. ad Thar. Moall._ p. xxx.; _De Sacy_, _Memoires de l'Academie des inscriptions_, p. 403 ff.), composed a poem when he was dying; compare _Herbelot Bibl. Or._ p. 513. The poet _Hareth_ was 135 years old when he recited extempore his _Moallakah_, which is still extant; compare _Reiske_ l.c. The objection, too, that it is inconceivable how the blessing spoken by Jacob could have been handed down _verbatim_ to Moses, finds its best refutation in the history of Arabic poetry. The art of writing was introduced among the Arabs only a short time before Mohammed. (Compare _de Sacy_ l.c. pp. 306, 348; _Amrulkeisi Moall._ ed. _Hengstenberg_, p. 3.) Up to that time, even the longest poems, of which some consisted of more than a hundred verses, were preserved by mere oral tradition (compare _Nuweiri_ in _Rosenmüller_, _Zoheiri Moall._ p. 11); and the internal condition of those which have been preserved to us bears the best testimony to their having been faithfully handed down. But in the case before us, something altogether different from a poem was concerned. Footnote 16: _Onkelos_ paraphrases these words very correctly, thus: "Hear, O Lord, the prayers of Judah when he goes out to war, and bring him safely back to his people." Footnote 17: It is probable also, that in the passage, Josh. xvi. 6, where Shiloh occurs for the first time as the name of a place, and which we have already discussed, there is not, as we assumed, a connection of the former name with the latter, but the complete appellation, of which the latter--Shiloh--is only an abbreviation. From the well ascertained and common signification of the verb אנה, we are entitled to explain Taanath-Shiloh: "the futurity, or the appearance of Shiloh." Shiloh shall come! Such was the watchword at that time. The word תאנה would then correspond to the יבא of the fundamental passage. Footnote 18: That there exists a connection between Shiloh and Solomon has often been guessed at and expressed; but expositors have not succeeded well in determining it more closely. The Samarit. Arab. Translation here says expressly: "Until Solomon cometh." (Comp. _Lib. Genes. sec. Arab. Pent._ _Samarit. vers. ed. Kuenen_. _Leyden_, 51.) Footnote 19: _Kimchi_ says: "As long as the Jews were doing the will of God, they could lie down like the lion without fear." BALAAM'S PROPHECY. (Numb. xxiv. 17-19.)