The incident is significant, both on account of the prophet's personification of the altar, and the institution of a sort of Gehenna in connection with it. The personification and the Gehenna became much more complete as time went on. The Jews originally had no Devil, as indeed had no races at first; and this for the obvious reason that their so-called gods were quite equal to any moral evils that were to be accounted for, as we have already seen they were adequate to explain all physical evils. But the antagonists of the moral Jehovah were recognised and personified with increasing clearness, and were quite prepared for connection with any General who might be theoretically proposed for their leadership. When the Jews came under the influence of Persian theology the archfiend was elected, and all the Elohim--Moloch, Dagon, Astarte, Chemosh, and the rest--took their place under his rebellious ensign. The descriptions of the Devil in the Bible are mainly borrowed from the early descriptions of the Elohim, and of Jehovah in his Elohistic character. [26] In the subjoined parallels I follow the received English version. Gen. xxii. 1. 'God tempted Matt. iv. 1. 'Then was Jesus Abraham.' led up into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.' See also 1 Cor. vii. 5, 1 Thes. iii. 5, James 1.13. Exod. v. 3. 'I (Jehovah) will John xiii. 2. 'The devil having harden Pharaoh's heart;' v. 13, now put into the heart Judas 'He hardened Pharaoh's heart.' Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him.' 1 Kings xxii. 23. 'Behold the John viii. 44. 'He (the devil) is Lord hath put a lying spirit in a liar' ('and so is his father,' the mouth of all these thy continues the sentence by right prophets, and the Lord hath of translation). 1 Tim. iii. 2, spoken evil concerning them.' 'slanderers' (diabolous). 2 Tim. Ezek. xiv. 9. 'If the prophet be iii. 3, 'false accusers' deceived when he hath spoken a (diabolo). Also Titus ii. 3, Von thing, I the Lord have deceived Tischendorf translates that prophet, and I will stretch 'calumniators.' out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people.' Isa. xlv. 7. 'I make peace and Matt. xiii. 38. 'The tares are create evil. I the Lord do all the children of the wickied these things.' Amos iii. 6. one.' 1 John iii. 8. 'He that 'Shall there be evil in a city committeth sin is of the devil; and the Lord hath not done it?' for the devil sinneth from the 1 Sam. xvi. 14. 'An evil spirit beginning.' from the Lord troubled him' (Saul).