But, if Purim is now to be a rejoicing over a victory of the Babylonian gods (naturally endeared as these gods were to the Jews), why was the fast held before Purim? It was held, according to 'Jensen's solution' (which is 'the best'), 'for the supposed annual death of a hero of the type of Tammuz or Adonis, whose resurrection on the following day occasioned that outburst of joy and gladness which is characteristic of Purim.'[52] But, if 'the outburst of joy and gladness characteristic of Purim' is a jubilation over a victory of the Babylonian gods, on Nöldeke's theory, why is there a fast, 'the fast of Esther,' before Purim, which is a feast of the Tammuz type? To fast for the death of Tammuz is a comely thing, but why should Jews, of all people, fast before a feast commemorative of a victory of the Babylonian gods? And why should the Jews, of all people, scourge and hang, at the same time, the possible human representative of Marduk, the chief of the gods whose victory they for some reason are commemorating?[53] IX. ANOTHER NEW THEORY. HUMMAN AND THE VICTIM To be sure we are given our choice: the victim may represent Marduk, the chief of the victorious gods; but he may also represent Humman, one of the defeated gods. In that case the vanquished hostile god's human representative may well be whipped and hanged, in derision of the defeated deity, Humman. But I do not observe that Mr. Frazer offers this hypothesis, which seems relatively plausible. Indeed, I am fairly certain that Mr. Frazer does not accept Nöldeke's theory that Purim is a form of a Babylonian rejoicing over a victory of their gods. It cannot be both that and also a Tammuz feast,[54] or a festival for the saving of the king's life by the vicarious hanging of a criminal.[55] We are next to see how Haman, Mordecai, Vashti, and Esther are mixed up with the Sacæa, Zakmuk, Purim, Marduk, and Humman. [1] 'Zimmern's view of a possible relationship between Purim and Zagmuku is untenable,' says Dr. Jastrow (_op. cit_. p. 686, note 2). This is also the opinion of Meyer. [2] _G. B_. ii. 254. [3] _G. B_. iii. 151, 152. [4] _G. B_. ii. 24, note 1. [5] _G. B_. ii. 254. [6] _G. B_. iii. 152. [7] _Ibid._ [8] _G. B_. iii. 152. [9] _G. B_. iii. 178. [10] _G. B_. 254, note 1. [11] i. 339. [12] _G. B_. iii. 152. [13] _G. B_. ii. 24, note 1. [14] _G. B_. ii. 26. [15] Esther iii. 7. [16] _G. B_. iii. 104, 155. [17] Kuenen, _Hist. and Lit. of Israelites_, iii. 149, 150. [18] Hyde, _Hist. Rel. Pers_. pp. 266, 267. Oxford, 1760. [19] _G. B_. iii. 155. [20] Herodotus, iii. 79. [21] _G. B_. iii. 153, 154. [22] _G. B_. iii. 153. [23] _G. B_. iii. 155. [24] _G. B_. iii. 177, and note 2. [25] Esther iv. 3, 16; ix. 31. [26] _G. B_. iii. 177. 4 Ezekiel viii. 14. [27] _G. B_. iii. 153. [28] _G. B_. iii. 153, 154. [29] _G. B_. iii. 152. [30] _G. B_. iii. 177. [31] _G. B_. iii. 177. [32] _G. B_. ii. 254. [33] _G. B_. iii. 177. [34] _G. B_. iii. 171, 172.