Mythology among the Hebrews and Its Historical DevelopmentGoldziher, Ignác
Religion
Mythology among the Hebrews and Its Historical Development
Goldziher, Ignác
Jewish mythology; Judaism -- History -- To 70 A.D.
We know from Schwartz’s[487]
demonstrations, which Kuhn has recently confirmed in his academical
treatise on the stages of development in the formation of Myths, that in
mythical language the sun and other luminous bodies are called ‘stones.’
To the same mythic cycle belongs the circumstance that David slays his
giant-foe by casting stones. And tradition[488] says that Cain killed
Abel by throwing stones. But on the whole we find in the above-quoted
hymn (called Jacob’s) only slight hints that can be claimed for the
mythic period; for the remains of primeval hymns like that fragment were
in later times so overgrown with matter derived from historical
circumstances, that we must be content if we can discover what were the
points of view and conceptions chiefly represented by these fragments.
The reason why it is so difficult to reconstruct the old mythic view of
the Hebrews concerning the Rainbow, obviously lies in the fact that it
was supplanted by a later theological explanation (Gen. IX. 12–17). It
is curious that the reason assigned in this later passage for the origin
of the Rainbow was not able to obtain general credence, and that even
Christian popular legends frequently appear to flow from ancient mythic
conceptions. I will only mention an instance given by Bernhard
Schmidt—the Christians in Zante call the rainbow 'the girdle, or the bow
of the Virgin, τὸ ζώναρι, τὸ τόξο τῆς παναγίας.[489]
§ 13. Now while Jacob’s lawful wives are mythical figures homogeneous to
himself, as we have seen, his collateral wives, the two concubines
Zilpah and Bilhah represent figures of the ancient myth standing in a
position of opposition to Jacob. The mythical character of Zilpah has
been already determined, in the Seventh Section of this chapter. For
this determination we had no other resource but the etymology of the
name, no mythical matter having been preserved concerning this mythical
figure. The case is reversed when we enquire into the meaning of Bilhah.
The resource of etymology abandons us here; for, even if we assume that
the abstract idea represented by the name must here be understood in a
participial sense (Bilhâ=‘the Trembling, Terrified’), yet, in the want
of analogous cases, the signification of the name brings us to no track
worth pursuing. But, on the other hand, we fortunately have a material
myth (as opposed to a mere name), relating to Bilhah: ‘Reuben went and
lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine’ (Gen. XXXV. 22).
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