Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/133

 The Place of Jud.-ea in History. 115 mediately preceding that period, and were they in existence it would in all probability be difficult to differentiate them. To resume, a clear exposition of the circumstances attending the erection of the temple will involve adumbrating the political, social, and sacred history of the people who built it. In its traditional form such a history is familiar to the general reader, and intimately connected with his earliest recollections. Nevertheless, we shall have to regard it from a different standpoint, so as to give it sense and sequence. We wish to be understood that it is foreign from our intention to wound the susceptibilities of believers of whatever denomination ; but as historians our work would be stultified were we to ignore results based for the most part upon such an array of direct observations and proofs as to induce conviction and com- mand the respect of the unprejudiced. We shall not enter into details, nor engage in arguments as to texts and the various inter- pretations of which they are susceptible. Readers anxious for greater development or desirous of testing our assertions one by one, may consult special works wherein the life of the Jewish people is brought home to them, as only the long, patient, ex- egetical study of our days could achieve. 1 From the beginning of this century a host of critics have made it the business of their lives to test and fix the probable date of the various books in the Bible ; and apportion to each its relative value. We could not but take into account similar labours and researches ; but whether the conclusions to which they have led be accepted or not, whether the Hebrew writings be taken literally or subjected to analytical methods, nobody will fail to be interested or to view with respect the temple which formerly stood on Mount Moriah, reduced to naught by the hand of man, but whose site is endeared alike to Jews, Christians, and Mohammedans. 1 The work which we have mostly consulted is : Geschichte des Volkes Israel, by Dr. Bernard Stade, Giessen University, of which three parts only have as yet appeared (September, 1886) in the Allgemeine Geschichte in Einzeldarstellungen, published under the direction of W. Oncken. The narrative brings the history down to Josaphat and Omri and is followed by a general review of the highest interest, which forms the seventh book of the series ; headed : Les Croyances et les Mœurs d'Israël avant le temps des prophètes. Whatever of importance has been written on the subject will be found in Dr. Stade's work, remarkable for historical truth and acumen.