Page:Judaism and Islam, a prize essay - Geiger - 1898.pdf/103

 FROM NOAH TO ABRAHAM. 85

corruption of morals Noah appears, teaching men and seeking by exhortation to turn them from their evil ways. He builds himself the Ark and is saved, while the rest of the people perish. 1 His whole appearance as an admon- isher and seer is not Biblical but Kabbinical, and serves Muhammad's ends perfectly, as Noah in this way is a type of himself. According to rabbinical writings, 2 Job, xii. 5 refers to Noah, " who rebuked them and spake to them words as severe as flames, but they scorned him and said : ' Old man, for what purpose is this ark ?' He, however, said: ' Grod is going to bring a flood upon you. 5 " Other particulars

" Mujahid says : The angels wondered at the wickedness of the sons of Adam, for Apostles had already been sent to them ; then their Lord (God) said to them : ' Choose out two of you, and I will send tKem that they may judge upon earth.' Then Harut and Marut were chosen, and they judged righteously, till Zahrah (the star Venus, just like the Yalkutish IH^pH. like nflp^ the Persian &j* and the Greek

dcmjp) . In Job xxxi. 26 the Targum puts "inflDM for the Hebrew *liN) came in the form of a most beautiful woman and complained about her husband. They were led astray by her and lusted after her, bnfc she fled and went back to where she was before .... Muhammad says : ' Yahya states on another authority than that of Mnjahid, that the woman through whom they were led astray was a human woman.' The union of these two views is to be found in the passages quoted from Midrash Yalkut.

1 Suras YII. 57-68, X. 7275, XI. 2760, XXII. 43, XXIII. 28-82. XXV. 39, XXVI. 105-121, XXIX. 13. 14, XXXVII. 73-81, LIV. 9-18, LXXI. 1 end.

8 Sanhedrin 108. (Oomp. Midrash Kabbah on Genesis, paras. 80 and 33, also on Ecclesiastes, ix, 14.)

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