Page:Judaism and Islam, a prize essay - Geiger - 1898.pdf/150

 132 JUDAISM AND ISLAM.

Muhammad doubtless knew them by it too ; and since he gave the name of Samaritan * to the maker of the calf, this man must have seemed to him to be the founder of the sect, and the " Touch me not " must have originated with him, which as a punishment was known to Muhammad from the similar story of the wandering Jew. Muhammad says that the calf lowed as it come forth. 2 With this is to be compared, the Eabbinical statement : " There came forth this calf 3 lowing, and the Israelites saw it. Eabbi Je- huda says that Samael entered into it and lowed in order to mislead Israel." 4 In the Quran it is said 5 that among the people of Moses there was a tribe which kept to the truth. This seems to refer to the tribe of Levi and especially to their behaviour about the calf, although possibly it may refer also to their belief in Moses's mission to Pharaoh of which we have spoken before. In the biblical account a statement is made, 6 which is explained by the Eabbis as follows : 7 " From Exodus, xxxii. 26, it is clear that the tribe of Levi was not implicated in the matter of -the golden calf." The Arabian commentators produce the most unedifying fables about this passage.

In the events which follow abbreviations are to be found, but neither changes nor embellishments, except in the story of the dispute with Korah, which gives rise to some. Korah is said to have had such riches that a number of

2 Suras VII. 147, XX. 90. 3 Exodus, xxxii. 24. * Pirke Rabbi Bliezer, section 45.

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5 Sura VII. 159. 6 Exodus, xxxii. 26.

7 Pirke Rabbi Eliezer, section 45.