Page:Judaism and Islam, a prize essay - Geiger - 1898.pdf/158

 140 JUDAISM AND ISLAM.

explain how Jetb.ro came by it. However, we must first try to shew that Shu'aib and Jethro are identical, and then put forward our conjectures as to how the many-named Jethro added this name to his others. The identity is first shewn by the fact that those to whom he was sent are called " Midianites ; " l in the second place, the two first passages 2 give the events concerning him between the story of Lot and that of Moses.

Now if we can find among the Eabbis any intimation favourable to this supposition, then nothing important will remain to oppose its adoption 3 as a probable hypothesis. Very little, however, can be adduced to shew how Shu'aib and Jethro came to be one and the same person. Muham- mad may have confused the name Hobab 4 often used for Jethro and probably pronounced Ohobab with Shu'aib. Perhaps an etymological explanation may be* thought of here, for the Eabbis assert that the staff used later by Moses and called the divine staff 5 grew in Jethro's garden. 6 Now Sha'ba 7 means staff and Shu'aib 8 may be taken as the possessor of the staff. If Shu'aib is the same as Jethro,

1 Suras VII. 83, XI, 85, XXIX. 35. (, XXII. 43

-_o- where y-jA* is regarded as the name of a town).

2 Suras VII. 83-92, XI. 85-98.

3 It is all very -well for Ahmad ben As Salim (quoted by Maracc. on Sura VII. 83.) to assert that this is the opinion of J^sJ\ /.w &>\L " a heap of fools." Some regard Jethro, as the father of Shu'aib, (as Elpherar on Sura VII. 83 : Q^ ^ v^ yj> Jj ^ ); others, as his nephew (of. the passage quoted above from Elpherar on Sura XXVIII. 23.). The differ- ence in the names confuses the commentators, and also their ignorance of the source from -which here, as often, Muhammad drew.

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6 That Moses obtained the staff from Jethro is asserted also by D'Herb. B. 0. under the word Shu'aib, p. 772, according to the Mubammadan view.

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