Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 11.djvu/232

* JEWS. 206 JEWS. Hebrews, and, from the fact that they were members of a confederation known as the Bene Israel, 'Sons of Israel,' are frequently designated as Israelites. The .Jews were long consi(l('red the example par excellence of a pure, unmi.xcd race. Re- cent investigations, however, have shown not only the existence at the earliest period of two distinct types — the blond ('red') and the brunette ("black') — but also, both in Asia, and since their disjx'rsion. noteworthy admix- tures of other blood and approximaticin in craniological and other somatic charactcrislio to those of the peoples of their new enviroinnents. The modern .Tew may be described as short, with dark hair and eyes, rather swarthy skin, some- what l)roadheaded. with a characteristic facial expression, full lips, ample beard, etc. (See the colored plate under Ei uoi'K. Pkoples of.) The majority of ethnolojjists are a^^rced that in the earliest times the pri'ddininaiit Seiiiitic (and Jewish) tyiie was dolicluiocplialic. a type charac- teristically .rab. and preserved by t.Iie .Jews of Africa, and perhaps a majority of the so-called Sepliardim. .Vmong the distingiiishing mental and moral traits of the .Jews may be men- tioned: distaste for hard or violent ])liysical labor; a strong family sense, and philoprogcnitive- ness; a marked religious instinct; the courage of the prophet and martyr rather than of the pioneer and soldier; remarkable power to sur- vive in adverse environments, combined with won- derful ability to retain racial sociality; great capacity for exploitation, both individual and social; shrewdness and astuteness in speculation and money matters generally; an Oriental love of display, and a full appreciation of the power and pleasure of social position ; an intellectual ability c(|ual to that of any known people in the world, ancient or modern. The great work of the ancient .Tews is well expressed in the epigram of Zanguill : The Greeks worshiped the holiness of beauty, the .Jews the beauty of holiness. The religion boni in Palestine reaches the common people ever vbere, the philosophy nurtured in Athens only a few privileged classes. Of the three names Hebrew, Tsraelitc. .Tew, the first is properly ajiplied to the jjeriod when Hebrews constituted in the full sense of the word a nation; the second has acquired an al- most exclusive religious force; while the third is the pr.iper designation to cover the twofold aspect of Hebrews as a people and a religious body. Apjilying this distinction, the period be- fore the I?abvlnnian exile (n.c. 580) may be des- ignated as Helirew history, and the post-exilic period as .Jewish history. A. Hebrew History. The period before the Exile may be divided into three divisions: (1) The early period preceding the formation of the Hebrew confederation to e.12.50 B.C.; (2) the beginnings of the nation and the conquest of Canaan, c. 12.50 to 1000 B.C.; (3) the period of definite organization and the kingdoms of Israel and .Tiidab, B.C. 1000 to 'iHG. The direct sources for our knowledge of this period are: (a) The books of the Old Testament and works, like the AntiqiiiliF.t and Ifors of .Tosephus. dependent upon the Old Testament: (b) Assyrian and Egyptian records, which furnish numerous ref- erences to the ix)litical history of the land in- habited by the Hebrews. Of these two sources, the former is obviously the more important, but also the more dillicult to iitili/x' in a ]iroper manner. The Old TesUiment, indeed, furnishes in the five books known as the I'entateuch, and in .Toshua. .Judges, Samuel, and Kings (the last two constituting one book in four parts), a con- tinuous history beginning with the creation of the world and eontimied down to the destruction of .Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. King of IJaby- lonia. in B.C. 58G. But this narrative re[)resents Hebrew history as shaped (a) by tra<lition. and (b) a theory regarding the origin and nature of the religion of the Hebrews and the destiny of the people. This traditional and pragmatic history may be summarized as follows: God, the creator of the imiverse, who crciited mankind and subsequently destroyed the human race because of its corrup- tion, with the exception of Noah and his three sons and their families, revealed Himself to .braham (or Abram), the son of Tcrali, dwelling in I'r of the Cbaldees, and c<imnKtn(led him to leave his home for a land to be jiointcd out to him. where his offspring should develop into a mighty nation. Abraham obeys and proceeds to Canaan. His life is spent in sojourns at various places. He has two sons, Ishmael and Isaac; but of the two the latter is the favorite. God likewise reveals Himself to Isaac and repeats the promise. Isaac again has two sons. Esau and .Jacob. The latter is the favorite, and divine revelation, with the repetition of the promise of futyre greatness, is accorded to him. .Jacob has twelve sons. and. with the divine approval, migrates to Kgpt. where he is told th.-it his off- spring will suffer oppression for four hundred years and then return to the promised land. Canaan. The Hebrews become numerous in Egjpt, despite the enforced labor and hardships to which they are subjected. Cruel measures are devised to prevent their increase; biit finally, through Moses and .arcin. deputed for the pur- pose by God Himself, they leave Egypt. They come to Mount Sinai, where, amid thunder and lightning. God reveals Himself to them, estab- lishes a covenant between Himself and the peo- ple, henceforth to be known as 'His people.' and through Closes the Ten Commandments and all the laws embodied in the I'entateuch are given and imposed upon the Hebrews as eternally bind- ing. This event at Moimt Sinai marks the birth of the nation, the definite formation of the He- brew confederation under the designation Bene Israel. After forty years' wanderings in the wilderness the Hebrews enter Canaan under the leadership of .Toshua. The land is conquered, the Canaanites are driven out or reduced to sub- mission, and the territory is distributed among the tribes. After the death of .Toshua the people begin to fall away from God. The laws of Moses are not followed, and a period of anarchy ensues in which "every one does what seems right in his own eyes." This period last.s four hundred years, during which the tribes imite only in times of extreme distress, when God takes pity on His people and sends some one to deliver them from their enemies. These leaders are known as 'judges.' Under a Benjamite leader. Saul, a more permanent union is formed, and with David, son of Jesse of Bethlehem, the establishment of a Hebrew kingdom is brought about. David is