been unjustly censured. But at length Ewald has well remarked: "This prophet, regarded merely as an author, has great excellences, especially for the unhappy time in which he lived. His style has, indeed, as is the case with most of the later Jewish writers, a certain prolixity and diffuseness, often very involved sentences, rhetorical minuteness and redundancy; but it never becomes so diffuse as that of Jeremiah, the prominent subject is easily resumed and usually well concluded. The discourse is rich in singular comparisons, often both pleasing and apposite, full of variations and yet well finished. When the discourse rises to a description of the prophet's exalted visions, a genuine dramatic life is seen. Moreover, there is a certain calmness and quietness, qualities which especially distinguish it from the manner of Jeremiah.” Ezekiel frequently repeats certain forms of expression which are characteristic both of himself and of his age. Among these are, e. g. the address to the prophet, "son of man," the designation of the people as “rebellious house," (2: 5. 3: 9. 12: 2), the declaration "they shall know that I am the Lord," or "they shall know that a prophet is in the midst of them," (13: 9. 33: 33. 2: 5), the announcement of a vision, "The hand of the Lord was upon me," "set thy face," etc., the frequent assurance, "the word of the Lord came unto me," the solemn introduction, "as I live, saith the Lord." With regard to the language employed by Ezekiel, we may observe, on the one hand, a dependence upon the old models, such as prevailed throughout this period. The language is strongly colored by the influence of the Pentateuch. On the other hand, the originality of Ezekiel is seen in the great number of expressions not found elsewhere, and which perhaps were first formed by the prophet. Besides, the influence of the Aramaean element and of the popular dialect is very perceptible. In this respect, Ezekiel has much that is analogous to Jeremiah and Daniel, and presents more grammatical anomalies than are to be found among the other prophets.2 § 4. Composition of the Book. Although there is no doubt even among modern critics, but that Ezekiel was the author of the prophecies ascribed to him, yet there has not been a uniformity of opinion respecting their collection and arrangement in one book. Jahn3 supposed he discovered a want of order in the arrangement 1 Die Propheten des Alten Bundes, s. 212. * Hävernick, Handbuch der Einleitung, I. 1. 8. 234. 3 Einleitung, 2. 8. 593. 1848.] Arrangement of Ezekiel's Prophecies. 445 of the predictions, as those against foreign nations are arranged together, and the chronological order is interrupted by 29: 17 and also by 26: 1, compared with 29: 1. Similar exceptions to the chronological order are found in chap. xxxv, xxxviii, xxxix. But to explain this arrangement, as Jahn does, by ascribing it to the mere "chance according to which the collector copied the several predictions in the order in which he found them in copies already existing,” is altogether impossible. For in the first place, this explains nothing, since the question again arises, why in the original copy the passages referred to were in that precise order in which they were. In the next place, this assumed sway of "chance" in arranging together the parts which are similar in the nature of their subjects, is utterly fallacious. Why should the collector have adopted an arrangement regarded by Jahn as suitable, and not have followed another and more convenient plan? But Jahn has not troubled himself conscientiously to seek such a plan. While Jahn thus with a certain coolness is satisfied with the general assumption of "chance," Eichhorn endeavors to determine more definitely what this chance was. The arbitrary manner in which Eichhorn determined the time of individual predictions from their internal character is seen in his work on the Hebrew Prophets. To explain the confusion which he supposes to exist in the collocation of the prophecies, he takes refuge in the assumption that there were a number of small volumes or scrolls, from which the whole book was composed, and since the principle of economy was stronger than a regard to the proper connection of the several parts, in order to save time and parchment, two predictions belonging to very different periods were often written upon the same scroll. In the present state of criticism this once favorite mode of explanation can only be regarded as belonging to the department of curiosities. The evidence that the collector had really the purpose to put together what was of kindred nature, and regarded therefore the purport of the predictions and not such a crude and unessential circumstance, is too undeniable, and is not denied by Eichhorn, but is immediately supplanted by the new hypothesis that he united together the separate scrolls to save the trouble of transcribing! According to Bertholdt, the collector of the whole book found two old collections, chaps. xxv-xxxii. and 33: 21-xxxix.; the other predictions he found only separately, which he endeavored to arrange in chronological order. But this assumption is shown to be ground2 Einleitung, IV. s. 1487. 1 Einleitung, IV. s. 237. VOL. V. No. 19. 38 less, as De Wette1 has already remarked, by the fact that 33: 21 stands in necessary connection with 24: 27. Bertholdt says, "In this arrangement the collector naturally followed his own judgment unless at times he was directed by an old tradition where a prediction was to be placed." Had Bertholdt investigated more minutely the nature of the plan which the collector adopted, he might have discovered the reasons of that "judgment" and seen how old the "tradition" must have been. Several modern critics, as De Wette, Knobel2 and Ewald, have very justly acknowledged that the manner in which the predictions are collected and arranged is such, that it may be regarded as coming from Ezekiel himself. For this view the following reasons are especially decisive. (a) This arrangement proceeds according to a plan corresponding to the purport of the predictions. A chronological order is united with the order of subjects in the predictions respecting foreign nations, and a strictly chronological order, denoted in the superscriptions, is seen in the prophecies respecting the people of Israel. Such a regular arrangement may be most properly traced to the author himself as employed in the publication of the whole book. (b) The predictions have an intimate relation to each other. This is true not only of those which were written in the same period, but of those which were written in different periods. Each successive section has frequent references to the preceding. If this organic connection had been observed, many hindrances to the right understanding of the book in former times would have been prevented. Ewald regards the passages, 46: 16-18 and 19-24, as "for an unknown reason out of their proper connection," but even if this opinion were better founded than it is, it forms too unimportant an exception to prove anything against the general plan of the book. (c) Finally, the manner in which Ezekiel sometimes at the close of a prediction adds a historical notice of himself (11: 24, 25), makes it probable that the prophet made such additions while collecting his predictions, since the committing to writing of the single predictions was undoubtedly previous to the publication of the whole, and no other man than the prophet could well have allowed himself to have made notices of that kind. Ewald indeed supposes that the predictions were not committed to writing till some considerable time after they were received by the prophet, and that the book was gradually formed out of several series. But for this assertion there is no sufficient proof. On the contrary, we have evidence that the prophets,3 especially of this period, were accustomed to write their predictions immediately on re2 Die Propheten der Hebraer, II. s. 315. 1 Einleitung, s. 319. * Commentar zu Daniel, s. XXVIII. 1848.] Travels in Northern Syria. 447 ceiving them, Dan. 7: 1. Jer. xxxvi. Moreover, it appears from the particularity of the dates with which each section is provided, that the prophet had been careful to denote the day on which he had received his revelations. Finally, the peculiarity of Ezekiel in describing his visions with a minuteness of detail, representing even the smallest features, shows that the impression of the revelation which he had received and of his consequent rapture, was too lively and powerful for any considerable period to have elapsed between the time of the vision and the writing of it. Otherwise, we must assume a later artificial decoration from the mere fancy of the prophet, against which we have already protested, § 3. ARTICLE V. TRAVELS IN NORTHERN SYRIA. DESCRIPTION OF SELEUCIA, ANTIOCH, ALEPPO, ETC. By Rev. William M. Thomson, American Missionary in Syria. [IN the Numbers of this work for February and May last, we published Mr. Thomson's narrative of his Tour from Beirût to Bahlulîah, where he was taken ill and obliged to abandon at that time the further prosecution of his object. Subsequently, he visited Aleppo and returned to his home on Mount Lebanon by a very interesting route, through Jeble el-Aala, Apamia, Ribla, etc. The narrative of this tour we shall insert hereafter. We now present to our readers Mr. Thomson's account of the continuation and completion of his journey to Aleppo. A few notices gathered from earlier tours are incorporated. Northern Syria is a most interesting region both to the biblical and classical scholar. Large portions of it remain unexplored, and valuable discoveries will doubtless be made as men of science shall be attracted thither. We are surprised that a field so tempting as Palestine and Syria must be to the geologist and to students in other branches of natural science, is permitted to lie so long fallow.-E.] Aug. 6th, 1846. It was two by the clock, when, with a prayer, a blessing, and a silent adieu to loved ones asleep, I left Abeih, and by the soft, calm moonlight of a Syrian morning descended to Beirût. A boat, called the Express, I chartered forthwith, purchased provisions, got passports, health bills, letters to friends, and of that "which answereth all things" enough for the way; and at half past three o'clock we lifted our anchor and sailed for Swadea. The wind was fair and firm, our boat was light and lively, "just as one likes it," and over the sea she flew, as a young gazelle bounds across the desert. We passed Jebeil, and we passed Batrûn, and, when the sun sank to rest, we were gazing upon the bold, bald head of Theuprosopon. The breeze freshened, and the jolly little Express responded most handsomely to its vehement urgency. Through the gray twilight, the "Nose" of Enfeh cut the shadowy profile of its low promontory on the dusky horizon. As the moon climbed over the summit of Lebanon, we were sailing amongst the islets of Tripoli, which lay on the heaving bosom of the deep like a flock of great gulls asleep. Arvad we found at midnight, sitting solitary upon the sea, with the weeds of her long widowhood around her. Through the battlements of Tortosa, and Paltos, and Jebilee, all ragged and rotten, the wild wind wailed a melancholy dirge over the "desolations of many generations" as we passed by in haste. And when the sun rose bright and warm, on the dark Ansairiyeh hills, we had swept round the long low Ras, Ibn Hâny, just north of Ladakîa, into the shallow bay between this and the next salient point called Ras Tasera. On both these points are ancient ruins, and near one or the other, once stood the Grecian city Heraclea. By ten o'clock we had crossed the broad bay at the termination of the great Wady Kundeel. High chalk hills, on either side of this wady, bend down to the sea, and in the winter, the wind is drawn fiercely up the valley, rendering the navigation not a little dangerous. Now, however, we shot across from headland to headland without fear, and by 11 doubled the lofty Ras Bossîyeh, and ran into the bay on the north side of the "Ras," to examine the remains of the Greek Posidium. The chalk hills of Wady Kundeel, are here succeeded by dark ferruginous, and silicious rock, the southern commencement of Mt. Casius. The ruins at Ras are insignificant, and we did not delay to look at them, but ran along the base of Casius, only a few rods from the shore. The mountain springs up boldly from the sea, almost perpendicularly, to the height of 5318 feet. Near the middle, it is divided by a huge cleft, or fissure, as though the southern half, when settling into permanent repose, had sagged down, with a southwestern dip, showing a terrific precipice on the north. This is lower than the other half, and between them a narrow winding valley sinks right down to the shore, and terminates in a small cove, with a little landing place, called Minet Ksab, from an Armenian village of this name, at the head of the gorge. The scenery is |