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And it is easy to prove the implied existence of a series which
nearly answers to the 〃ten words。〃 Of course a polytheistic and
image…worshipping people； who observed a great many holy days；
but no Sabbaths； could have nothing analogous to the first or
the second and the fourth commandments of the Decalogue；
but answering to the third； is 〃I have not blasphemed；〃 to the
fifth； 〃I have not reviled the face of the king or my father；〃
to the sixth； 〃I have not murdered；〃 to the seventh； 〃I have not
committed adultery；〃 to the eighth； 〃I have not stolen；〃 〃I have
not done fraud to man；〃 to the ninth； 〃I have not told
falsehoods in the tribunal of truth；〃 and； further； 〃I have not
calumniated the slave to his master。〃 I find nothing exactly
similar to the tenth commandment； but that the inward
disposition of mind was held to be of no less importance than
the outward act is to be gathered from the praises of kindliness
already cited and the cry of 〃I am pure；〃 which is repeated by
the soul on trial。 Moreover； there is a minuteness of detail in
the confession which shows no little delicacy of moral
appreciation〃I have not privily done evil against mankind；〃
〃I have not afflicted men；〃 〃I have not withheld milk from the
mouths of sucklings；〃 〃I have not been idle；〃 〃I have not played
the hypocrite；〃 〃I have not told falsehoods；〃 〃I have not
corrupted woman or man；〃 〃I have not caused fear；〃 〃I have not
multiplied words in speaking。〃
Would that the moral sense of the nineteenth century A。D。 were
as far advanced as that of the Egyptians in the nineteenth
century B。C。 in this last particular！ What incalculable benefit
to mankind would flow from strict observance of the commandment；
〃Thou shalt not multiply words in speaking！〃 Nothing is more
remarkable than the stress which the old Egyptians； here and
elsewhere； lay upon this and other kinds of truthfulness； as
compared with the absence of any such requirement in the
Israelitic Decalogue； in which only a specific kind of
untruthfulnes is forbidden。
If； as the story runs； Moses was adopted by a princess of the
royal house； and was instructed in all the wisdom of the
Egyptians； it is surely incredible that he should not have been
familiar from his youth up； with the high moral code implied in
the 〃Book of Redemption。〃 It is surely impossible that he should
have been less familiar with the complete legal system； and with
the method of administration of justice； which； even in his
time； had enabled the Egyptian people to hold together； as a
complex social organisation； for a period far longer than the
duration of old Roman society； from the building of the city to
the death of the last Caesar。 Nor need we look to Moses alone
for the influence of Egypt upon Israel。 It is true that the
Hebrew nomads who came into contact with the Egyptians of
Osertasen； or of Ramses； stood in much the same relation to
them； in point of culture； as a Germanic tribe did to the Romans
of Tiberius； or of Marcus Antoninus； or as Captain Cook's Omai
did to the English of George the Third。 But； at the same time；
any difficulty of communication which might have arisen out of
this circumstance was removed by the long pre…existing
intercourse of other Semites； of every grade of civilisation；
with the Egyptians。 In Mesopotamia and elsewhere； as in
Phenicia； Semitic people had attained to a social organisation
as advanced as that of the Egyptians； Semites had conquered and
occupied Lower Egypt for centuries。 So extensively had Semitic
influences penetrated Egypt that the Egyptian language； during
the period of the nineteenth dynasty； is said by Brugsch to be
as full of Semitisms as German is of Gallicisms； while Semitic
deities had supplanted the Egyptian gods at Heliopolis and
elsewhere。 On the other hand； the Semites； as far as Phenicia；
were extensively influenced by Egypt。
It is generally admitted that Moses； Phinehas （and perhaps
Aaron）； are names of Egyptian origin； and there is excellent
authority for the statement that the name Abir； which the
Israelites gave to their golden calf； and which is also used to
signify the strong； the heavenly； and even God； is simply
the Egyptian Apis。 Brugsch points out that the god； Tum or Tom；
who was the special object of worship in the city of Pi…Tom；
with which the Israelites were only too familiar； was called
Ankh and the 〃great god；〃 and had no image。 Ankh means 〃He who
lives；〃 〃the living one；〃 a name the resemblance of which to the
〃I am that I am〃 of Exodus is unmistakable； whatever may be the
value of the fact。 Every discussion of Israelitic ritual seeks
and finds the explanation of its details in the portable sacred
chests； the altars； the priestly dress； the breastplate； the
incense； and the sacrifices depicted on the monuments of Egypt。
But it must be remembered that these signs of the influence of
Egypt upon Israel are not necessarily evidence that such
influence was exerted before the Exodus。 It may have come much
later； through the close connection of the Israel of David and
Solomon； first with Phenicia and then with Egypt。
If we suppose Moses to have been a man of the stamp of Calvin；
there is no difficulty in conceiving that he may have
constructed the substance of the ten words； and even of the Book
of the Covenant； which curiously resembles parts of the Book of
the Dead； from the foundation of Egyptian ethics and theology
which had filtered through to the Israelites in general； or had
been furnished specially to himself by his early education；
just as the great Genevese reformer built up a puritanic social
organisation on so much as remained of the ethics and theology
of the Roman Church； after he had trimmed them to his liking。
Thus； I repeat； I see no a priori objection to the
assumption that Moses may have endeavoured to give his people a
theologico…political organisation based on the ten commandments
（though certainly not quite in their present form） and the Book
of the Covenant； contained in our present book of Exodus。
But whether there is such evidence as amounts to proof； or； I
had better say； to probability； that even this much of the
Pentateuch owes its origin to Moses is another matter。
The mythical character of the accessories of the Sinaitic
history is patent； and it would take a good deal more evidence
than is afforded by the bare assertion of an unknown writer to
justify the belief that the people who 〃saw the thunderings and
the lightnings and the voice of the trumpet and the mountain
smoking〃 （Exod。 xx。 18）； to whom Jahveh orders Moses to say； 〃Ye
yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven。
Ye shall not make other gods with me； gods of silver and gods of
gold ye shall not make unto you〃 （ibid。 22； 23）； should；
less than six weeks afterwards； have done the exact thing they
were thus awfully forbidden to do。 Nor is the credibility of the
story increased