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aliment as can be assimilated by their attenuated substance； and
even for clothes； ornaments； and weapons。 That they were
familiar with this doctrine in the time of the captivity is
suggested by the well…known reference of Ezekiel （xxxii。 27） to
the 〃mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised； which are gone
down to ＇Sheol＇ hell with their weapons of war； and have laid
their swords under their heads。〃 Perhaps there is a still
earlier allusion in the 〃giving of food for the dead〃 spoken of
in Deuteronomy （xxvi。 14）。
It must be remembered that the literature of the old Israelites；
as it lies before us； has been subjected to the revisal of
strictly monotheistic editors； violently opposed to all kinds of
idolatry； who are not likely to have selected from the materials
at their disposal any obvious evidence； either of the practice
under discussion； or of that ancestor…worship which is so
closely related to it； for preservation in the permanent records
of their people。
The mysterious objects known as Teraphim； which are
occasionally mentioned in Judges； Samuel； and elsewhere；
however； can hardly be interpreted otherwise than as indications
of the existence both of ancestor…worship and of image…worship
in old Israel。 The teraphim were certainly images of family
gods； and； as such； in all probability represented deceased
ancestors。 Laban indignantly demands of his son…in…law；
〃Wherefore hast thou stolen my Elohim？〃 which Rachel； who must
be assumed to have worshipped Jacob's God； Jahveh； had carried
off； obviously because she； like her father； believed in their
divinity。 It is not suggested that Jacob was in any way
scandalised by the idolatrous practices of his favourite wife；
whatever he may have thought of her honesty when the truth came
to light； for the teraphim seem to have remained in his camp； at
least until he 〃hid〃 his strange gods 〃under the oak that was by
Shechem〃 （Gen。 xxxv。 4）。 And indeed it is open to question if he
got rid of them then； for the subsequent history of Israel
renders it more than doubtful whether the teraphim were regarded
as 〃strange gods〃 even as late as the eighth century B。C。
The writer of the books of Samuel takes it quite as a matter of
course that Michal； daughter of one royal Jahveh worshipper and
wife of the servant of Jahveh par excellence； the pious
David； should have her teraphim handy； in her and David's
chamber； when she dresses them up in their bed into a simulation
of her husband； for the purpose of deceiving her father's
messengers。 Even one of the early prophets； Hosea； when he
threatens that the children of Israel shall abide many days
without 〃ephod or teraphim〃 （iii。 4）； appears to regard both as
equally proper appurtenances of the suspended worship of Jahveh；
and equally certain to be restored when that is resumed。 When we
further take into consideration that only in the reign of
Hezekiah was the brazen serpent； preserved in the temple and
believed to be the work of Moses； destroyed； and the practice of
offering incense to it； that is； worshipping it； abolishedthat
Jeroboam could set up 〃calves of gold〃 for Israel to worship；
with apparently none but a political object； and certainly with
no notion of creating a schism among the worshippers of Jahveh；
or of repelling the men of Judah from his standardit seems
obvious； either that the Israelites of the tenth and eleventh
centuries B。C。 knew not the second commandment； or that they
construed it merely as part of the prohibition to worship any
supreme god other than Jahveh； which precedes it。
In seeking for information about the teraphim； I lighted upon
the following passage in the valuable article on that subject by
Archdeacon Farrar； in Ritto's 〃Cyclopaedia of Biblical
Literature；〃 which is so much to the purpose of my argument；
that I venture to quote it in full：
The main and certain results of this review are that the
teraphim were rude human images； that the use of them was an
antique Aramaic custom； that there is reason to suppose them to
have been images of deceased ancestors； that they were consulted
oracularly； that they were not confined to Jews； that their use
continued down to the latest period of Jewish history；
and lastly； that although the enlightened prophets and strictest
later kings regarded them as idolatrous； the priests were much
less averse to such images； and their cult was not considered in
any way repugnant to the pious worship of Elohim； nay； even to
the worship of him 〃under the awful title of Jehovah。〃 In fact；
they involved a monotheistic idolatry very different indeed
from polytheism； and the tolerance of them by priests； as
compared with the denunciation of them by the prophets； offers a
close analogy to the views of the Roman Catholics respecting
pictures and images as compared with the views of Protestants。
It was against this use of idolatrous symbols and emblems in a
monotheistic worship that the second commandment was
directed； whereas the first is aimed against the graver sin of
direct polytheism。 But the whole history of Israel shows how
utterly and how early the law must have fallen into desuetude。
The worship of the golden calf and of the calves at Dan and
Bethel； against which； so far as we know； neither Elijah nor
Elisha said a single word； the tolerance of high places；
teraphim and betylia； the offering of incense for centuries to
the brazen serpent destroyed by Hezekiah； the occasional
glimpses of the most startling irregularities sanctioned
apparently even in the temple worship itself； prove most
decisively that a pure monotheism and an independence of symbols
was the result of a slow and painful course of God's disciplinal
dealings among the noblest thinkers of a single nation； and not；
as is so constantly and erroneously urged； the instinct of the
whole Semitic race； in other words； one single branch of the
Semites was under God's providence educated into pure
monotheism only by centuries of misfortune and series of
inspired men （vol。 iii。 p。 986）。
It appears to me that the researches of the anthropologist lead
him to conclusions identical in substance； if not in terms； with
those here enunciated as the result of a careful study of the
same subject from a totally different point of view。
There is abundant evidence in the books of Samuel and elsewhere
that an article of dress termed an ephod was supposed to
have a peculiar efficacy in enabling the wearer to exercise
divination by means of Jahveh…Elohim。 Great and long continued
have been the disputes as to the exact nature of the ephod
whether it always means something to wear； or whether it
sometimes means an image。 But the probabilities are that it
usually signifies a kind of waistcoat or broad zone； with
shoulder…straps； which the person who 〃inquired of Jahveh〃 put
on。 In 1 Samuel xxiii。 2 David appears