The Maccabaean

Judaism as a higher religious and human idea was created during the period from the 8th to the 6th century B. C. E. It was one of the most marvellous creations of the human spirit, at which humanity must look to-day with the utmost astonishment and reverence. About the same time when in Greece art and philosophy began to rise on the other side of the Mediterranean, in Palestine was born the Judaism of the prophets as one of the pillars of human culture.

Certainly Judaism did not come to the world spontaneously, as Athena Pallas from the head of Jupiter. It was a product of historical evolution. Centuries of mythological paganism and sensual idolatry preceded prophetism. "At the beginning our fathers were worshippers of idolatry." Israel did not differ greatly religiously and morally from the other nations around it. His god was quite as natural and sensual as the gods of the neighboring peoples. The Judge Jepthah says through his messangers to the king of Ammon "What Chemosh your god let you inherit, you shall inherit, and what Yahweh our god let us inherit, we shall inherit it." No difference is yet drawn between Chemosh and Yehweh.

Centuries passed before Jehovah displaced paganism and orgiastic idolatry and became gradually the God of heaven and earth, the moral God, the God of humanity. Before this there was a long period of chaos, of religious and social chaos, till the higher life and the culture of social morality and purity triumphed. "In those days there was no king in Israel and every one did as was right in his own eyes." From the anarchy on heaven and earth was born, after a long historical struggle, the higher human culture, prophetic Judaism.

It is beyond the limits of this article to investigate the causes of the appearance of

prophetic Judaism. The contact with other civilizations, with Babylon and Assyria, the development of industry and commerce, the foundation of a navy in the time of King Solomon, the development of civilization in Palestine, were the causes of the rise of culture. The imminent danger of an external enemy, the Assyrians; the class struggle in the cities between the rich and the poor, stirred up the national spirit which manifested itself in prophetism. But after all the origin of Prophetism in Palestine will remain just as wonderful a phenomenon as the origin of art and philosophy in Greece.

The Judaism of the prophets is a monotheistic conception which attains philosophical sublimity; a historic-philosophical conviction, and a high morality on a social basis. The deep desire of the prophetic soul to spiritualize and idealize life inspires these conceptions and yearnings. Jehovah is not the God of Sinai, a local God, but the creator of the Universe who rules all nature. Nature and light are the magnificent creations of this spiritual God. When God created heaven and earth he exclaimed: "Let there be light." Light is the complemental creation of nature. Beyond the light, beyond reason and thought there is no nature and no creation. God created nature but His highest creation, His beloved son, was Man; Israel, his chosen people, with whom he made an eternal covenant. God manifests himself in Israel--- "His People." whom he leads triumphantly through trials and temptations. God lives in his chosen people, which is destined to become the standard of nations, the aristocracy of mankind. The genius of the Universe solemnizes this triumph as the genius of history.

Man serves this God of the world and its history by moral perfection. To be pure and rational with holiness towards