In conclusion, the revelations of the spade have undoubtedly wrought a profound trans formation in our conceptions, both of the his tory and of the literature of Israel. The forrner is seen to have unveiled itself upon a world stage of extraordinary range both in time and in space. Though dominated outwardly by the colossal empires that towered on both sides fat above it, though it caught and reflected their light at various angles, and was all but lost in their shadows, it still maintained its individ uality in a fashion and not only conserved but magnified purified, and even glorified its unique ideals. 'Ilhoug-h Ikh-n-Aton may appear as the first great monotheistic reformer, yet his refor mation was lost in the sand; though Delitzsch may be right in holding that Babylonia attained or approached the idea of the One God, of whom the many gods were only partial and inadequate phases, yet the idea never became effective in Mesopotamian thought or life. Israel still shines as the elect vehicle in history of the monotheistic conception. Similarly with respect to the Hebrew literature, we can no. longer regard it as wholly unique and peculiar, the pure efflux of an isolated fountain, a well in the wilderness. It flows through a well-watered
land and is fed from many sources. It is a tree on which indeed few grafts are set, but it spreads its roots far and wide and draws its sap from distant and ancient rivers. On the outstretched finger of time, this litera ture shines not indeed as a solitaire but still distinct and conspicuous in a brilliant cluster. The imperial libraries of Ashur and Egypt are irnmense in extent and by no means always inferior in literary quality; but the solitary sublimity of monotheistic re ligion and the inextinguishable national con sciousness of world-mission and world-destiny still invest the Hebrew Scriptures with a beauty and a majesty all their own. We must indeed recognize fully the utter ineptness of such °Thoughts)) as Pascal's (Art. XIV, ed. Lahure, VII, Bossut), unwarranted even when first they were penned,* but the present relation of the Bible and archaeology need in no way disturb the reverent and enlightened spirit, whether Jewish or Christian, that rightly regards it For bibliography see article Bram