Moses is the most exalted figure in all primitive history. The thought of God as an intellectual Being, independent of all material existence, was seized by him, and, so to speak, incorporated in the nation which lie led. Not, of course, that the nation and the idea were simply coextensive. The idea of the most high Cod as lie revealed himself on Horeb is one for all times and all nations—an idea of a pure and infinite Being, which admits of no national limitation, but which nevertheless inspires every decree of the legislator, every undertaking of the captain of the host.
The incessant jeopardy to which the political existence of the Jewish state was exposed occasioned the continuance by the prophets of the direc tion of the founder, and led them to supplement his ordinances by addi tional precepts of a humanitarian tendency of which they originally gave fewer evidences. How far the efforts of the prophets were availing is well known. It should be borne in mind, however, that the character of a people is to be judged by the ideals and standards which it has main tained, not by its occasional lapses.' With the marked exception which we have noticed above, this entire Asiatic civilization, although it was inscribed and perpetuated on monu ments, conferred no great benefit on humanity. It broke like a reed under
the Macedonian power, willingly accepted a Greek color and Roman form, and found iu Mohammedanism nourishment for further subsistence. But while Western Asia saw powerful thrones erected and overthrown, un written events were enacted in the northern and eastern portions of these empires which furnished material for a more beneficent civilization.
Alexander the Great, on reaching the boundary marked by the Jaxartes (Salon), came upon a people whose warlike character constrained him to discontinue his course of victory, and on the farther side of the Indus he found equally insuperable checks to his progress. Although it must remain somewhat doubtful what people inhabited those regions in the fourth century B. C., still the historical Tomyris, queen of the Massagetm, who opposed a limit to the sovereignty of the Persian Cyrus,' is a person regard of such decided Germanic character as leaves no doubt in reard to age the derivation of her people, which is further elucidated by other evidence. But what was then iu quiet preparation beyond the Indus was not destined to appear in history until after the lapse of extended time. In this inter val a civilization of an especially Aryan type was developed in Southern Asia.