EL'DAD AND INIE'DAD. ( I) Two persons mentioned in Num. xi. 26-29 as prophesying, though not present with Aloses and the seventy elders at the tent of the meeting when Jehovah gave His spirit. Joshua is said to have de manded that they be forbidden. lint Moses him self is credited with a wish that all -Jehovah's people were prophets. The story is held to be long to a late stratum of the Elohistic narrative, and to reflect a tendency to look with more gen erous sympathy upon men of the spirit con demned as false prophets in leading Ephraimit ish circles, as is suggested by the hostile attitude ascribed to Joshua. The name of the second prophet is given as Modad by the [;reek version. Both names are compounded with Dail. who may be identical with Iladad. In that ease their meaning would probably be is my god' and 'Water of Iladad.' i.e. 'Seed' or 'Offspring of Iladad.' Targum Jonathan to Num. xi. 26 sqq. makes these prophets predict the death of INIoses, the succession of Joshua to the lead ership, the coming of the king of Alagog, the victory over him, and the resurrection of Israel to take part in the meal when the bull Leviathan is to be served. The Fragment Targum makes Eldad and Mcdad prophesy the dest•ucthm of Gog and _Magog through _Messiah. the King.
(2) An apocalyptic work ascribed to Eldad and Medad is quoted in the Shepherd of nermug, ii. :3, 4. The quotation rends, "Near is the Lord to those who return." As Targ,mn Jonathan quotes a similar expression of the two prophets, "Near is the Lord to those that are in the hour of need." it is not impossible that the author was familiar with the same work. In his Chronoyrophia Comp, 1111111rig, Nicephorns gives a list of canonical and apocryphal books which contains this work and states that it has 400 stichi. This list is found also in the Synopsis ascribed to Athanasius. Lightfoot and Boltz mann think that the quotations in I. Clem. xxiii. 3,'4, and II. Clem. xi. 2. have been drawn from the same source. Consult: Fahricins. Codex P.setielepiaraphus leteris Testament( 1722 ) ; lloltzman n. Mule(' oily in dos S'eue Testament ( Freiburg. 1892 : ae se/lir/11c (ler lilichrisilichl Litte•atur (Leipzig, 1893 ; Zahn. (;csehiehh• des ru nleshnuenlficlo n Donnas ( Leipzig, 1890-18921 ; Schtirer, G• velia.idt • jadischen 1 ofhts t:id ed., Leipzig.
l'stes) : lank. Pourcs .Ipo.stolici (Tubingen, .