THE BIBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1921, Page 1

THE BIBLE.

“THE BOOK OF THE AGES.”

LECTURE BY DR HERTZ

Before a crowded audience in the Sydney Town Hall on April 26, the Chief Rabbi, Dr J. H. Her to, M.A., Ph.D., D.H.L., gave an address on

“The Bible as a Book” The Governor (Sir Walter Davidson), who presided, described the occasion as “a famous

evening.” Dr Hertz said that to know the Bible one should know the land of thcßible, the people of the Bible, and the language of the Bible. Dealing first with the land of the Bible, he said Palestine the Holy Land, was only a little larger I ban Wales, and was mountainous country. The Jordan plunged down 27 rapids into a river in which one could not even drown—the Dead Sea. There were ■‘iOOO species of flowers in the Holy Land. Although the Holy Land demanded constant care, it was flowing with milk and honey. Another remarkable fact about Palestine was that it was in the middle' of three continents—Asia, Africa, and

Furope. Everything about the Bible was instructive, even the geography. Until 1917 Palestine remained part of the Turkish Empire, and then, with the help of some Australian Light Horse, it became part of the British Empire. Jerusalem, the capital of the Holy Land, was absolutely incomparable among ■ itics. Tt was as unique among cities as Israel was among the nations. More than a dozen times it had been utterly destroyed; the Romans slew 1,000,000 of its inhabitants; barbarians and Crusaders took and retook it; but, marvellous to relate, it always rose from its ashes to renewed life and glory. (Applause.) The people of Palestine were like Cromwell, always trusting Providence, yet keeping their powder dry. (Appla use). General Smuts only a little while ago had described Israel as a nation of nations. (Applause).

Referring to the language of the Bilile Dr Hertz said the Hebrew language was unique. There were no vowels, no combined words, no tenses, no metre, and no rhyme, and yet it was the language in which the Book of Psalms and the Book of Isaiah was written. What, he asked, did the word "bible” mean? “Bible” meant “hook” so that when the vast body ot mankind spoke of “the Bible” they meant “the Book.” (Applause.) Shakespeare’s works had been translated into 40 or 50 languages, and those of Tolstoy into 60, hut the Bible had been translated into 425 languages. (Applause). No fewer than 200.000,000 copies of the English Bible bad been distributed during the last hundred years. The Bible not only influenced other hooks, but it created languages. (Applause.) The Bible rendered savage dialects articulate for higher ideas. (Applause.)’ He would not deal with tho New Testament. - His Jewish friends did not expect him to deal with it. Another reason was that there were many within the hearing of his voice who were greater experts in the New Testament than he. (Laughter). What distinguised the Bible from all othcu books was that in no collection of hooks could they find the reality of sin emphasised. (Applause). Tho hooks of the Old Testament all gave one answer to what constituted man’s cardinal sin, and the answer was tho most democratic in the whole history of the uoild. (A pplause). I’hroughout the Biblical literature there was the supreme hope. The time would come when the people would be ns ashamed of warfare as they were ashamed of cannibalism. W r hat, ho asked, did the word “holy” mean when applied to a book? When the word “holy” was affixed to a book it meant that book was canonical. Tn fhe year 80 of th 0 present era the Bible was not as largo ns it is to-day. in 132

it had not been derided whether Ecclesiastes was to he admitted into the Bible. As to the text of the Bible, if a student of Shakespeare or Shelley were asked bow be knew the text was the correct text, he would reply that autographed copies could be found in England. But with the Bible there were no . autographed copies. How, then, did they know that the Bible was the correct text. The Jewish people had never believed in graven images. There was a guild of scholars called scribes. These men memorised the Bible, and they made their children memorise the Bible. (Applause.) Ho personally knew hundreds of men who could repeat the Bible, word for word, and comma for comma. The history of civilisation could be written by limiting the history of the old Bible. Those scribes bad certain rules from which they never deviated. One scribe was never allowed to correct ivhat appeared to be an error. Tf there was something which appeared to be an error a marginal note was written. “The Bible,” he concluded, “is the book of the ages. Zaugwill has said that the Bible dominates existence. Matthew Arnold has written “To the Bible men will return.’’ Why? Eecauso they cannot do without it, because happiness belongs to righteousness and righteousness is revealed in the Bible.’ (Loud and prolonged applause) .