LITERARY NOTICES. 



705 



as it seems susceptible of description, assumes 

 the form of an inquiry into the probability of 

 there having been any relationship between 

 the developments of primitive Old World 

 and of aboriginal New World civilization. 

 The first essay, which gives its title to the 

 book, embraces a critical inquiry into the ori- 

 gin of Plato's story of Atlantis — which is left 

 in the great philosopher's imagination — a dis- 

 cussion of the legends that have been current 

 on the subject, a presentation of scientific evi- 

 dence as being decisive against such a land 

 having ever existed ; and the conclusion — 

 while the admission is made and even the be- 

 lief is avowed that the Phoenicians may have 

 visited America, and evidences of their pres- 

 ence here may yet be found — that ancient 

 American civilization was native. In the next 

 essay, the discovery of America by the North- 

 men and their attempts at colonization are 

 accepted and discussed as established facts. 

 The essay on Trade and Commerce in the 

 Stone Age concerns the whole world, while 

 the evidences of trade relations between dif- 

 ferent parts of America are considered in it 

 in full. The conclusion is expressed that the 

 exceptional aptitude of skilled workmen was 

 recognized and brought into use for the gen- 

 eral benefit, and co-operation and the division 

 of labor were known at a very early stage in 

 the development of primitive mechanical art ; 

 that materials for manufacture were trans- 

 ported from remote localities, and the ex- 

 change of products was facilitated by pro- 

 fessional traders. The native origin of Ameri- 

 can civilization is again taken up in the essay 

 on Pre- Aryan American Man. The succeed- 

 ing essay is concerning the ^Esthetic Faculty 

 in Aboriginal Races ; and in the following 

 one the Huron Iroquois are presented as a 

 typical American race. In the paper on Hy- 

 bridity and Heredity the idea, fostered by 

 Morton, of an approximation of the Anglo- 

 American to the red Indian type is rejected ; 

 and an interesting speculation is suggested 

 of the future of the colored race in this coun- 

 try, which, left free, as it now is, to enjoy the 

 healthful social relations of a civilized com- 

 munity, and protected by prejudice from any 

 large intermixture with the white race, will 

 survive distinct. In the last paper, on Rela- 

 tive Racial Brain-weight and Size, the con- 

 clusion is reached that in the remarkably ex- 

 ceptional characteristics established by the 

 VOL. xlii. — 48 



study of certain Peruvian crania, " we have 

 as marked an indication of a distinctive race- 

 character as anything hitherto noticed in an- 

 thropology." 



Creation of the Bible. By Rev. Myron 

 Adams. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co. 

 Price, $1.50. 



The author of this book is a Congrega- 

 tional clergyman, and he has given an excel- 

 lent summary of the results of the "higher 

 criticism." He follows Kuenen and Well- 

 hausen, chiefly, in his views of Israelite his- 

 tory, beginning with the prophecies of the 

 eighth century b. c. as a basis, and working 

 back to the origin of the nation and forward 

 to the introduction of Christianity. He thinks 

 that Genesis is largely mythical, and was not 

 composed till the Babylonish exile. He re- 

 jects the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch, 

 and ascribes its composition to several au- 

 thors between the sixth and eighth centuries 

 b. c. The creation of the Bible, in fact, be- 

 gan with Ezra, the scribe, after the Babylo- 

 nish exile. Prior to that time the sacred 

 books of the Jews were lightly esteemed, and 

 were tossed from pillar to post, but Ezra and 

 his associates gathered them into a canon. 

 The prophecies are the earliest and most re- 

 liable books of the Bible. The older parts 

 of Genesis are products of oral tradition. 

 The Levitical law and priesthood were not 

 established in Israel until after the exile. 

 Amos was the first prophet, Hosea came 

 next, Joel and Malachi about two and a half 

 centuries later. Isaiah wrote the first part 

 of the book bearing his name, but the latter 

 part was written by an unknown prophet of 

 the exile. One of the most interesting chap- 

 ters of the book is that entitled " From Gods 

 to Gods," in which Mr. Adams shows that 

 Israelite monotheism was developed from 

 fetichism and idolatry. The prophets were 

 the originators of monotheism in Israel, not 

 Abraham, as is popularly supposed. The 

 prophets also attacked the bloody sacrifices 

 of the people. Human sacrifice was often 

 practiced, even as late as Micah's time, for he 

 protested against it. Jephthah offered his 

 daughter in sacrifice to Jehovah ; Samuel 

 hewed Agag into pieces " before Jehovah " ; 

 and Abraham was tempted to sacrifice Isaac. 



The books of Job and Daniel are " ficti- 

 tious." They are not false, but they are 



