Lesley.] 4d4: [May, 



8em written with the bread trough and a boat, is given (in a legend by 

 Lepsius) as the name of a sacred bark. 



8em preceded by a hatchet or other symbols of forward movement (like 

 the bread trough when carried on the head, or the phallus) meant " to pre- 

 sent an aspect, to appear, to show oneself, to manifest oneself like a 

 god," also "to show the way,* to point out, to lead." It therefore strictly 

 comports with the meaning "high priest" in both an active and a passive 

 sense, 



8em with the demonstrative of a man with his hand to his mouth, carried 

 the idea still further, viz., to celebrate, to praise, and to bestow a benedic- 

 tion, i. e., to exercise the three functions of a high priest. 



Some years ago I saw reason for deriving the greek <ruij.jioXm, a symbol, 

 from the phcenician Shembaal, translating it simply "name of Baal" in 

 the sense of that which represents Baal, or more generally a divine re2we- 

 seiUation, or sacred sign. This conclusion was supported by the Egyptian 

 use of the word, as above described ; as well as by the important use of 

 the same word in the hebrew writings: 8hem Jahveh, the "name of the 

 Lord," i. e., his representative in human speech, worship, and energy. 



If now we return to the archaic history of the Jews, we find the name 

 Samuel applied to the most distinguished personage of the times inter- 

 vening between Moses and Joshua, and David and Solomon, — a person- 

 age reputed to be a priest prophet, of the highest rank, and, in fact, the 

 originator of that "School of the prophets," that caste of Jewish society 

 which most closely corresponds to the caste of the scribes of Egypt ; no 

 doubt more or less modeled after it ; and always more or less affiliated 

 and in correspondence with it at the short distance of a few days' journey. 



8amuel, '7K1D15', ^a/iouy]}.^ dedicated before birth to the tabernacle, by his 

 mother Hannah, was named with some direct reference to his dedication. 

 Had this been to a god who had already revealed himself by his name 

 Jah, this child of all others would have had Jah in his name. Instead of 

 that the general word for god, El, evidently stands in his name ; and, if 

 the word be hebrew, the other element 8am, 8hem, 8am-u, can be no 

 other than CDiy "name." But whether the whole word can be translated 

 "His name. El" or not is the question. 



At first glance this seems a violent metaphor, of which even such 

 savages as the hebrews of that day could not have endured. But after 

 all, it would only be a very contracted form for "His name dedicates him 

 to El ;" or "He is named after EL." 



But who was this El? for we cannot imagine the abstract God to be 

 meant, any more than the pantheon Elohim. 



What forbids us on the one hand to regard this particular El, as the 

 Egyptian La, or Ra, or on the other hand as the Assyrian Bel, or "Shining 

 Bar?" In fact, Ra, El, Bel, Bar and Baal were all one. 



I propose, therefore, the etymology 8am- Wal bxi-DE', Shem "Wal= 



* With the ideograph of a road and pair of legs, it meant " the way or path" 

 (well known to all and easily followed). Compare the allied latin verbs DICere, 

 DOCere, DUCere, showing the connection of the Bard and Baron ideas. 



