ANCESTRAL MAN. 



2 9 



It is related in the Bible that Sepphora performed circumcision 

 with "a sharp stone" (E.V.). The Vulgate says acutissima ftetra, 

 with a very sharp stone. The Septuagint has the word s/^os, 

 which means a pebble, the Latin calculus ; and we know that the 

 simplest flint implements were made from pebbles or nodules. 

 In the Hebrew the word is tzur or tzor, a flint ; and this word 

 is used in many other parts of the Bible, but always with the 

 fundamental sense of hardness and sharpness or edge. 



Thus it is employed in the sense of hardness in Ezekiel iii, 9, 

 "as an adamant harder than flint;" and in Isaiah v, 28, whose 

 " horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint." 



The same word is often rendered "rock," as in Isaiah viii, 14, 

 "for a rock of offence ;" and in Isaiah li, 1, "look to the rock 

 " whence ye are hewn." 



In the sense of sharpness or edge, the same Hebrew word, 

 flint, occurs in Psalm lxxxix, 43, " Thou hast also turned the 

 " edge [or flint] of his sword." 



In Joshua, v, 2, the English version says, " Make thee sharp 

 " knives and circumcise the children of Israel." The Hebrew is 

 literally " knives of flint." The Septuagint has Uoirjcrov creavrw 

 lAcuyaipas Trerpivas Ik Trerpas aKporopiov, that is, literally, "make 

 "thee stone knives of chipped stone;" aKpo-ropiw meaning to trim 

 or chip the point. The Vulgate is cultros lapideos, knives of stone. 



It is noteworthy that the Septuagint records the further fact, 

 that when Joshua (xxiv, 30) was buried, " they put with him the 

 " knives of stone, ras iw.ya.lpws t<xs irerpbvas, with which he 

 " circumcised the children of Israel." 



It is thus clear that the early Hebrews used implements of flint 

 for ceremonial purposes, and that flint implements were sometimes 

 placed in the tombs of their great men. It is also clear that the 

 Hebrew word for flint came to symbolise two ideas, hardness and 

 sharpness. 



But as all nations have passed through similar stages of progress, 

 we ought to discover in all languages similar traces of the fact. 

 And so we do.vg For obvious reasons, however, it will be necessary 

 to confine our attention to the Indo-European, or Aryan group of 

 tongues ; and of these, more particularly Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, 

 Celtic, and Teutonic. 



Let us take first the ancient root AK to pierce. We should 

 expect to find this connected in the first instance with stones, then 

 with implements, and lastly with those who fashioned and used 

 them. 



In Sanskrit we have 



aksh, to penetrate. 



aksha, an axle, axis or pivot ; that which penetrates. 



