312 THE VEX. ARCHDEACON POTTEE, M.A., OX THE IXFLUEXCE 



the Governor of Judaea, a previous one having been sent to the 

 High Priest at Jerusalem, complaining that, their temple having 

 been destroyed by the Egyptians, they could not oSer the usual 

 meal offerings, incense offerings and burnt offerings (the terms 

 used for these offerings being equivalent to those used in Levi- 

 ticus (Mincha, Lebonah, and Olah ) ). 



As it appears that tliis colony was founded in probably the 

 reign of Psammeticus I., or Psammeticus II. (594-589 B.C. or 

 659-611 B.C.), it would appear that these offerings were cus- 

 tomary from a period preceding the return from Babylon. 



Hommel also finds many other apparent evidences in favour 

 of the view that much of the P. code came down from the time 

 of Moses, among them is the similarity between the description 

 given in Exodus xxviii, 17-20, of the dress of the High Priest, 

 and Erman's account of the dress of the Chief Priest of 

 Memphis in the XYIIIth and XlXth Dynasties (shortly before 

 the time of Moses). Erman describes the latter thus: "From 

 the shoulders or neck two parallel rows of cords descend 

 obliquely to the breast ; the cords cross one another, and at 

 every point of intersection there is a little ball or a small 

 ornament (the ankh). Tliere are four rows of these ornaments, 

 each of which is composed of precious stones, and there are three 

 crosses and three balls, then three more crosses and three more 

 balls." The passage in Exodus compared with tliis (chapter 

 xxviii, 17, etc.) says, " Thou shalt make the breastplate with 

 cunning work, of gold, and bluC; and purple, and scarlet, and 

 fine twined linen, foursquare it shall be, being doubled ; and 

 thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones — 

 thev shall be set in crokl in their inclosings." Hommel calls the 

 similarity an '• almost absolute similarity which cao scarcely he 

 explained except by assuming that it was borrowed by the 

 Egyptians in the time of Moses." But the resemblance does 

 not seem to me clear enough to justify these words. However, 

 the pre-exilic period shows no indications of the legislation 

 of P. (as a systematic whole) 1>eing in operation. The place of 

 sacrifice in P. is strictly limited, and severe penalties are enforced 

 when any but priests presume to officiate at the altar, while in 

 Judges and Samuel sacrifice is offered in places not consecrated 

 by the presence of the ark, and laymen officiate. In 

 P. only Aaron's descendants exercise priestly functions : in 

 Deuteronomy, the tribe of Levi (vide Driver). 



With regard to the date of Genesis xiv, which narrates the 

 battle of the four kings against five, Hommel argues from the 

 form of the name Amraphel that it must have originated from 



