Before this Supplement is finally printed, there comes a second
communication from Professor Hommel of Munich, as already promised by
him.[722] In this new communication are suggestions and words of
appreciation that will be welcomed by many readers, as coming from such
a source. Professor Hommel says:
“Only a few days ago I finished reading your highly interesting little
book, ‘The Threshold Covenant,’ and I hasten to write to you, that I
have read it with ever-increasing interest, and have learned infinitely
much from it. Our views regarding the high antiquity and the unity of
human culture receive entirely new light through this work; in addition,
a large number of old oriental and biblical ways and customs now become
intelligible and clear.
“Manifestly correct, and indeed most happy, is your derivation of the
threshold cult, and of sacrifice in general, from the first human blood
shed on crossing the threshold of woman; also the important explanation
of the signs for life, which I have compared: Egyptian, Babylonian,
(Compare _vulva_.) Moreover, your explanation of the passover is much
more satisfactory than taking _pesakh_ in the sense of ‘to pass by.’
“Permit me now to offer a few remarks, of which you may still be able to
avail yourself.
“With the symbol of the red hand may also be compared the hands upon the
Sabaean bronze tablets (_Z.D.M.G._, Vol. 19, plate XI., and especially
plate VII.), where fourteen hands of seven gods are pictured above the
inscription. Furthermore, see Pinches’ Inscribed Babylonian Tablets,
belonging to the collection of Sir Henry Peek, Part III., p. 66; a seal
cylinder, on which appears a raised hand between the god and the priest.
“On page 100 [of your book].–More accurately, I is _house_ as well as
temple; I-GAL is palace (_í-gal íkallu_); but Hebrew and Arabic _hekal_
is ‘temple,’ ‘Holy of Holies’ (Hebrew, also ‘palace’).
“On page 105.–That the design in question, on the old Babylonian seal
cylinder, represents the sun gates, is a discovery made by your own
countryman, Dr. W. Hayes Ward (American Journal of Archeology, III.,
nos. 1–2, p. 52).
“On page 108.–The Arabic _mihrâb_ is a loan word from the South Arabic
and Ethiopic, _mikrâb_, temple; literally, ‘praying-place.’
“On page 171.–In South Arabic inscriptions _wathan_ signifies
‘boundary-pillar,’ and at the same time ‘statue of god,’ ‘idol.’
“On page 180.–_El gisr_ is literally ‘bridge.’ The bridge was also
looked upon as a gate, as leading from one shore to the other.
“On page 229.–Sacred prostitution. Compare Babylonia _kadishtu_
(literally, holy person), Hebrew _kādusha_, ‘harlot.’
“On page 233 (note).–The Babylonian _patânu_, ‘to hold the sacrificial
meal,’ ‘to eat,’ _naptanu_, ‘meal,’ is connected with Hebrew _miphtan_.
I am inclined to believe also that the Babylonian _ʿgish-da=pitnu_,
really means ‘threshold;’ also that _gish-sa_, _ush-sa_, a bridal gift,
is originally ‘threshold.’
“On page 234.–The ‘serpent’ of the boundary stone was originally the
Milky Way. The other symbols are animals of the Zodiac.
“On page 235 (note 3).–Compare, also, Hommel, _Babylonische Ursprung der
Ægypt. Kultur_ (fight of Merodach with the serpent=fight of Rê ‘with
ʿApep’).
“On page 238.–_Nekhushtân_, the name the serpent of Moses, is derived
from נחשת, ‘_vulva_,’ or, at all events, is related to this word.”
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Footnote 722:
See p. 313, _supra_.
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Transcriber’s Note:
Minor errors or inconsistencies of punctuation or formatting have been
corrected silently. There were a number of occasions where quotation
marks were not balanced. Where possible the cited source has been
consulted. It was not always possible to surmise the scope of quoted
material, in which case it is noted below, but unchanged in the text.
In at least one case, on p. 125, the quotation from Ármin Vámbéry’s
_Travels in Central Asia_ (see note 361) was incorrectly marked.
Quotation marks have been added in order to properly denote those
portions which directly follow the source.
In the scriptural index, on p. 303, the entries for 1 Timothy are
corrupt, with the chapter appearing at the end of the entry, rather than
at the beginning:
------------------
1 TIMOTHY.
: 14 854
: 7 1146
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