This time, however, the gods told Abimelech in a dream that he must not go near Sarah, as she was a married woman, thus sparing her a second Egyptian campaign.

In chap. XXII. is narrated the story of Abraham taking his son Isaac to offer him in sacrifice to the gods, which is an allegory of the sun in the sign of the ram, on the mount, or during the sun's ascension across the Aselli (asses) in the sign Cancer, to its highest point; and is copied from a similar allegory in the Persian mythology (see p. 42).

Chap. XXX. contains an account of Jacob's adultery with his servant maids, with the sanction of his wife, as in the case of Abraham, and is equally disgusting in its details.

In chap. XXXI. we find some more interesting reading, in the story of Jacob running away with Laban's gods. The account states that Laban pursued and overtook Jacob, whom he reproached for having stolen his god; whereupon Jacob declared that he had not taken it, saying "with whomsoever thou findest thy god (), let him not live." The tents were then searched, but nowhere could the images of the Hebrew god be found. "Now Rachel had taken the images (-Teraphim), and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not." In order to conceal the idols, Rachel asked her father to excuse her not rising as the "custom of women" was upon her. Jacob then turned wrathfully on Laban, and demanded an explanation of his conduct, which resulted in the two making a covenant. We have here distinct evidence that the patriarchs' of old worshipped idols.

In chap. XXXII. we are told that Jacob wrestled with a man all night; that during the struggle his thigh was put out of joint; and that when day began to break, he said "let me go" to his assailant, who replied "1 will not let tbee go except thou bless me." The tale is somewhat confusing, and it is difficult to make out which of the two speaks. However, in the end the man changes Jacob's name to 'Israel,' which, according to Bagster, signifies wrestler with God,' or 'prince with God,' the Hebrew equivalent being w, which becomes by inserting the vowel, Isherâl.' This view is supported by Kitto, who gives pugnator Dei as one of the meanings. Eadie gives Israel as signifying 'one who has seen God.' The Chaldeans, as already pointed out, used the word to signify father of height,' and with them

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it was identical with Abram, the personification of Saturn. Jacob then called the place "Penuel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." The word (Penuel or Phenuel) signifies the face of the supreme deity. It is tolerably clear that this story is an allegory of the sun passing near the planet Saturn (Jacob); and that the word 'Israel' was given to signify that the planet had been near, or seen the sun-god.

Chap. XXXIV. contains another disgusting account of an outrage committed on Jacob's daughter Dinah, and concludes with a mass of murder and bloodshed. In chap. XXXV. there is an account of the death of Rachel during childbirth, together with the midwife's incorrect prognosis of the case, the whole concluding with a description of the death of Isaac, and Reuben's adultery with his father's concubine. All these disgusting quotations are of use only in showing that the book of Genesis is not the word of God, but that it was written by some filthy minded and sensual astrologers.

In chap. XXXVI. 31 we read" And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel;" clearly implying that at the time this was written there had reigned kings over Israel, and proving, therefore, that it was not written by Moses. The reader is requested to compare this, and the following verses, with I. Chron. I. 43 to end of chapter, bearing in mind that the account in Chronicles could not have been copied from that in Genesis, for the former is in its proper place after kings were said to have reigned over Israel.

Chaps. XXXVIII. and XXXIX. abound with the most abominable filth, too shocking to be reproduced.

In chap. XLIX. is narrated Jacob's last conversation with his sons, immediately before his death; and the reader will at once perceive that it is nothing more or less than an allegorical picture of the twelve zodiacal signs. "Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken to Israel your father. Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed." This is a description of Aquarius, the water-bearer, with the two crooked lines, representing the wavy water, the first of the twelve signs of the zodiac,

and the commencement of the sun's strength. "Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations......I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." The writer has forgotten that Jacob is supposed to be speaking and not himself. This is a description of the two fish of February, which are so divided or separated from one another, that one reaches the pitcher of Aquarius, while the other is on the shoulder of Andromeda. "Judah is a lion's whelp......he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?" This is Leo of July. "Zebulon shall dwell

"Gad, This

at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships." Here are the twins of May, the last sign before the highest point of the sun's ascension, and the haven of rest. "Issachar is a strong ass, couching down between two burdens." He represents the Aselli, the two asses in the crab of June. "Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse's heels, so that his rider shall fall backwards." This is the scorpion of October, the next sign to Sagittarius of November, and is thus said to be biting the horse's heels.* a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last." refers to Aries, the ram of March, situated in the domicile of Mars, the lord of hosts, and in which the sun crosses the equator at the vernal equinox, thus becoming the conqueror. "Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties;" referring to the month of August, or plenty. when the virgin is presiding genius. "Naphthali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words;" representing Libra, the balance, or just one' of September. Joseph is a fruitful bough............ the archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him; but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the mighty Jacob." The translators have been unscrupulous enough to interpolate the words "god of," so as to make the passage read "by the hands of the mighty god of Jacob." The Hebrew text is aps (the mighty Jacob), and the translation in the authorised version is therefore distinctly fraudulent. In the Septuagint version the text is διὰ χεῖρα δυνάστου Ιακώβ (by the hand of the prince, Jacob), and in the Vulgate per manus potentis Facob (through the hands of the mighty Jacob). The passage refers to Sagittarius, the archer, and half man and half horse of October, who defends himself while he flies

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*See "Stars and Constellations," by W. H. Rosser.

by shooting with his bow and arrows. Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil;" indicating the hungry and bleak winter, in December (Capricornus), and the short days of that period. The writer evidently forgot to include in Jacob's blessing, Ephraim, the Taurus of April, which signifies that which grows, or produces fruit and vegetation.

This concludes the examination of the book of Genesis; and the reader must judge for himself, after carefully reading what is here presented to him, whether this book is the inspired word of the great and mysterious author of the universe, and written by Moses, or whether the various characters depicted are only astronomical figures.

It must be recollected that if Genesis be not true, the whole system of Christianity is a sham and a delusion, and topples over like a house built on the sand; for without the fall there would be no need for any redemption.

CHAPTER VI.

EXAMINATION OF EXODUS, LEVITICUS,

NUMBERS AND DEUTERONOMY.

The book of Exodus, the second of the Pentateuch, opens with an account of the Egyptian king ordering the two Hebrew midwives to murder all the male Hebrew children directly after their birth; the refusal of the midwives; and the consequent delight of the gods (b), who built them (the midwives) houses. The second chapter contains an account of the birth of Moses, and his being found by an Egyptian princess, after having been hidden by his mother in some bulrushes; and in verse 10 we read "And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water;" which compare with page 49.

In chap. III. the writer appears to have forgotten that he had just before made Reuel to be the father-in-law of Moses; for he says in verse 1, "Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian." He then tells us that Moses led the flock to Mount Horeb, near the desert; and that "the angel of Yahouh appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt." But Yahouh called to him, and told him to stand back, as it was holy ground. "Moreover he said, I am the God (b) of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look on the Gods (s)." Yahouh then proceeded to inform Moses that he