SHIBBOLETH.

nha (see Judges xii. 6). This is the Hebrew word which the Gileadites under Jephtha made use of at the passages of the Jordan, after a victory over the Ephraimites, to test the pronunciation of the sound sh by those who wished to cross the river. The Ephraimites, it would appear, in their dialect substituted for sh, the simple sound i and the Gileadites, regarding everyone who

failed to pronounce accordingly.*

The word

sh as an enemy, put him to death

has two meanings in Hebrew; first, an ear of corn; secondly, a stream, or flood; and it was perhaps in the latter sense that this particular word suggested itself to the Gileadites, the Jordan being a rapid river. There is no mystery in this particular word; any other beginning with the sound sh would have answered equally well. Before the introduction of vowel points (which took place not earlier than the sixth century) there was nothing in Hebrew to distinguish the letters and ; so that it could not be known by the eye in reading, when h was to be sounded after s, as in the English, Sugar, or as in German after the most common pronunciation in Sprache, Spiel, Stiefel, and many similar words, which are also pronounced as if with s alone.

It is to be noted that the sound sh is unknown to the Greek language, as the English th is unknown in many other modern languages. Hence, in the Septuagint, proper names combine simply with s, which in Hebrew contain

* Something similar to this was done at the time of Jack Cade's rebellion, in the reign of Henry VI., when anyone suspected of being a Frenchman, or Flemish, was asked to say, "Bread and Cheese." If unable to pronounce these simple words satisfactorily, the obnoxious foreigner was at once despatched.

the sound of sh. One result has been that through the LXX. and the Vulgate some of these names such as vipy

having become naturalised in the Greek ,שְׁלֹמֹה וְשִׁמְעוֹן שְׁמוּאֵל

,

form, have been retained in the English version, as Samson, Samuel, Simeon, and Solomon; also as have become Anglicised as Moses, Isaiah, etc. Hence, likewise, there is a singularity of the Septuagint version, that in the passage quoted from Judges xii. 6, the translator could not introduce the word "Shibboleth"; but has substituted one of its translations orάxvs (an ear of corn), which certainly destroys the point of the narrative, and the sense of the passage. The LXX. version says, "Say now, Stachys."

In proper names, not naturalised through the Septuagint, the Hebrew form is retained, as in Shiloh, Sheba, Mephibosheth, etc.-Compiled. SMITH. Dictionary of the Bible,

etc.

NOTE. Other letters are also transformed in the LXX., particularly П, and y. There is little doubt that л, rendered sometimes by s, sometimes by t, would mostly best be rendered by th; as we find in old Latin versions, "B'raisheeth , cum multus aliis."—P. A.

COMMANDMENTS TO NOAH.

According to tradition, the seven commandments given

,דינין were שבע מצות בני נח to Noah and his sons, known as

due administration of justice; Den na, to worship God;

-chastity and moder גילוי עריות ; to avoid idolatry,עבודה זרה to גזל ; not to be guilty of bloodshed ,שפיכת דמים ; ation

abstain from robbery; ' ¡ 8, not to eat from a living animal, or deprive it of a limb. The Rabbins hold, that whatever non-Israelite holds these seven obligations, has a share in the world to come; and that wherever the power of the Israelites prevails, it is their duty to enforce the above observances.

EATING BACON.

The custom of eating a gammon of bacon at Easter, still maintained in some parts of England, is founded on the abhorrence our forefathers thought proper to express in that way, towards the Jews, at the season for commemorating the Resurrection.-DRAKE. Shakespeare and his Times.

NOMS DE GUERRE.

Looking at the contests in which history records them to have been engaged, and their unremitted persecution of our own race, surely we are not wrong in calling the assumed names of Clement, Innocent, Benedict, and Pius, in sober earnest, noms de guerre.-P. A.

INSCRIPTION ON A CEMETERY.

At Great Strelitz, in Silesia, may be seen a burial-ground, which a generous Israelite presented in 1842, for the interment of the Jewish community there. He had the followon a stone at the

ing remarkable inscription engraved

EMANCIPATION IN WÜRTEMBERG.

According to a special law voted in 1861, the Jews resident in Würtemberg had already obtained the right of citizens, which had been previously withheld from them by the Constitution of that State. The legal commission of the Chamber of Deputies has just made another step in advance, by proposing that henceforward Jews should be admitted to all political rights, and that they should be put

on the same footing as Würtemburgers of other religious professions. Besides which, the commission has proposed, by five votes against four, the abolition of the Israelitish oath, the right of intermarrying between Jews and Christians, and an equal claim for help to poor, without distinction of faith or creed.-Archives Israelites, tome xxv., 1864. Die Allgemeine Zeitung des Judenthums, writing on the same subject, says, "The Chamber of Deputies at Stuttgard, has discussed the proposal of a law relative to the civil position of the Israelites of this country. The first paragraph of this law runs thus: 'The Israelites of this country are subject in every respect to the same laws as affect all other of its subjects; they shall enjoy the same rights and will have to fulfil the same duties.' This proposal was adopted almost unanimously (82 against 1).

Another

article, proposing the authorisation of marriages between Christians and Jews, was more strongly opposed; but was subsequently carried by 49 votes against 34. As might have been expected, the clergy were the opponents, and the Liberals, as well as several professors, in favour of this proposition. The whole of the law, in which also is included the suppression of the oath more judaico, has been adopted by 64 votes against 15.-Alleg. Zeitung des Judenthums.

SYNAGOGUE AT POONA.

The ceremony of laying the first stone of a new synagogue in the Deccan, was solemnly performed at Poona. The attendants were not numerous, but they were of the élite of society. According to the Hebrew ritual, and under established forms for such celebrations, Mr. David Sassoon fixed the corner-stone of an edifice which will soon rise majestically from its foundation. Many persons came from Bombay to witness this ceremony. Psalms cxxii. and

cxxxii. were recited. After the laying of the stone, the minister invoked the blessing of heaven on the Queen of England and her Government, as also on the generous founder of this Temple.-Archives Israelites, tome xxv., 1864.

HUGH BROUGHTON.

Broughton, a learned divine, descended from an ancient family, was born at Oldbury, in Shropshire, in 1549. At Cambridge he became one of the Fellows at Christ's College, and there laid the foundation of his knowledge of Hebrew, in which he afterwards made such remarkable proficiency.

In 1589 he went to Germany, and stayed some time at Frankfort, where he had a long dispute in the Jewish Synagoge with Rabbi Elias, on the truth of the Christian religion. He appears to have been very solicitous for the conversion of the Jews, and his taste for rabbinical and Hebrew studies led him to take pleasure in the conversation of those learned Jews whom he occasionally met with. In the course of his travels he had also disputes with the Papists; but in his contests both with them and with the Jews, he was not very attentive to the rules either of prudence or politeness.

As may be supposed, he was a very voluminous writer, even for those times. Most of his works were collected and printed in London under the following title :-" The Works of the great Albionean Divine, renowned in many Nations for rare Skill in Salem's and Athen's Tongues, and familiar Acquaintance with all Rabbinical Learning, Mr. Hugh Broughton." This edition of his works is bound in one large volume folio, and is replete, as may be supposed, with much recondite and "Thalmudique" lore, which might be of interest to Hebraique students, though of course all have