Jewish writings. The doctrine of the inferior Metatron, whom many suppose to be Enoch, is probably founded on Ex. 32: 34. The higher Metatron is not unfrequently identified with the Shechina, the habitation of God in the world. Thus it is said for example in the book Tikkune Sohar, "The Metatron is the very Shechina, and Shechina is called the Metatron of Jehovah, because he is the crown of the ten Sephirae."2 Yet other muzd from whom all revelations were derived. On the contrary, the Mithras is an inferior being, created by Ormuzd, a valiant combatant indeed in his host, but who stands back far behind the great Bahman, the king of the Amschaspands. The passages from Plutarch (de Is. et O. c. 46) and the Zend books, where Mithras is called a mediator, furnish a foundation for a relationship between Mithras and Metatron only apparent. For the Metatron of the Hebrews mediates in all the relations of the hidden God with the creation. On the contrary, Mithras is called mediator only so far as "he mediated during the struggle between Ormuzd and Ahriman to render the influence of the last harmless." The doctrine concerning him has also more of a physical than a moral import; comp. Rhode Das Religionssystem des Zendvolkes, p. 264 sq. In fine, as the original appellative signification of the uame decides against its being borrowed from the Persians, so no analogy at all can be adduced for this etymology; while the borrowing of names from the Greek and Latin is, in many instances, found to be susceptible of demonstration. Comp. e. g. Armillus, the Greek ¿onuolάos, and Matrona, which occurs so frequently in the Cabbalistic writings.

1 The failure to distinguish between these has led Eisenmenger into great confusion. We adduce here only one or two passages: R. Ruben fil. Hoschke in Danz l. c. p. 736, “Shechina longe excelsior est Henocho convenienter cum illo quod per traditionem accepi, fore metatorem magnum et metatorem parvum, quorum magnus est ipsissima Shechina, e qua ille emanat et de nomine ejus. "Shechina vocatur Metatron." In another passage: "Invenimus in Sohar, quod duo sint metatores, Metatron maximus et Metatron parvus creatus." Comp. other passages in Danz, p. 730, 735. That the assertion of most Rabbins, that 77% with Yodh denotes the superior, and without Yodh the inferior Metatron, is incorrect, is shown by Schmieder, l. c. p. 28, from the Paraphrase of Jonathan on Gen. 5: 24, where the orthography with Yodh is admitted, although the inferior Metatron is the subject of remark.

37:

2 See Glaesener Theol. Soharica, p. "Metatron est ipsissima Shechina, et Shechina Metatron Jehovae vocatur, quia corona est decem Sephirarum." Comp. the array of proofs in Danz, in Meuschen N. T. ex Talmud. illustr. p. 733 sq. Edzardi Tract. Berach. p. 232.

2

passages show that they distinguished the Metatron and the Shechina in another respect; and identified the Metatron with the Shechina, only so far as the latter concentrated and represented itself in a personal way in the former. Thus it is said in the book Eshel Abraham: "Metatron is the column of mediation, in whom appears that holy one blessed in his Shechina.1 And in another passage: "The Supreme God and his Shechina are within the Metatron, that is to say, he who is called Shaddai." Still more plainly is this expressed in a passage of Rabbi Moses Corduero: "The angel here is the vestment of the Shechina, and the Shechina conceals itself in the midst of him, and shows his operations by him. Yet he is not the Shechina itself, but, if it were proper, I would call him the place of the Shechina's exile."3 And again Rabbi Moses Corduero says: jina hinn h, "the Shechina is included in the Metatron." From these and other passages it appears, that they conceived the relation of the Shechina to the Metatron to be about the same, as the Persians did the relation of the fire Orvazeshte to Ormuzd.-The Metatron is not created, but emanates. Comp. R. Moses ben Hoschke: "It is manifest from this that there is a Metatron of emanation and a Metatron of creation who is his herald. The Metatron of emanation is he who appeared to Moses in the bush." 5 He is united with the Supreme God by a oneness of essence. R. Bechai says: "The Rabbins explain the words thou shalt not change me for him,' (in such a way that you shall think me one, and him another,) and God says this to Moses that he may understand that both are one, and most intimately united, without separation. He is the Lord himself and at the same time is the ambassador of the

1 In Danz l. c. p. 735, "Columna medietatis est Metatron, in quo

apparet sanctus ille benedictus in Shechina sua."

2 Sommer 1. c. p. 36, "Deus O. M. ejusque Shechina sunt intra Metatronem, quippe qui vocatur Shaddai."

3 In Dauz 1. c. p. 736, "Angelus hic vestimentum est Shechinae et Shechina occultat sese in ejus medio, suasque ipsa ostendit operationes per eundem. Non tamen Shechina ipsa-sed si dicere fas esset Shechinae vocarem exilium." Comp. other passages in Knorr a Rosenroth Kabbala denudata I. p. 528.

4 In Sommer, p. 37.

5 In Danz 1. c. p. 737, "Manifestum hinc est, quod sit Metatron emanationis et Metatron creationis, qui est nuntius. Metatron autem emanationis est ille, qui Mosi apparuit in rubo."

Lord." He is called in the Talmud b, the Prince of the World. He is the visible revealer of God. In the Book Sohar3 it is said, "Metatron is the garment of Shaddai." He is called in the Talmud, the angel "whose name is as the name of his Lord." He has the dominion over all creatures. So the Book Sohar: "Metatron is the servant of Jehovah, the senior of his household, the beginning of his creatures, exercising his dominion over all things, which are committed to him. God Supreme hath indeed delivered to him the dominion over all his hosts." 5 Othioth Rabbi Akkiva holds the following language:6 "The Metatron is the angel, Prince of the countenance [of Jehovah]; the angel, Prince of the law, Prince of wisdom, Prince of strength, Prince of majesty, Prince of the temple, Prince of kings, Prince of rulers, Prince of the high and exalted and the many and noble Princes that are in heaven and upon earth." All the splendid attributes which are ascribed to bim singly in other places, are united in a remarkable passage in the Cabbalistic Book Rasiel, in Edzard, p. 234.

That this doctrine is originally a Jewish doctrine and not at all borrowed from the Persians, is evident from the fact, that it is explained from the Old Testament in all the passages where it occurs [in Jewish books]. There is always either a definite quotation of the passages where the is mentioned, or a manifest reference to them. For its high antiquity there are many reasons. That the doctrine existed in the time of the LXX, appears from Is. 9: 5, where they translate by nią by μeɣáins Bovins ayyeλos, probably, as Gesenius correctly remarks,

1 In Edzardi Tract Talmud. Berachoth p. 231. "Rabbini p. m. verba explicarunt: ne permutes me in illo (ut alium me, alium illum esse putes), dicitque hoc ideo deus ad Mosem, ut intelligeret, utrumque unum esse et arctissime unitum absque separatione. -Est ille dominus ipse et legatus domini."

2 Comp. the passages in Sommer, l. c. p. 45.

3 Sommer p. 38. "Indumentum Touest Metatron."

4 Tract. Sanhedrin in Sommer 1. c. "Cujus nomen sicut nomen domini sui."

5 In Sommer, l. c. p. 35. "Metatron servus Jehovae, senior domus ejus, qui est principium creaturarum ejus, dominium exercens super omnia, quae ipsi sunt tradita. Tradidit vero ipsi dominium deus O. M. super omnes exercitus suos.

6 Eisenmenger II. p. 396.

for theological reasons, to signify that in the Messiah not the Supreme God but his Revealer would appear. R. Alshech on Gen. 18: 2, represents this doctrine as traditional: "Every angel spoken of in Scripture absolutely, is Metator, the prince of the countenance, whose name is like the name of his Lord, according to the language of our doctors, in commenting on the text of the Bible: Lo I send my angel before your face etc. and, Lo my angel shall go etc."-Further, had this doctrine been of later origin, it could not have obtained its great diffusion; it occurs not only in the cabbalistic writings, but in those of the most diverse character. Besides, it is found not only in the Talmud, but it appears in the book Sohar, already perfectly formed. There are strong reasons for supposing that this book, as to the principal parts which compose it, was written at a very early period; although numerous later interpolations must have occurred, as is the case in almost all Jewish writings. But Schmieder correctly remarks: "The cabbalistic doctrine concerning the Metatron in the book Sohar, bears the marks of such cultivation, that it could not be recently invented in that age, but seems to have employed the frequent thoughts of many, and to have been. perfected by their labours."3 Many passages of the New Testament too make for the antiquity of this doctrine, particularly the Pauline epistles; in which one can hardly avoid supposing, that the expressions which were in use among the Jews respecting the Metatron were applied to Christ, and with perfect propriety, as we shall afterwards see; inasmuch as the 2, or the Metatron, was to appear in the Messiah. The resemblance

1 In Danz, l. c. p. 734. "Omnis angelus absolute dictus in scriptura est princeps facierum Metator, cujus nomen est sicut nomen domini ejus, secundum sermonem doclorum nostrorum p. m. ad textum biblicum: Ecce ego missurus sum angelum ante facies tuas etc. et Ecce angelus meus ibit etc."

2 Comp. some of these in Tholuck, Stellen aus dem Sohar, Berl. 1824. Vorrede.

3 L. c. p. 25. "Cabbalistica de Mitatrone doctrina in libro Sohar ita exculta est, ut nec illa aetate recens inventa, sed variis multorum meditationibus versata et aucta jam fuisse videatur."

4 Comp. e. g. the passages adduced from Othioth R. Akkiva with Eph. 1: 21 seq. In Sohar f. 77. Sulzb. Sommer 1. c. p. 35, the Me

-the beginning of the crea" ,תחלת בריותיו של מקום tatron is called

tures of God." Comp. лowτóтоxоç лáσns xτiors Col. 1: 15. The Me

between the New Testament passages and those of the Rabbins is so great, that it could not be accidental. And finally, it speaks for the antiquity of this doctrine, that it occurs even in Philo: "To the archangel and eldest Logos, on account of his peculiar excellence, the Father who begat all things, has given to stand as the one who divides that which is made, from Him who made it; and he is the object of supplication to the mortal destined for immortality, the ambassador of Him who leads to obedience."1 Yet it cannot be maintained that the age of the name Metatron, as the exclusive designation of the archangel, is equally ancient with the doctrine itself. It follows from the remarkable passage of Rabbi Menachem of Rekanat,2 that the archangel was originally called by a multitude of appellative names, until at last one of them, Metatron, came to be a standing name, a kind of nomen proprium. By Jonathan in Ex. 3, the Angel of Jehovah is called Segansagel; and in Jalkut Shimoni,3 and numerous other passages, he is called Michael.1

We believe then that we have shown from sufficient evidence, that by the Angel of Jehovah is to be understood the Revealer of God, who, partaking of his divinity, and united with him by a oneness of nature, was the mediator of all the communications of God at first to the patriarchs, and afterwards to the visible theocracy. This Revealer of God was expected in future times as a great restorer. This appears from many passages of the Old Testament, in which divine names, attributes, and actions, are attributed to the Messiah. If the Messiah is admitted to be God, then be could stand in no other connexion with the Supreme God, agreeably to the whole religious system of the Old tatron is called the Majesty, the Veil of God, the one through whom God is known, the one who bears the image of God, the one according to whose image man is created. R. Bechai in Edzard, l. c. p. 232. Jalkut Chadasch p. 237. Sohar 1. c. and p. III. f. 91. Sulz. Sommer p. 36. Comp. εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, Col. 1: 15. απαύγασμα τῆς δόξης καὶ χαρακτὴς τῆς ὑποστάσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ, Heb. 1: 3. 2 Cor. 4: 4.

δι

1 Philo, Quis rerum divinarum Haeres, p. 50. Ta de doyayyέlo καὶ πρεσβυτάτῳ λόγῳ δὲ ἀρετὴν ἐξαίρετον ἔδωκεν ὁ τὰ ὅλα γεννήσας πα8 τὴρ, ἵνα μεθόριον στὰς τὸ γενόμενον διακρίνῃ τοῦ πεποιηκότος· ὁ δὲ αὐ τὸς ἱκέτης μέν ἐστι τοῦ θνητοῦ κηραίνοντος ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ ἄφθαρτον, πρεσβευτὴς δὲ τοῦ ἡγεμόνος πρὸς τὸ ὑπήκοον.

2 In Eisenmenger, p. 374.

4 Comp. Danz, l. c. p. 733, 734.

3 In Eisenmenger, p. 375.