hey
are almost wholly without the element of personal adventures of
gods.[1410] Since all known genuine Semitic myths seem to have their
original home in Babylonia, and Babylonian mythical material bears marks
of Sumerian influence, the question has been raised whether we have any
genuinely Semitic mythical biographies of gods. However this question
may be answered, it remains true that the Semites show little
disposition to work out this line of thought.

+816+. Of the origin of these peculiarities of the Semitic theistic
system, as of all such origins, it is impossible to give any
satisfactory explanation. Geographical and climatic conditions have been
appealed to: the Semitic area was small and isolated--the Semites were
shut off by oceans, mountains, and rivers from the rest of the world,
were disposed to migrate only within the limits of their area,[1411] and
long lived under the monotonous influence of the desert; thus, it is
said, their conception of the world became objective and limited--they
were clannish, practical, unanalytic, and unimaginative. But the origin
of races is obscure, and the genius of every ancient people was formed
and developed in remote ages under conditions not known to us. We can do
little more than note the characteristics visible in historical times.

+817+. Paucity of myths and the other features mentioned above accord
with the later role of Semitic, especially Hebrew, theism--the tendency
to conceive of the deity as on the one hand aloof and transcendent, and
on the other hand standing in close social relations with man as his
lord and protector. This proved to be socially the most effective idea
of God, and has been adopted by all the great nations of the western
world.

+818+. The contributions of the Indo-European religions to the religious
thought of the world are indicated in the preceding sketches. What is
to be learned from the Chinese the future must show. The general history
of civilization leads us to expect a gradual combination and fusion of
all lines of religious development, in which every system will
contribute its best, and the lower elements will be discarded.[1412]

CHAPTER VII

MYTHS

+819+. Myths represent the savage and half-civilized science of origins,
the imaginary construction of the world. From the earliest times men
have shown curiosity respecting the origin of the things that lie about
them. In the presence of plains and mountains, trees and r