If there were stones in it at all, they probably served some other purpose than that of writing materials, otherwise they would not have been hidden as a mystery in the darkness of the sanctuary; they must have been exposed to public view.  Add to this that the tradition is not agreed as to the tenor of the ten words said to have been inserted on the two tables; two decalogues being preserved to us, Exodus xx. and Exodus xxxiv., which are quite different from each other.  It results from this that there was no real or certain knowledge as to what stood on the tables, and further that if there were such stones in the ark—­and probably there were—­there was nothing written on them.  This is not the place to decide which of the two versions is prior to the other; the negative result we have obtained is sufficient for our present purpose.

X.I.2.  Ancient Israel was certainly not without God-given bases for the ordering of human life; only they were not fixed in writing.  Usage and tradition were looked on to a large extent as the institution of the Deity.  Thus, for example, the ways and rules of agriculture.  Jehovah had instructed the husbandman and taught him the right way.  He it was whose authority gave to the unwritten laws of custom their binding power.  “It is never so done in Israel,” “that is folly in Israel,” and similar expressions of insulted public conscience are of frequent occurrence, and show the power of custom:  the fear of God acts as a motive for respecting it.  “Surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will slay me for my wife’s sake,” so Abraham says to himself in Gerar.  “How shall I do such great wrong and sin against God?” says Joseph to the woman in Egypt.  “The people of Sodom were wicked and sinned grievously against Jehovah,” we read in Genesis xiii. 13.  Similarly Deuteronomy xxv. 18:  “The Amalekites attacked Israel on the march, and killed the stragglers, all that were feeble and fell behind, and feared not God.”  We see that the requirements of the Deity are known and of force, not to the Israelites only, but to all the world; and accordingly they are not to be identified with any positive commands.  The patriarchs observed them long before Moses.  “I know Abraham,” Jehovah says, xviii. 19, “that he will command his children to keep the way of Jehovah, to do justice and judgment.”

Much greater importance is attached to the special Torah of Jehovah, which not only sets up laws of action of universal validity, but shows man the way in special cases of difficulty, where he is at a loss.  This Torah is one of the special gifts with which Israel is endowed (Deuteronomy xxxiii. 4); and it is intrusted to the priests, whose influence, during the period of the Hebrew kings, of which we are now speaking, rested much more on this possession than on the privilege of sacrifice.  The verb from which Torah is derived signifies in its earliest usage to give direction, decision.  The participle signifies giver of