was,--in one form or another, common
to many ancient religions and nations. It was by no means exclusively
Jewish or Christian. It probably had a common origin and purpose in
all.

I have already intimated that all religious doctrine and practice had
their origin in man's attempt to solve the problem of evil, sin,
suffering and death; and to remedy it. I will treat this more fully
when I come to consider the subject of religion specifically.

The general solution of this problem, if not the almost universal one,
was, that men had offended the gods and incurred their anger and
illwill; and for this reason the gods continually afflicted them thru
life and ultimately destroyed them. Thus death was the final penalty
for sin. The gods could be finally satisfied only with the life,--the
blood,--of the transgressor. "For the blood is the life." This
doctrine is not confined to Genesis and the Jews. In fact, the best
Biblical scholars of today are of the opinion that this story of Eden
and the fall were not originally Jewish at all; but that the tradition
was learned during the exile in Babylonia and Persia, where, it has
been learned from recent excavations, the tradition existed centuries
before the time of the captivity. It is believed that this tradition
so fitted into the Jewish history and gave them such a satisfactory
solution of their own sufferings and misery that it was brought back by
them, and, with some adaptations, incorporated into their own sacred
literature as a part of their own history. Thus, Genesis is now
believed by the best scholars and most competent critics, not to be the
first book of the Bible written, but in its present form, one of the
last written of the Old Testament. But this is a digression.

Quite early, however, tho the time and the exact reason why are both
unknown, it is evident that man conceived the idea that, tho he could
not escape ultimate death, yet, he might in some way appease the wrath
of the gods, and thus at least mitigate his afflictions in this life,
by offering them the life--the blood--of a substitute. Thus originated
the practice of offering burnt offerings to the gods, so common among
so many ancient tribes and nations besides Israel. It was believed
that the gods would be satisfied, at least for the time being, with the
blood of an innocent victim, especially if it was the best, or the most
precious the offerer had. And from this grew the offering of human