ature, and just because the art of writing was
unknown, the memory was cultivated in a manner of which we have no idea.
At all events, the Brahmans themselves knew nothing of the Brahma_n_as in
written form, and included them with the hymns under the names Veda and
_S_ruti; that is, they regarded them, in our phraseology, as revealed, and
not the work of men.

The remarkable thing, however, is that they did not assume, like the
Romans in the case of Numa and Egeria, a communication from the Vedic gods
of nature to ordinary men, but contented themselves with declaring that
the Veda had been seen by the Rishis, whose name Rishi they explained
etymologically as "seer."

It is clear, therefore, that what the Brahmans understood under _S_ruti
was nothing more than literature composed in an ancient language (for the
Brahma_n_as are also composed in an ancient language, though not as
ancient as that of the hymns), and treating of matters on which apparently
man alone can establish no authority. For how could ordinary man take on
himself to speak about the gods or to give directions for the sacrifice,
to make promises for the reward of pious works, or even to decide what is
morally right or wrong? More than human authority was necessary for this,
and so the Brahma_n_as, as well as the hymns, were declared to be
_apaurusheya_, that is, not human, though by no means divine, in the sense
of having been imparted by one of the Devas.

We see, therefore, that the idea of the _S_ruti, while approaching to our
idea of revelation as _apaurusheya_, that is, not human, does not quite
coincide with it. What was ancient and incomprehensible, was called
superhuman, and soon became infallible and beyond assault. If we look at
other religions, we find that Buddhism denied the Veda every authority,
and in conformity with its own character especially excluded every idea of
superhuman revelation. In China, too, we look in vain for revelation. In
Palestine, however, we find the idea that the Lord Himself spoke with
Moses, who delivered His commands to Israel, and the tables of the
commandments were even written by God's own fingers on both sides. But
this must not be confounded with written literature. The idea that the
entire Old Testament was written or revealed by Jehovah is absolutely not
of ancient Jewish origin, whatever respect may have been shown to the holy
books as recognised in the Synagogue.

As for Islam, the Koran is looked upon a