Verse 16
On his vesture and on his thigh a name written - Dr. Dodd has well observed on this passage, that "it appears to have been an ancient custom among several nations to adorn the images of their deities, princes, victors at public games, and other eminent persons, with inscriptions, expressing either the character of the persons, their names, or some other circumstance which might contribute to their honor; and to that custom the description here given of Christ may possibly have some allusion.
"There are several such images yet extant, with an inscription written either on the garment, or on one of the thighs, or on that part of the garment which was over the thigh; and probably this is the meaning of the apostle. And as these inscriptions are placed on the upper garment, Grotius seems very justly to have explained the words επι το ἱματιον , by his imperial robe, that his power in this victory might be conspicuous to all. But as a farther confirmation of this sense of the passage it may not be improper here to describe briefly several remarkable figures of this sort, which are still extant." This description I shall give from my own examination.
- Herodotus, Euterpe, lib. ii. p. 127, edit. Gale, speaking of the actions of Sesostris, and of the images he set up in the countries which he conquered, has the following words: Εισι δε περι Ιωνιην δυο τυποι εν πετρῃσι εγκεκολαμμενοι τουτου του ανδρος, κ. τ. λ. "Two images likewise of this man are seen in Ionia, on the way that leads from Ephesus to Phocaea, and from Sardis to Smyrna. The figure is five palms in height; in his right hand he holds a dart, in his left a bow, armed after the manner of the Egyptians and Ethiopians. On a line drawn across the breast, from one shoulder to the other, are these words, written in Egyptian hieroglyphics: Εγω τηνδε την χωρην ωμοισι τοισι εμοισι εκτησαμην· 'I obtained this country by these my shoulders;'" i.e., by my own power.
- In the same work, p. 269, tab. CLVIII., another Etruscan warrior is represented entirely naked; on the left thigh is the following words in uncial Greek letters, ΚΑΦΙΣΟΔΩΡΟΣ , and on the right thigh, ΑΙΣΧΛΑΜΙΟΥ , i.e., "Kaphisodorus, the son of Aischlamius." All these inscriptions are written longitudinally on the thigh.
- Gruter, vol. iii., p. DCCCCLXXXIX, sub. tit. Affectus Servorum et Libertinorum inter se, et in suos, gives us the figure of a naked warrior, with his left hand on an axe, the end of whose helve rests on the ground, with the following inscription on the inside of his left thigh, longitudinally written, as in all other cases: -
Ti. Barbius. Q. P. L. Tiber.
- The rabbins say, that "God gave to the Israelites a sword, on which the ineffable name יהוה Yehovah was inscribed; and as long as they held that sword the angel of death had no power over them." Shemoth Rabba, sec. 51, fol. 143, 2. Bemidbar Rabba, sec. 12, fol. 214, 2.
- But what comes nearer to the point, in reference to the title given here to Christ, is what is related of Sesostris by Diodorus Siculus, lib. i. c. 55, p. 166, edit. Bipont, of whom he says: "Having pushed his conquests as far as Thrace, he erected pillars, on which were the following words in Egyptian hieroglyphics: Τηνδε την χωραν ὁπλοις κατεστρεψατο τοις ἑαυτου Βασιλευς Βασιλεων, και Δεσποτης Δεσποτων, Σεσοωσις· " This province, Sesoosis, (Sesostris), King of Kings and Lord of Lords, conquered by his own arms. This inscription is conceived almost in the words of St. John. Now the Greek historian did not borrow the words from the apostle, as he died in the reign of Augustus, about the time of our Lord's incarnation. This cannot be the same inscription mentioned above by Herodotus, the one being in Ionia, the other in Thrace: but as he erected several of those pillars or images, probably a nearly similar inscription was found on each.
- This custom seems to have been common among the ancient Egyptians. Inscriptions are frequently found on the images of Isis, Osiris, Anubis, etc., at the feet, on the head, on the back, on the girdle, etc., etc. Eight of those ancient images in my own collection abound with these inscriptions.
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