Now  let  u?  turn  to  the  experience  of  the  Jews,  whose
faith  had  to  face  and  account  for  this  world-force.
The  history  of  the  Jews  in  Europe  has  so  identified
them  with  trade  that  it  is  difficult  for  us  to  imagine  a
Jew  free  from  its  spirit  or  ignorant  of  its  micthods.  But
the  fact  is  that  in  the  time  of  Isaiah  Israel  was  as  little
acquainted  with  comm.erce  as  it  is  possible  for  a  civilised
nation  to  be.  Israel's  was  an  inland  territory.  Till
Solomon's  reign  the  people  had  neither  navy  nor  harbour.
Their  land  was  not  abundant  in  materials  for  trade —
it  contained  almiost  no  minerals,  and  did  not  produce  a
greater  supply  of  food  than  was  necessary  for  the  con-
sumption of  its  inhabitants.  It  is  true  that  the  ambition  of
Solomon  had  brought  the  people  wdthin  the  temptations
of  commerce.  He  established  trading  cities,  annexed
harbours  and  hired  a  navy.  But  even  then,  and  again
in  the  reign  of  Uzziah,  which  reflects  much  of  Solomon's
commercial  glory,  Israel  traded  by  deputies,  and  the
mass  of  the  people  remained  innocent  of  mercantile
habits.  Perhaps  to  moderns  the  most  impressive  proof
of  how  little  Israel  had  to  do  with  trade  is  to  be  found
in  their  laws  of  money-lending  and  of  interest.  The
absolute  prohibition  which  Moses  placed  upon  the
charging  of  interest  could  only  have  been  possible
among  a  people  with  the  most  insignificant  commerce.
To  Isaiah  himself  commerce  must  have  appeared  alien.
Human  life,  as   he    pictures    it,  is    composed    of    war,


xxiii.]         TYRE;    OH,    THE  MERCENARY  SPIRIT.  293

politics  and  agricultuie;  his  ideals  for  society  are
those  of  the  shepherd  and  the  farmer.  We  moderns
cannot  dissociate  the  future  welfare  of  humanity  from
the  triumphs  of  trade.
