THE EQUINOX
The history of Isaac is another legend. Rebecca is the
type of the oriental woman, laborious, hospitable, partial in
her affections, shrewd and wily in her manoeuvres. Jacoband
Esau are again the two types of Cain and Abel; but here
Abel avenges himself: the emancipated intelligence triumphs
by cunning. The whole of the genius of the Jews is in the
character of Jacob, the patient and laborious supplanter who
yields to the wrath of Esau, becomes rich, and buys his
brother’s forgiveness. One must never forget that, when the
ancients want to philosophize, they tell a story.
The history or legend of Joseph contains, in germ, the
whole genius of the Gospel; and the Christ, misunderstood
by His people, must often have wept in reading over again
that scene, where the Governor of Egypt throws himself on
the neck of Benjamin, with the great cry of “I am Joseph!”
Israel becomes the people of God, that is to say, the con-
servator of the idea, and the depositaries of the word. This
idea is that of human independence, and of royalty, by means
of work; but one hides it with care, like a precious seed. A
painful and indelible sign is imprinted on the initiates; every
image of the truth is forbidden, and the children of Jacob
watch, sword in hand, around the unity of the tabernacle.
Hamor and Shechem wish to introduce themselves forcibly
into the holy family, and perish with their people after under-
going a feigned initiation. In order to dominate the vulgar,
it is already necessary that the sanctuary should surround
itself with sacrifices and with terror.
The servitude of the children of Jacob paves the way for
their deliverance: for they have an idea, and one does not
enchain an idea; they have a religion, and one does not
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