Eldad and modad, book of (Hastings' Dictionary)

The fact that the prophecies of these men are unrecorded in Nu 1128-2S furnished an invitin" theme for imarina- tion to some unkno\vn seer and author. His book is quoted in Hermas, Vis. ii. 3 : ' Thou shalt say to Maximus. Behold the tribulation cometh . . " The Lord is near to them that turn to Him," as it is written in the (book) of Eldad and Modad.' The Pal. Targums (Jcrus. i. and Jems. ii. ) both supply us with the subject of E. and M.'

s prophecy, filling in, as is their wont, the supposed hiatus m the Heb. Bible. They a^ee with Hermas that it had reference to pre-JIessianic tribulation, which is described under the coming of Magog against Israel at the end of days. Jerus. ii. says that Gog and ftlagog shall both fall by the h.ind of King Messiah. Jerus. i. omits this ; but adds, 'The Lord (see Levy, s.v. O'Tp) is near to them that are in the hour of tribula- tion.'

The close resemblance thus pointed out be- tween Hermas and the two Targums seems certainly to indicate tliat all three authors were acquainted with the same Bk of E. and M. ; and renders the hesitancy of Schiirer and Ziickler no longer neces- sary. In 1 Clem, xxiii. 3. 4 and 2 Clem. xi. 2. 3 is a long quotation, called in the one case ypa(j>i], in the other wpo(pr]TiK6s \irfos, but not in OT, which Lightfoot and Holtzmann conjecture to have been taken from our book.

In both cases, as well as in Hermas, the quotation is designed to refute one who is sceptical about the approaching tribulations ' at the end of the days.' Our book is found in the Stichometry of Nicephorus (400 ffrlxot), and in the Synopsis Athanasii (see Abraham, Book of). LiTERATtmB. — FabriciuB, Cod^ pteudep. V.T. 1. 801-804; Schurer, Il./P ll. iii. 29; Zdckler, Apoc da A.T. 439; Weber, Lehren det Talm. 18S6, p. 370 (who, however, mistranslates tht Targ. Jeru*. i.

in the line cited); Holtzman';, Kinlritung, 55S. J. T. Mar-shall.