destroys the credibility of this attempt at a succession of witnesses. If involuntary, and the result of error, it shows that the rabbies who have transmitted this story were so weak in intellect as to swallow any improbability; and that as they transmitted one lie, they may have transmitted more. But if voluntary, no one will argue that the testimony of wilful liars is worth much. This last attempt, therefore, to prop up the authority of the oral law is vain.
But this rabbinic chain of testimony goes on to tell us that, amongst others, the oral law passed through Jeremiah the prophet:—
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"Jeremiah received from Zephaniah and his council, and
Baruch the son of Neriah received from Jeremiah and his
council." Now, if this means that Jeremiah was the (Hebrew characters),
or President of the Sanhedrin, it is plainly false. The whole
history of Jeremiah shows us that he was not the powerful
head of a despotic and irresistible council, but an unprotected
and persecuted man. Had he been president of a tribunal so
dreadful, and whose sentence of excommunication was in itself
sufficient to protect him, the people and the princes would
never have dared to reject his words as they did, much less to
make an attempt on his life. But if, on the other hand, it be
said that Jeremiah's council does not mean the Sanhedrin, then
we have another chasm in the succession of Sanhedrins, and
consequently the proof fails again. But this chain of evidence
is not only contrary to fact, and to the inspired writings of the
prophets; it is also inconsistent with the oral law itself, for it
asserts that two proselytes form a part of the chain of transmission:—
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"Shemaiah and Abtalion, proselytes of righteousness, and their council, received from Judah and Simon and their council. Hillel and Shammai and their council received from Shemaiah and Abtalion and their council." Now, according to the oral law, it is unlawful for proselytes to be members of any council or tribunal. Respecting the Supreme Council, it is expressly said:—
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