done many and noble services to Greece, but in their sober senses, little or nothing."1 How easily a lunatic might pass for a heaven-sent messenger, is seen from the words of Plato, as quoted by Clement of Alexandria, attributing "a certain dialect to the gods; concluding this specially from dreams and oracles, as well as from demoniacs, who do not speak their own language, but that of the indwelling demons." In the case before us, this maid had "a spirit, a Python"; otherwise a soothsaying demon (δαιμόνιον μαντικόν). "The inspired idiot" is a well-known phrase, recalling the preceding opinions. It remains a conviction with some who regard themselves as illuminated, but whose affinities in this respect are decidedly with the races of the lower culture.

2

THE EPHESIAN DEMONIAC

And God wrought special miracles by the hand of Paul; insomuch that unto the sick were carried from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went forth. But certain also of the strolling Jews, exorcists, took upon them to name over them that had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth! And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest, who did this. And the evil spirit answered and said unto them, Jesus I acknowledge and Paul I am acquainted with; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and mastered both of them, and prevailed against 1 Phædrus, 47.

2 Meyer, in loco; cf. Æneid, vi. 77-80,

them, so that they fled out of that house, naked and wounded. Acts xix. 11-16.1

There is a change here in the character of the cases of possession compared with those previously considered. The superstitions of the Ephesian Christians are thrust into unhappy prominence, as well as their magical practices. Paul had long laboured in Ephesus; the result being that "all those who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks." His reputation as a worker of miracles was also firmly established; so that "from his person were brought to the sick, handkerchiefs and aprons," when demons and diseases alike departed. The Apostle had thus, in popular esteem, become a store of healing virtue, which required only a material vehicle to render it effective to the afflicted at a distance. At an earlier period, we find Peter in Jerusalem, the object of a similar veneration. People resorted to him for therapeutic purposes, trusting not in "handkerchiefs and aprons"; but in his "shadow" (Acts v. 15). There is no evidence whatever to prove that either Peter or Paul encouraged those practices, which savoured strongly of superstition. The grace of God is not of necessity bound to the correctness of a theory. Jesus responded to a genuine, though superstitious, faith in the case of the sick woman (Matt. ix. 22).

The cure of the possessed at Ephesus would have been reduced to its simplest ethnic terms, had clothes 1 Appendix D, Fact-basis of the Ephesian narrative.

"touched to the body" of Paul been used alone. It is evident, however, that the Name of Jesus was the potent instrument in the cure of the demoniacs by the Christians, The strolling Jews were prompt to notice the point; and the sons of Sceva forthwith resolved to add the Name to their repertory of incantations. Their first attempt to operate with the new talisman was not more dangerous than ludicrous. A genuine experiment was aimed at by those exorcists. The demoniac was no selected impostor. He was apparently a sufferer from epileptic insanity, now enjoying a temporary intermission of his troubles. There are indications of a certain degree of mental vigour, and traces of religious monomania. The course of events becomes quite intelligible.

The

The initial state of this man betokened no immediate danger. He was in a house, when sought out by this enterprising couple. But his condition was one of excessive irritability; predisposing him to violent reaction on the application of even a trifling stimulus. routine Jewish practice, as attested by Josephus and Justin Martyr, comprised adjurations and fumigations. The method was undoubtedly most provocative to a person "possessed." What more certain than that the alarming adjuration combined with the acrid smoke would produce an instant outburst of maniacal fury? The lunatic, now roused to the highest pitch of excitement by those sons of Sceva, summed up all his grievances in a comprehensive "assault and battery" on his tormentors. They had gone, no doubt, to that

house in the brave attire of the magician;1 but after being "jumped upon " and "mastered" (Acts xix. 16), they fled from the scene of their operations, bare and bleeding! That spectacle was highly edifying to those who had hitherto reconciled their profession of Christianity with the practice of "curious arts." Burning their books, they thenceforth purged themselves from this leaven of paganism.

1 See Lucian's Philopseudes, Necuomantis, and Pseudomantis.

CHAPTER IV

MEDICAL ASPECTS OF DEMONIC POSSESSION

continued

A

NUMBERS OF THE POSSESSED IN THE TIME OF

OUR LORD

N approximation only is possible; but even that leads far afield. When, however, the indications available are carefully considered, a fair appreciation of the numbers of the possessed at this date is attainable.

A. The regions whence the possessed were brought

These were Judæa, Galilee, Peræa; also Decapolis, Tyre, and Sidon.1 The three former districts comprised the great divisions of Jewish territory proper. The other three were outlandish, and inhabited by mixed populations. The cities of Decapolis are not uniformly defined by the ancient geographers. The number may have varied, as the towns composing this confederacy were loosely combined for mutual purposes of commerce and defence. Pliny mentions Scythopolis, Hippos, Gadara, Pella, Philadelphia, 1 Matt. iv. 25; Mark iii. 7, 8; Luke vi. 17.