JAMES, PROTEVANGELIUM OF

very abrupt. Of the theories, however, which have so far been advanced, the view that it is a primitive Christian writing at least presents the fewest diffi-culties, though it still leaves much unexplained.

4. Early quotations and canonicity. — The Epistle presents points of contact with Clement of Rome, Hermas, and probably with Irenaeus, but is first quoted as Scripture by Origen. Eusebius, though he quotes it himself without reserve, mentions the fact that few 'old writers' have done so (HE ii. 23), and classes it among the 'disputed' books of the Canon (iii. 25). It is not mentioned in the Muratorian Fragment, but is included in the Peshitta (the Syriac version), together with 1 Peter and 1 John of the Catholic Epistles. The evidence shows that it was acknowledged in the East earUer than in the West, possibly as being addressed to the Eastern (?) Dispersion, though its apparent use by Clem. Rom. and Hermas suggests that it may have been written in Rome. The scarcity of quotations from it and its comparative neglect may be due to its Jewish and non-doctrinal tone, as well as to the facts that it did not claim to be Apostolic and seemed to contradict St. Paul. Others before Luther may well have found it 'an epistle of straw.'

5. Style and teaching. — As has been said, the tone of the Epistle is largely Judaic. In addition to the Jewish features already pointed out, we may note its insistence on righteousness, and its praise of wisdom and poverty, which are characteristic of Judaism at its best. Its Illustrations are drawn from the OT, and its style frequently recalls that of Proverbs, and the Prophets, particularly on its sterner side. The worldly are 'adulteresses' (4''; cf. the OT conception of Israel as the bride of Jehovah, whether faithful or unfaithful), and the whole Epistle is full of warnings and denuncia-tions; 54 imperatives have been counted in twice as many verses. The quotations, however, are mainly from the LXX; 'greeting' (!■) is the LXX formula for the Heb. 'peace,' and occurs again in NT only in the letter of Ac 15^. The points of contact with our Lord's teaching have been already noticed; the Epistle follows Him also in its fondness for metaphors from nature (cf. the parables), and in the poetic element which appears continually; 1" is actually a hexameter, but it has not been recognized as a quotation. The style is vivid and abrupt, sometimes obscure, with a great variety of vocabulary; there are 70 words not found elsewhere in NT. There is no close connexion of ideas, or logical development of the subject; a word seems to suggest the following paragraph (e.g. ch. 1). Accordingly it is useless to attempt a summary of the Epistle. Its main purpose was to encourage endurance under persecution and oppression, together with con-sistency of life; and its leading ideas are the dangers of speech, of riches, of strife, and of worldliness, and the value of true faith, prayer, and wisdom. The Epistle is essentially 'pragmatic'; i.e. it insists that the test of belief lies in ' value for conduct.' It does not, indeed, ignore the deeper side; it has its theology with its teaching about regeneration, faith, and prayer, but the writer's main interest lies in ethics. The condition of the heathen world around made it necessary to insist on the value of a consistent Ufe. That was Christianity; and neither doctrinal nor moral problems, as of the origin of evil, trouble him. The Epistle does not reach the heights of a St. Paul or a St. John, but it has its value. It presents, sharply and in emphasis, a side of Christianity which is always in danger of being forgotten, and the practical mind in particular will always feel the force of its practical message. C. W. Emmet.

JAMES, PROTEVANGELIim OF.— See Gospels [Apooktphal], § 5.

JAMIN.— 1. A son of Simeon (Gn 46i», Ex 6«, Nu 26", 1 Ch i"). The gentilic name Jaminites occurs in Nu 2612. 2. A Judahite (1 Ch 2"). 3. A priest

426

JAPHIA

(? or Levite) who took part in the promulgating of the Law (Neh 8'; in 1 Es 9" ladinus).

JAMLECH.— A Simeonite chief (1 Ch 4^).

JAHNIA (1 Mac 4" 5" lO" 15", 2 Mac 128- 9- ").— The later name of Jabneel (wh. see). The gentilic name Jamnites occurs in 2 Mac 12^.

JANAI.— A Gadite chief (1 Ch 5'^).

JANGLING. — 'Jangling,' says Chaucer in the Parson's Tale, 'is whan man speketh to moche before folk, and clappeth as a mille, and taketh no kepe what he seith.' The word is used in 1 Ti l^ ' vain jangling' (RV 'vain talking'); and in the heading of 1 Ti 6 'to avoid profane janglings,' where it stands for ' babblings ' in the text (1 Ti S^').

JANm. — A town in the mountains of Hebron, near Beth-tappuah (Jos 15'*). The site is uncertain.

JANNAI. — An ancestor of Jesus (Lk 3").

JANNES AND JAMBRES.— In 2 Ti S^ these names are given as those of Moses' opponents; the Egyptian magicians of Ex 7"- ^ are doubtless referred to, though their names are not given in OT. They are traditional, and we find them in the Targumic literature (which, however, is late). Both there and in 2 Ti 3' we find the various reading 'Mambres' (or 'Mamre'). 'Jannes' is probably a corruption of 'Johannes' (John); 'Jambres' is almost certainly derived from a Semitic root meaning 'to oppose' (imperfect tense), the participle of which would give 'Mambres.' The names were even known to the heathen. Pliny the Elder (a.d. 23-79) mentions ' Moses, Jamnes (or Jannes), and Jotapes (or Lotapes)' as Jewish magicians (Hist. Nat. XXX. 1 ff.); thus 'Jannes,' at least, must have been a traditional name before the Christian era. Apuleius (c. A.D. 130) in his Apology speaks of Moses and Jannes as magicians; the Pythagorean Numenius(2nd cent, a.d.), according to Origen (c. Cds. iv. 51), related ' the account respecting Moses and Jannes and Jambres,' and Eusebius gives the words of Numenius (Prwp. Ev. ix. 8). In his Commentary on Mt 27' (known only in a Latin trans-lation), Origen says that St. Paul is quoting from a book called ' Jannes and Mambres ' (sic). But Theodoret (Com. in loc.) declares that he is merely using the unwritten teaching of the Jews. Jannes and Jambres are also referred to in the Apocryphal Gospd of Nicodemus § 5 (4th or 5th cent, in its present form?), and in the Apostolic Constitutions, viii. 1 (c. a.d. 375). Later Jewish fancy ran wild on these names; according to some they were Balaam's sons; according to others they were drowned in the Red Sea; or they were put to death, either for inciting Aaron to make the Golden Calf or at a later stage of the history. A. J. Maclean.

JANOAH. — 1. A town in the northern mountains of NaphtaU, near Kedesh (2 K 15'"). It is probably the modern Yanuh. 2. A place on the border of Ephraim (Jos 16^- '); situated where the present YanUn now stands, with the supposed tomb of Nun.

JAPHETH (Heb. Yepheth).—!. One of the sons of Noah. The meaning of the name is quite uncertain. In Gn 92' there is a play on the name — ' May God make wide (yapht) for Yepheth [i.e. make room for him], that he may dwell in the tents of Shem.' The peoples connected with Japheth (10'-<) occupy the northern portion of the known world, and include the Madai (Medes) on the E. of Assyria, Javan (lonians, i.e. Greeks) on the W. coast and islands of Asia Minor, and Tarshish (Tartessus) on the W. coast of Spain. On the two traditions respecting the sons of Noah see Ham. 2. An unknown locality mentioned in Jth 226.

A. H. M'Neile.

JAPHIA. — 1. King of Lachish, defeated and slain by Joshua (Jos ICB). 2. One of David's sons born at Jerusalem (2 S Bi'^-^", 1 Ch S'-s 141-'). 3. A town on