and Medad were appointed by Moses among the seventy elders of Israel who were to assist in the government. Though not present in the general assembly, they were, notwithstanding, filled with the Spirit of God, equally with those who were in that assembly, and they began to prophesy in the camp. Joshua would have had Moses forbid them, but Moses replied, “Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that God would pour forth his Spirit upon them!” Numbers xi, 24–29.

ELDAD BEN MALCHI, also surnamed Ha-Dani, Abu-Dani, Daud-Ha-Dani, or the Danite, a Jewish traveller of the 9th century of the Christian era, chiefly interesting on account of the light (or darkness) which his writings throw on the question of the Lost Tribes. The date and place of his birth are not accurately known; but he was a native either of South Arabia or of Media. About 860 he set out with a companion to visit his Jewish brethren in Africa and Asia. Their vessel was wrecked, and they fell into the hands of cannibals; but Eldad was saved from the inhuman fate of his comrade, first by his leanness and afterwards by the opportune invasion of a neighbouring tribe. He spent four years with his new captors, was ransomed by a fellow-countryman, continued his journey as far, according to one interpretation of his story, as China, spent several years at Kairwan in Tunis, and died on a visit to Cordova in Spain. The work which goes under his name is written in Hebrew, and consists of six chapters, probably abbreviated from the original form of the narrative. It was first printed at Constantinople in 1518; and the same recension afterwards appeared at Venice in 1540 and 1605, and at Jessnitz in 1722. A Latin version by Genebrard was published at Paris in 1563, under the title of Eldad Dαnius de Judaeis clausis eorumque in Aelhiopia imperio, and was afterwards incorporated in the translator’s Chronographia Hebraeorum; a German version appeared at Prague in 1695, and another at Jessnitz in 1723. In 1838 M. Carmoly edited and translated a fuller recension which he had found in a MS. from the library of Eliezer Ben Hasan, forwarded to him by Daud Zabach of Morocco. Both forms are printed by Dr Jellinek in his Beth-Ila-Midrash, vols. ii. andiii., Leipsic, 1853-55. One of the ...