{b) Abydenus's ofJJJyria.kc^ Eufebiiis has preferved the Place in the Ninth Book of his Preparation, Chz^^. 12. ^nd Cyril in his Firft Book againft Julian. ** After whom reigned many ** others, and then Sifithrus^ *' to whom Saturn fignified *' there ftiould be an abun- " dance of Rain on the fif- " teenth Day of the Month ** DefuSf and commanded him *' to lay up all his Writings ** in Heliopolis, a. City of the *' Sipparians; which when ** Sijithnis had done, he failed ** immediately into Armenia, •' and found it true as the God *'■ had declared to him. On ** the third Day after the Wa- " tcrs abated, he fent out ** Birds to try if the Water was ** gone oft" any Part of the " Earth; but they finding a *• vaft Sea, and having no •* where to reft, returned back *' to Siftthrus: In the fame " manner did others: And ** again the third Time, (when " their Of the Truth of Bodk I.
*» their Wings were daubed *' with Mud.) Then the Gods *' took him from among Men j ** and the Ship came into Jr- " menia^ the Wood of which *• the people there ufe for a *' Charm." 5jF/?//^^«fandOav^^j,' and Deucalion, are all Names fignifying the fame Thing in other Languages, as AW^does in the Hebre^ji\ in which Mofes wrote; who fo exprefled proper Names, that the Hebteivs might underlland the Meaning of them: For Inltance, Alexo.nder the Hiftorian, writing Ifaac in Greek, calls him le-Ku->]cf., Laughter^ as we learn from Eufebtus; and many fuch like, we meet with among the Hiitorians; as in Philo concerning Rewards and Punifhments; *' The Greeks call him Deuca- •' liotiy the Chaldeans Noach, *' in vvhofe Time the great *' Flood happened." It is the Tradition of the Egyptians, as Diodorus teftifies in his Firft Book, that the univerfal Deluge was that of Deucalion. Pliny fays it reached as far as Italy. Book III. Chap. 14. But to return to the Tranflation of Names into other Languages, there is a remarkable Place inPlato^s Critiasconcerning it: " Upon the Entrance •' of this Difcourfe, it may be ** neceiTary (fays he) to pre-** mife the Reafcn, left you *• be furprized when you hear ** the Names of Barbarians in *' Greek When Solon put this *' Relation into Verfe, he •* enquired into the Signi- •* fication of the Names, and *' found, that the firft Egyp- •* tians, who wrote of thefe *• Matters, tranflated them •* into their own Language; ** and hclikewife fearchingout *' their true Meaning, turned *' ihem into our Language." The Words of Ahydenus agree with thofe of Alexand'^r the Hiftorian, which Cyril has preferved in his forementioned Firft Book againft Julian i *' After the Death of *' Otiartes, his Son Xifuthrui ** reigned eighteen Years; in ** whofe Time, they fay, the *' great Deluge was. It is re-*' ported that Xifuthrtts was *' preferved by Saturn s fore-*' telling him what was to " come; and that it was con- *' venient for him to build an " Ark, that Birds and creep- " ing Things, and Beafts " might fail with him in it" The moft High God is named by the JJJyriam, and other Nations, from that particular Star of the Seven (to ufe Tacitus^h Words) by which Mankind are governed, which li moved in the higheft Orb, and with the greateft Force: Of certainly the Syriack Word, ^'N 11, which fignifies God, was therefore tranflated Kpof^ Kronos, by the Greek Interpreters, becaufe he was called b'K // by the Syrians, Philo Bibliuf, the Interpreter of Sanchuniathon, hath thefe Words; Ilus, n.x:ho is called Saturn. He isquoted by Eufebius: In whom it immediately follows from the fame Pbilo, That Kronos nvasthe fame theVh2emz\-^n^ call Ifrael j but the miftake was in theTranfcriber, whoput 'Icj^ et- •,\K Ifrael, for i A //, which many times amongft the Greek Chriftians Sedl. i6. the Chrijli an Religion, 49 Ajjyria^ {a) who mentions the Dove that was fent out of the Ark; and in Plutarch from the Creeks; [b) and in LuciaHy who fays, that in Hierapolis of Syria^ ftians is the Contra6lion of'Ifjf «wA; whereas i A is, as we have obferved, what the Syrians call!?\S //, and the Hebrews ^K El. [It ought not to be overlooked, that in this Hillory, Deucaliofiy who was the fame Perfon as Noah, is called d-^]^ ^vppcti, that is, nDli< ly^^< a Man of the Earth, that is, a Hiijband-man. See my Notes upon Gen. ix. 20. I^ C/erc] {a) Whd mentions the Do've, ^c] In his Book where he enquires which have moft Cunning, Water or Land Animals: " They fay Deucalion s Dove, ** which he fent out of the •' Ark, difcovered at its Re- ** turn, that the Storms were ** abated, and the Heavens *• clear.'* It is to be obferved, both in this place oiP/utarch's, and in that oi Alexander the Hiftorian, as well as in the Book of Nicolaits DamafcenuSy and the Writers made ufe of by Theophilus Autiochenus in his Third Book, that the Greek Word Ai^^e^^S Z^^r^aAr, an fwers to the Hebre^v Word nnn ^Tehah, and fo Jofephus tranflates it.
(^) And in Lucian^ &c.] In his Book concerning the God- ^t(soi Syria, where having begun to treat of the very antient I'emple ofHierapo/is, he adds: *• they fay this Temple was ** founded by Beuca/ion the ** Scythian, that Deucalion, '* in whofe Days the Flood of " Water happened. I have ** heard in Greece the Story of " this Deucalion from the f Greeks themfelves, which is " thus: The prefent Genera- ** tion of Men is not the Ori- " ginal one, for all that Gene- *' ration perirtied j and the " Men which now are, came *' from a fecond Stock, -the " whole Multitude of them " defcending from Deucalion. " Now concerning the firlt ** race of Men, they relate *' thus: They were very ob- " ftinate, and did very wicked ** Things; and had no Regard " toOaths, had no Hofpitality ** or Charity in them; upon *' which Account many Cala- " mities befel them. For on •* a fudden the Earth fent •* forth abundance of Water, ** great Showers of Rain fell, *' the Rivers oveiflowed ex- " ceedingly, and the Sea over- *• fpread the Earth, fo that all ** was turned into Water, and " every Man periCied; Deu- ** calion was only faved ^live, ** to raife up another Genera- ** tion, becaufe of his Prudence '• and Piety. And he was *' preferved in this Manner; *' He and his Wives and his *' Children entered into a large " Ark, which he h?.d prepa- ** r^di; and after them went in *' Bear?, and Horfes, and Lions, " and Serpents, and all other E *' Kinds jo of the Truth of Book I.
Syria^ there was remaining a mofl: antient Hiftory of the Ark, and of the preferving a few not only of Mankind, but alfo of other hving Creatures. The fame Hiftory was extant alfo in {u) Molo and in {h) Nicolaus Damafcenus; which latter names the Ark, ** kinds of living Creatures ** that h^A upon the Earth, *' two and two; he received *• them all in, neither did they *' hurt him, but were very ** familiar with him, by a di- *' vine Influence. Thus they " failed in the fame Ark, as *' long as the Water remained ** on the Eirth: This is the *• Account the Greeks give of *' Deucalion Now concern- *' ing what happened after- ** wards; There was a ftrange ** Story related by the Inha- " bitants of Hierapolis, of a " great Hole in the Earth, in ** thatCoantry, whichreceived *' all the Water; after which *' Deucalion built an Altar, and " reared a Temple to Juno, ** over the Hole. I faw the " Hole myfelf; it is but a ** fmali one, under the Tem- *' pie; whether it was brger '* formerly, I know not; I *' am fure this which I faw, •* was but fraall. To pre- •* ferve this Story, they '• perform this Ceremony; •' Twice every Year Water is ** brought from the Sea into *' the 'I emple; and not only *' the Prlelts, but all the Peo- ** pie of Syria and Arabia •* fetch it; many go even from •' the River Euphrates, as far •* as the Sea to fetch Water, •• which thty pour out in the " Temple, and it goes into '* the Hole, which, though *'^it be but fmall, holds a vaft ** Quantity of Water: When *' they do this, they fay it was *' a Rite inftituted by Deuca- '* lion, in Memory of that Ca- ** lamity, and his Prefervation. ** This is the antient Story of *' this Temple."
[a] In Molo, &C.] Eufebius. relates his Words in his Ninth Book oi i\itGofpel Preparation f Chap. 19. •' At the Deluge, •' the Man and his Children " that efcaped, came out of ** Armenia, being driven from ** his own Country by the In- ** habitants, and having paffed " through the Country be- *' tween, went into the moun- •• tainous Part oi Syria, which *• was then uninhabited.'* {b) NicolausDamafienus iScQ.'\ "jcfephus gives us his Words, out of the Ninety-fixthBook of his Univerfal Hijlory, in the fore-cited Place; *' There is ** above the City Minyas, ** (which Strabo and Fliny call *' Milyas) a huge Mountain in *' Arinenia, called Batis, on " Vv'hich they fay a great many ** were faved from the Flood, *' particularly One who was *' carried to the Top of it by ** an Ark; the Pvcliques of the *' Wood of which was pre- ** ferved a great while: I ** believe Sed; i6o the Chnjlian Religion. 51 Ark, which we alfo find in the Hiftory of Deucalion in Apollo dorus: And many Spaniards affirm ^ that in feveral (a) Parts of America, as Cuba, Methoacantty Nicaraga, is preferved the Memory of the Deluge, the faving ahve of Animals, efpecially the Raven and Dove -, and the Deluge itfelf in that Part called Golden Caftile. {h) That Remark of Pliny^s, that Jcppa was built before the Flood, difcovers what Part of the Earth Men inhabited before the Flood. The Place where the Ark reded after the Deluge {c) on the Gordy.^an Mountains, is evident from the conftant Tradition of the Armenians from all paft Ages down {d) to this very '* believe it was the fame Man " that Mofss the Lawgiver of ** the Je-vos mentions in his «* Hiftory." To thefe Writers we may add Jerofn^ the Egyptian, who wrote the Affairs of Phirnicia and Mfiafeas, mentioned by Jofephus. And perhaps Eupolemus, which Eufebius(\\iOiQS out of Alexander the Hiftorian, in his Go/pel Preparation, Book IX. Chap.
{a) Parts cf America, &c.] See Jofephus Acojia, and Antohius Herrera.
{b) That Remark of Plinfs, ia and Solinus^gxet with Pliny. Compare it with that which w6 have quoted out oiAhydenus.
[c] On the Gordyean MoiW' hins, Sec] Which Mofes calls Ararath, the Chaldean Inter - preters tranflate it Kardu; fofephuSy Cardigan; Cortius, Cordfcan; Strabo writes it Gordi^ean^ BookXVI. and Pliny, Book Yl. and Ptolenta;us. (Thefe, and what follows in relation to the facred Geegraphy and the Founders of Nations, fmce thefe cfGrotius were publifhed, are with great Pains and much more Accuracy fearched into, by Sam. BocBart in his Sacred Geography, which add Weight to Grotlus''i Arguments. Le Clerc ) [d] To this 'very Day, Src] Theophilus Antiochenus fays, in his Third Book, that the Reliques of the Ark were ihewn in his Tim'6 And 'Epiphanius againft the Nazarites; TheRe^ liques 0/ Noah' J Ark arefhe<wn at this Tims, in theRegion of the Cordiagans: hwdChryfoJiom'm his Oration of Perfeft Love. And Ifidore, Book XIV. Chap. 8. of his Antiquities ** Ara- ** rath, a Mountain in Arme- ^'nia, on which Piifcories te- " ftify the Ark refted after the *' Deluge; where at this Day ** are to be feen Tome Marks *'of 52 Of the Truth of Book I.
very Day. {a) Japhet^ the Father of the Europeans^ and from him, Jon^ or, as they formerly pronounced it, {b) Javon of the Greeks^ and (f) Hammon of the Africans, are Names to be feen in Mofes (d) and Jofephus and others obferve the like Footfteps •' of the Wood.'* We may add the Words out oi Haiton the Armenian i Ch. 9. ** There *' is a Mountain in Armenia^ ** higher than any other in the *' whole World, which is ** commonly called Arar&th, ** on the Top of which Moun- •^ tain the Ark firft refted after ** the Deluge." See the Nubian Geographer, and Benjamin's Itinerary, (a) Japhety &c ] It is the very fame Word HD^ Japheth; for the fame Letter D is by fome pronounced lik tt />, by others ^ ph; and the like Difference is now preferved among the Germans and Dutch, yerom upon Daniel^ has obferved this of the Hebreiu Letter.
{d) Javon, Sec ] For }itjf??, iaonesy is often found amongft the antient Writers. The Per- Jian in AriJlophanes\ Play, called Acharnenfes, pronounces it ]AOVctV.iaonan. Now it was a be wrote by a F, formerly thus F. In like Manner that which WcLs'dveoi auos, isnowctcy^ aos^ and ridi eos, retvco^ tanosy Ta.co<; taosy a Peacock; T«f*F.AAj)fct? KOLhiiO-iv \£LVVa.^ the Greeks arc called iaunasy Saidaa.
(r) Hammon y &c.] For the Greeks fometimes render the Hebrenv Letter PT Cheth by an Afpirate, -and fometimes omit it; as DID'") ITT Chatzarmuth, 'AS'fAy.vr^t®^ Adrajnyttosy or '^A'^^a.(j.uT']o<; Hadramyttos: mDDn Chachmoth, d')^f/.oiS Achmuth in Ir en feus and others: niDn Chabrah, a Compani on ^hy thQ2i.r\utntG reeks kC^ct abra; T\*\l Chajahy ci]c^v aiony an Age. r\ir\ Hanno or Anno; '^yn'On Hannibal or Annihai, Vj/nnt^n Hafdrubal or Afdrubal', tZD^Ii^n Cafiim, A^KUiTc/i axoumitai j for <yi' 077 is a G;vf(^ ending. This Perfon is transformed not only by the Lybians, but alfo by many other Nations, into the Star Jupiter y as a God, Lucan, Book IX.
very antient Cultom to put a Vigamma between two Vowels, which afterwards began to Jupiter Ammon is the only God Amongfi tbe happy Arabs, and amongjl 7he Indians and./Ethiopians. And the facred Scripture puts Words, Tr(^m nvhomy Egypt, at Egypt amongft them, P/alm 22. Jeromy in his Hehrenx) traditions on Genejis, has thefe //'/■/ fvery Day, is called the Country (7/"Ham, in the Egyptian Language.
[d) And Jofephus and others y Se6l. 16. the Chrifdan Religion. 53 Footfteps in the Names of other Places and Nations.
&c.] He fays, Tofxaq'Ti^ GomareiSf the Galatians, is derived from *nD^ Gomar, where Pliny s Town i omara is. The People of Comara we find in the Firft Book of Mela. The Scythians are derived fromJUD ]\1agogy by whom the City^'ryihopolii in Syria, was built, and the other City Magog; Plinyy BookV. Chap. 23. which is called by others Hierapolis and Bambyce. It is evident that the Medes are derived from ♦TD Medi; and as we have already ohi^rvt^jjauonesyyaones^ Jones, from ^?^ "Javen^ Jofephus fays, the Iberians in JJia come from b^r\ Thsbal, ill the Neighbourhood of whom Ptolemy places the City of Thabaly as preferving the Marks of its ancient Original, The City Mazaca, mentioned by him, comes from "Jli'D ^'!a' fach, which we find in Strahoy Book XII. and in Plinyy Book VI. 3. and in Ammianiis Marcellinus. Book XX. Add to this the Mofchi mentioned by Straloy Book, XI. and in the Firft and Third Book of MeUy whom Pliny calls Mofcheniy Book VI. Chap 9. and we find in them and Pliny, the Mofchican Mountains. Jofephus and others agree, that the Thracians were derived from Dl'D lirasy and the Word itfelf ihews it; efpeciaily if we obferve, that the Greek Letter ^ X at firft anfvvered to the Syri^ ack Letter D/, as the Place of it fhews. Concerning thofe that are derived from rinii'K Afchanaz, the Place is corrupt in Jofephus; but without doubt Afcaniay a Part of Phrygia and Myfia, mentioned in Homer, comes from thence; concerning which fee Straboy Book XII. and Plinyy Book V. Ch. 32. Th.Q Afcanian Lake, and the River flowing from it, we find in Strabo, Book XIV. and in Pliny^z forecited Fifth Book, Ch. 32. The Afcanian Harbour is in Pliny, Book V. Ch. 30. and the Afcanian Iflands alfo. Book IV Chap. 12. and and Book V. Chap. 31. Jo^ fephus fays, the Paphlagonians are derived from DDn 7?/- phathy by fome called Riphat^ansy where Mela in his Firft Book puts xkiQ Riphacians. The fame Jofephus tells us, that ihe hoK^lc aioleis come from ni^''Sx Alifhah; and the Jerufulem Paraphraft agrees with him, in naming the Greeks, JEolians; putting the Part for the Whole; nor is it much unlike Hella, the Name of the Country. The fame Jofephus alfo fays, that the Cicilians are derived from li'^IZ/")]! Tarfhijh, and proves it from the City Tarfus'y for it happens in many Places, that the Names of the People are derived from the Names of Cities. We have before hinted, that Khltoi' Kit^ tiotty is derived from CDiriD Chitim. The Ethiopians are called Chufaans by themfelvQS 54 'Of the 7ruth of Book L tions. And which of the Poets is it, in which we dp and their Neighbours, from ti-lD Cujh, now; as Jojephus obferved they were in his 1 ime; from whence there is a RJver (b called by Vtolemy; and in t\it Arabian Geographer, there Bre two Cities, which retain the fame Name. So likevvife M/cr.i'p in Philo Biblius is derived from CD^ni'D Mitzram; thofe which the Greeks call Egyptiansy being caljed by themfelves and their Neighbours Mefori; and the Name of one of their Months isMsor/fi Me- Jlri. Cedrenus calls the Country itfelf Mi^c-rf, and Jofephus rightly conjedlures, that the River in Mauritania is derived from DID Phut. Pliny men-" tions the fame River, Book V.
Chap I. Phut, and the Neighbouring Phutenfian Country, is fo called to this Day. yerom in his i/^i^rifxu Traditions on Gensfis, fays, it is rot far from Fefa^ theN ame remamingeven now The |>'3D Chcnaan in Mofe contracted by Sanchuniathon, and from him by Philo Biblius^ into Xt'7 Chfia, you will find it in £i*,'^c'/«i''s Preparation, Book I Ch lo. and the Country is called fo. Stephanus, of Ci tie?, .fays, Chna Kvas fo called by the Phccnicians. And vSt Aitftin m his Book of iWpofitionsdn fhe Epiftle to the Romans, fays; in his Time, if the Country People that lived at Hippo were a{ked who they were, they anfwered Canaanites. And in that place of Eupolernvs, cited \>y Eujthius, Fr.Tpar^lX, 17, the Canaanites are called Me- Jiraimites Ptolome-f^Regemava. Arabia Felix is derived from HD}/") Raamahy by changing V into y g, as in Gomorrah anj other Words. JoJ'ephus deduces the Sabins from KHD Saba, a known Nation, whofe chief City Strabo fays, Book XVI. was Sabat where "Jofephus places the Sabateni, from nnnD Sabatah; there Pliny places the City Sobotale, Book VI. Chap. 28 The Word tm^ZVh Lehabim, is not much different from the Name of the lybians; nor the Word tID»nriD3 Nephnthim froni Nepata, a City of Ethiopi.a^ mentioned by Pliny, Book VI. Chap 29. Nor Ptoleiny\ Nepata; or the Pharuft in Pliny, BookV. Ch. 8. from CD-i:/D Phatfrafim, the fame as Ptolemy"* s Phaiirufians in Ethiopia.. 7'hs City Sidon, famous in all Poets and Hitlorians, comes from i"T*K Tzidon, And P/clemy'^s Town Gorafa, from ^li''^'^:! Gergafhi; And Area, a City of the Phoenicians, mentioned by Ptolemy and Pliny, Book V. Chap. 18. from 'pnj^ Arid. And Aradus, an Ifland mentioned in^/r^^i?. BookXVI. and P//wr, Book V. Chap. 20. and Ptolemy in Syria, from ^Tni< Arodii and Am at has of Arabia, mentioned by Herodotus in his Euterpe and Thalia, from >nDn Hamathi ', and the Elymites, Neighbours to the AW^j, from iz:^'i^ ^^//w, mentioned by Strabo, Book XVI.
Sea. 1 6. the Chrijlian Religion. 55 XVI.?liny, Bopk V. Ch. 26. Ian, are reprefented by the and Un}y, Book XXXVH Their Defcendants in Phrygia are called^^//z//^iby Atherifeus Book IV. Every one knows, that the Ajfyrians are derived from "Titi'K Ajljur^ as the Lydians are from "11 V LW; from whence comes the Latin Word ludi Thofe which by the Creeks are called Syrians, from the City "ITK T^ur, are called ^' amitesio this Day fromCDIX >fV^2z^; For If /z, is fometimes tranllated 7 /» and fometimes cr/; whence the City "ilKTzwr, which the GrffXv call 'T^t^, is by Enniiis called Sarra, and by others ^z'wrt and Tina, Strabo, Book XVI. towards the end: The Poet 7}ientions />?»^Arimites, fiihofn Poffidonius 'vcould ha-ve Ks to under (land, not to he any Part of Syria, or Cilicia, or c.ny other Country, but Syria itjelf. And again. Book XIII. Some mean Syrians ^y Arimites, nvhom they noifj call Aramites. And in the Firft Book, For thofe nue /-^//Syrians, are by themfel'ves en lied hrv^mucs. The Country A.tfarAtls, mentioned by the Seventy in Job, is derived from \"\T\ Hutx Ari-Ji.-cus calls it Aujlias. And the City Choi la, placed by Ptolemy in Syria, from bin Choi; and the City Gindarus in Ptolemy, from "inj Geher; and the Gindaren People in Pliny, Book V. the Mountain Majtus, ngt far from Nifibus, mentioned by Strabo, Book XI. and Ptolemy in Mefopotamia,h derived from TD Majh. The Names 10p» Joktan, and mn-ii»M ilatzoramuth, and \b^Jl He- ./^ra^//z«Oeographers,underthe Name? oi Baljatjaktan,Hadra' muth, and Chaulan, as the learned C«/!^//obferves. The' River Ophar, and the People called Opharites, near Mceotis, Pliny,Book VI. 7. if I miftake not, retain the Name ")D1i< Ophar i and thofe Cities, which Mo/es mentions in this Place, appear to be the mod ancient, by comparing of Authors. Every one knows from whence Babylon is derived. "]")K A' rach is Aracca, placed by Ptolemy in Sujiana; from whence come the Arac^an Fields, in Tibullus, as the famous Salma-Jius, a Man of vafl Reading, obferves. Acabene, a Corruption Q^Acadene, is derived from 1DK Achad, as is probably conjeiSlured by Francifcus Junius, a diligent Interpreter of Scripture, who has obferved many of thofe Tilings we have been fpeaking of n:^D Chalnah is the Town Caunifus on the River Euphrates, whofe ^Z-me Ammianus tells us in his Twenty-third Book, continued to his time. The Land ^V^^ SenaaVi is the Babylonian Senna as ^ in H^ftiaus Mile/us^ which Place Jofephus has preferved in his ancient Hiftory, Book I. Chap. 7. and in his Chrenicon; as has Eufebins in his Preparation. He wrote the Affairs of Phanicia; whom alfo Stephens h-^d read. Again J? being changed into y, gt Ptolemy from hence calls the Mountain Singarus in Mefopotamia. And Pliny mentions the Town Singara, Book V. Chap. 24. and hence the 5/;?- E 4 garanaav 56 Of the "Truth of Book I.
do not find mention made of the {a) Attempt to climb garanaan Country in Sextus Rufus^ m3*3 Nine-veh is undoubtedly the Ninos of the Greeks contraiSled; thus Sardanafaliiis Epitaph.
Ill / ivho great Ninus ruPd, am nanjo but Duji.
The fame Name we find in Theognis'iiXi^Strahoi'^QtQV. XVI. and Pliny, Book XI. Cb- 13. whofe V/ords are thefe. Ninus *was built upon the Ri'ver Tygris, tonvards the Wejly a beautiful City to behold. Luc an ^ Book III. Happy Ninus, as Fame goes. The Country Calachena has its Name from the principal City n^D Chala: Straboy Book XI and afterwards, in the Beginning of Book XVI. ]D-) Re/in is Re-Jaina vaAmmianus ^QoVYt^WX. SidoH every one knows, mj/ A'x.'zah is without doubt rendered Gaxa in Palejiine, by changing as before, the Letter y into y, g: It is inentioned by Strabo, Book XVI. and Mela, Book I. who calls it a large and well fortified Town; and Pliny, Book XV. Ch. 13. and Book VI Chap. 28. and elfewhere. iT^Dp Sephirah^ is Heliopolis, a cii/ of the Sipparians, in that place of u^/^j-^;/^-nus, now quoted. Sippara is by Ptolemy placed in Mejopotamia, niN Ur is the CalUe Ur, mentioned hy A?nmianusy Book XXV. pn Caran is Carra, famous for the Slaughter of the CraJ/^.
(a) The Attempt to climb the Hea'venSf &c.] See Homer, Odyf. 30. and Ovid's Metamorphojlsy Book I.
The Giants, by Report, tjoould Hea'ven have Jiorm^d.
Sep alfo VirgiVz firll Georgick, arid Lucan, Book VII. It is a frequent way of fpeaking amongft all Nations, to call th.ofe Things which are raifed above the common Height, ^Things reaching to Heaven, as we often find in Homer, and Deut.i, 29. and IX.i.Jo/ephus qijotes one of the Sibyls, 1 know not which, concerning the unaccountable Building of that Tower; the Words are thefe: " When all Men fpoke ♦* the fame Language, fome J? of them built a va^ high *' Tower, as if they would ** afcend up into Heaven; but ** the Gods fent a V/ind, and " overthrew the Tower, and ** affigned to each a particular ** Language, and from hence " the City Babylon was fo " called." And Eufebius, in his Preparation, Book IX. Ch. 1 4. Cyril, Book I. againfl Julian, quotes thefe Words out Q^ Jbydenus: " Some fay, thaC *' the firll Men, who fprang ** out of the Earth, grew ** proud upon their great *• Strength an4 Bulk, and ** boalle^ Seft. 1 6. the Chrijiian Religion. 57 *« boafted that they could do *' more than the Gods, and at- •* tempted to build a Tower, '* where Babylon now Hands; ** but when it came nigh the '* Heavens, it was overthrown *^ upon them by the Gods, •• withthe Help of the Winds; *• and the Ruins are called Ba- «* by Ion. Men 'till then had ** but one Language, but the «* Gods divided it, and then '* began the War betwixt 5"^- •* turn and Titan.'''' It is a falfe Tradition of the Greeks, that Babylon was built by Semiratnisy as Berofus tells us in his Chaldaicks, and Jofephus in his Firft Book againft^/>/(?^z; and the fame Error is refuted by Julius Firmicus out of Philo BibliuSf and Dor ot bens Siaonius, See alfo what Eufebius produces, out of EupolemuSy concerning the Giants and the Tower, in his Gofpcl Preparat, Bo*ok XX. Chap. 17.
[a] Diodorus SiculuSj &C.] Book XIX. where he defcribes the Lake Afphaltitis: " The *' neighbouring Country burns ** with Fire, the ill Smell of *• which niakestheBodiesof the " Inhabitants fickly, and not ** very long-lived-*' (Seem^ "^ of this in our DiJ/ertation added to the Fentateuchy concerning the Burning of Zq- {b)Straba,SiZ.'\ Book XVL after theDefcription of the Lake Afphaltitis: *' There are many •* Signs of this Country's be- *' ing on Fire i for about Ma- " fada they (how many cragged *' and burnt Rocks, and inma- ** ny Places Caverns eaten in, ** andGround turned into Alhes, '* drops of Pitch falling from *' the Rocks, and running Wa- " ters {linking to a great Di- *' ftance, and their Habitations ** overthrown; which makes ** credible a Report amongft ** the Inhabitants, that former- ** ly there was thirteen Cities " inhabited there, the chief of •• which was Sodomy fo large as " to be fixty Furlongs round; ** but by Earthquakes and Fire ** breaking out, and by hot ** Waters mixed with Bitumen ** and Brimftone, it became a ** Lake, as we now fee it; " the Rocks took Fire, fome " of the Cities were fwal- " lowed up, and others for- ** faken by thofe Inhabitants " that could flee away.'* [c] Tacitus, &c.] In the Fifth Book of his Hiftory: ** Not far from thence, are ** thofe Fields, which are re- " ported to have been former- ** ly \Qry fruitful, and had *' large Cities built in them, " but they were burnt by " Lightning; the Marks of " which remain; in that the '* Land is of a burning Na- ** ture, and has loll its Fruit- ^rfulnefs. For every thing *^ that is planted, or grows of ** itfelf, as foon as it is come ** to an Herb or Flower, or " grown to its proper Bignefs, " vanifhes like Duft into nc- *« thing,".
58 Of the Truth of Book I.
J'acitus^ (a) Pliny^ (J?) Solinus fpeak of the of Sodom. (c) HerodotuSy Biodo- Burning rus.
{a) Pliny, &c.] He defcribes the Lake Afphaltitis, Book V. Chap. 16. and Book XXXV. Chap. 15.
{h) Solitius, &c.] In the 36th Chap, of Salmanus^ Edition: •' At a goodDiftance homje- **■ rufalem, a difmal Lake ex- *' tends itfelf, which was ftruck *' by Lightning, as appears from *• the black Earth burnt tq *' Alhes. There were tvvp " Towns there, one called *' Sodom, the other Gomorrah; ** the Apples that grow there, ** cannot be eaten, though " they look as if they were " ripe J for the outward Skin " inclofesakindcffootyAflies, •' which preffed by the leafi: *• Touch, flies out in Smoke, ■* and vanifnes into fine Duft.'* [i) Herodotus^ &c.] With fome little Millake. TheWords are in his Euterpe: •* Original- "•* Jy only the Colckia?is, and ** Egypt ianSf and Ethiopians ** v;ere circu-mcifed. For the ** Pcov?iicia/is tivA Syriarzs in •* Palefiiney COiifefs they learn- *■'- cdhfrothiheE^^ypiians And .** the Syrians Who dwell at ** Jhermoddon^ and on i\ie Far- ** ihenian River, and the ]V!a- ** cons their Neighbours, fay, '^ tiiey learnt it of the Cohhi- •* am. For thefe are the only •• Men ti»at are circunricifed, •' and in this particular agree *" with the Egyptians But " concerning the Ethiopians *' ^v^^Egyplians^ I caiinoulfirm •* pofitively, which learned it " of the other." Jofephus rightly obferves, that none were circumcifed in Pal^jiine Syria biit the Jeivsi in the Eighth Book, Ch. 14. ofhisancientHiilory, and Firfl Book againft Appion. Concerning which yenvSy "Juvenal fays, They take off their Forejkih; and Tacitus, That they injiituted circumcifing themfel-TjeSj that they might be knonvn by fuch dijlinhion: See Strabo, Book XVIL But the y^-xt/iare fo far fromconfeffing, that they derived this Cuftom from the Egyptians^ that, on the contrary, they openly declare, that the Egyptians learnt to be circumcifed of Jofeph, Neither were all the Egyptians circumcifed, as all the Je^s were, as we may fee from the Example of Appion, who was an Egyptian, in Jofephus. Herodotus, undoubtedly put the Phcsnicians for the Iduma^ans % as Arifiophanes^QQ% in his Play, called the Birds, where he calls the Egyptians and Pha:ni^ cianSf The Circumcifed Ammonius, of the Difference of Words, fays, The Idumacans nicere not originally Jews, but Phoenicians «;?d' Syrians Thpfe Ethiopians which were circumcifed, were of the Pofterity of Keturah, as (hull be obferved afterwards. The Colchians and their Neighbours, were of the. Ten Tribes thiit Salmanafar carried away, and from thence fome Seft. 1 6. the Chrijiian Religion, tfg rus (a), Straho {b\ Philo Bihlius {c), teftify the ancient Cuftom of Circumcifion, which is confirmed by thofe Nations {d) defcended from Abra-^ ham^ not only Hebrews^ but alfo {e) Idtimaans^ IJmaeliteSy ibme came into Thrace. Thus the Scholiaft on Arijlophanes''^ A(. harnenfesy fays, That the Nation of the Odomants, is the fame as the Thracians; they are f aid to ^(? Jews. Where, by y<?wj, are to be underftood, improperly, Hebren.vs, as is ufual. From the Ethiopians, Circumcifion went crofs the Sea into the New World, if it be.true what is faid of that Rite's being found in many Places of thatWorld. (The Learned difpute whether Circumcifion was inftituted firfi: amongft the Egyptians Or amongft the Jeivs, concerning which fee my Notes upon Ger.ef. XVII. 30. LeClerc) [a] Diodorusy &C.] Book I. ,of the Colchians: ** That this Nation fprang from the E- Now fince the Hehrenvs were of old circumcifed j it no more follows from the Colchians being ciicumcifed, that they fprang from the Egypt i an Sy than that they fprang from the • Hebrenvsy as we affirm they did. He tells us, Book III. that the Troglodites were circumcifed, who were a Part of the Ethiopians.
{h) Strabo, &c.] Book XVr. concerning the Troglodites: Sofne of thefe are circumcifedy like the Egyptians. In the fame Book he afcribes Circumcifion to the Jeivs, [c] Philo Biblius, Sec.'] In the Fable of Saturn, in Eufehius^ Book I. Chap. 10.
[d] Defcended from Abraham^ &c.] To which Abraham, that the Precept of Circumcifion, was firft of all given, Theodorus tells us in his Poem upon the Jeivs i out of which Eufebius has preferved thefe Verfes in his Gofpel Preparation^ Book *' gyptians\2iV)'r)t\iri from hence, ** that they are circumcifed af- •* ter the manner of the Egyp- •* tians } which Cuftom re- •♦ mains amongft this Colony, *' as it does amongft they^ivj.'* He nvhofrom Home the righteous Abraham brought. Commanded him and all his Houfe, <with Knife To circumcife their Forefkin. He obeyed, {e) Idumi^ans,SiC.']^oc2l\edi from Efai\ who is called Over'^--oi OufoQs, by Philo Bihlius, His other Name was Edom^ which the Greeks tranllated " E J' 1/8^" h' Eruthrant fromvv hence comes the Erythr^an Sea, becaufe the ancient Dominions of Efau^nA his Pofterity extended fo far. They who are ignorant of their Original, confound them, as we cbferved, with the 6o Of the Truth of Book I.
Jfmaelites (^), and others (^). The Hiftory of Ahrahaniy {hePhceniciafis. u4mmonius fays, the Idumaans were circumcifed; and fo does JuJIin, in his Dialogue with Trypho; and Epiphanius againft i]\&Ebionites. Part of thefe were Homerites, who, Epiphanius againft the Ehionites tells us, were circumcifed in his Time.
[a] Ifniaelites, &c.] Thefe were circumcifed of old, but on the fame Year of their Age as Ifmael. yofephus Book [.
Ch. 12 and 13. J Child nxjas horn to them, (viz. Abraham and Sarah) <when they ivere both 'Very oldy vjhich they circuMcifed on the Eighth Day; js, to circumcife after fo many Days. But the Arabians defer it 'Thirteen Tears; for Ifmael, ihe Father of that Nation y nvho nvas the Child of Abraham by his Concubine, nvas circumcifed at that Age. Thus Origen in his excellent Difcourfe againft Fate, which is extant in Eufe- And in the Greek Colleftion, whofe Title is (^/Ao^cstAta; *' I don't know how this ** can be defended, that •* there (hould be juft fuch a <* Pofition of the Stars, upon *' every one's Birth in Jud^a, ** that upon the Eighth Day •* they muft be circumcifed, " made fowe, wounded, lamed, ** and fo inflamed, that they •* wanttheHelpofaPhyfician, <* as foon as they come into •' the World. And that there «* jhould be fuch a Pofition of "the Stars to the Jfmaelites in *' Arabia, that they muft be •' all circumcifed when they ** are Thirteen Years old j for " fo it is reported of them.** Epiphanius, in his Difpute againft the Ebionites, rightly explains thefe Ifmaelites to be the Saracens; for the Saracens always obferved this Cuftom, and the Turh had it from them. {b) And others, &c.] Namely thofe that defcended from Keturah, concerning whom, there is a famous Place of Alexander the Hiftorian in fofephus. Book I. Ch. 16. which Eufehius quotes in his Gofpel Preparation, Book IX. Chap. 20. Cleodemus the Prophet, nvho is called Malchus, in his Relation of the Jews, gi'ves us the jame Hiflory as Mofes their Laivginjer, viz. *' That Abra-^ " ham had many Children by " Keturah, to three of which *' he gave the Names, Afer, " Affer, and Afra. AJfyria is *' fo called from Affer \ and *' from the other two, Afer *' and Afra, the City Afra " and the Country Africa is *' denominated. Thefe fought " with Hercules againft hybia ** and Antaeus. Then Hercu- ** les married his Daughter to " Afra: He had a Son" of *' her, whofe Name was Deo^ " dorus, of whom was born Sa- *^ phov, whence the Barba- '* rians are called Sophaces.^"* Here the other Names, through the Fault of the Tranfcribers, neither agree with Mofes, nor with Sed. 1 6. the Chrijiian Rcllgmi, 6i Jbraham^ IfaaCy Jacob and Jofeph, agreeable with Mofes^ {a) was extant of old in {b) Pbilo Biblius out of Sanchuniathon^ in (c) Berofus^ {d) Heeat^us^ (e) Damafcenus with the Books o^Jofephus and EufebiuSy as we have them now. But 'A;p^f, is undoubtedly the fame as ")Dj; jipher in Mofes. We are to underftand hy Hercules ^ not the Ihebean Hercules, but xHi^Phcsnician Hercules, much older, whom Vhilo Biblius mentions, quoted by Eufebius often, in the forementioned loth Chapter of the Firft Book of his Go/pel Preparation. This is that Hercules, who Sallujl fays in his JugurthineW2iXy brought his Army into Africa. So that we fee whence ihcjEihiopians, who were a great Part of the Africans, had their Circumcifion, which they had in Hero-4otus\ Time; and even now, thofc that are Chriftians retain it, not out of a Religious Neceflity, but out of Refped to fo antient a Cuftom.
{a) Was extant of old, &c.] Scaliger thinks that feveral things which Eufebius has prefer ved out of Philo Biblius, certainly relate to Abraham; fee himfelf in his Appendix to th.Q Emendation of Time. There is fome reafon to doubt of it. {b) Philo Biblius, Sec.'] How far we are to give Credit to Philo^sSanchuniathon, does not yet appear; for the very learned Henry Dod^ell, has rendred his Integrity very fufpicious, in his Englijh Difiertation on ^anchuniathon\ Phaznician fiiltoxy, publiihed at London, in the Year MDCLXXXI, tovvhofe Arguments we may add this; that in his Fragments, there is an abfurd Mixture of the Gods unknown to the Eajiern Grecians in the firll Times, with the Deities of the Phcenicians^ which the Streightnefs of Paper will not allow me to enlarge upon. Le Clerc.
{c) Berofus, &c.] Jofephus has preferved his Words in his antient Hiftory, Book I. Ch.8. In the Tenth Generation after the Flood, there nvas a Man a" tnongfl the Chaldaeans, ivho^as 'very Jujl and Great, and fought after Heavenly Things. Now it is evident from Reafon, that this ought to be referred to the Time of Abraham.
{d) Hecataus, &c.] He wrote a Book concerning^^r^ihani, which is now loll, but was extant in Jofephus'*^ Time. {e) Dav'.afcenus, &c.] iVifcolaus, that famous Man, who was the Friend o? Augujius and Herod, {omc of vvhofe Reliques were lately procured by that excellent Pcrfon, Nicholas Petrefuis', by whofc Death, Learning and Learned Men had a very great Lofs. The Words of this Nicolcius Damafcenus, Jofephus relates in the; forecited Place: *' Abraham reigned in ** Dumafcus, being a Stranger ** who came out of the. Land " of the Chaldeans, beyond ** Babylon-, and not long after, *• he and thofe that belonged 62 Of the Truth of Book 1 mafcenus^ {a) Art ap anus ^ Eupolemus^ 'DemetriUsi and partly (h) in the antient Writers of the Orphick Verfes •, and fomething of it is ftill extant in (c) Juftin^ out of Trogus Fompeius, ■ (d) By ahnoft all