may perhaps be said, that these helps must be very precarious; as little trust can be reposed in writers who have blended and sophisticated whatever came to their hands: where the mixture is so general, that it is scarce possible, with the greatest attention, to distinguish truth from fable. It must be confessed, that the truth is much disguised; yet it is by no means effaced, and consequently may be still retrieved. I hope, in the course of my argument, that this has been abundantly shewn. To pass a proper judgment on the Grecian histories, we must look upon them collectively as a rich mine, wherein the ore lies deep, and is mixed with earth, and other base concretions. It is our business to sift and separate; and by refining to disengage it. This, by care and attention, is to be effected; and then what a fund of riches is to be obtained!

The last great event which I mentioned from the Mosaic account, was the dissipation of the Cuthites from Babel; from whence they were scattered over the face of the earth. This is an æra to be much observed: for at this period the sacred penman closes the general history of the world. What ensues relates to one family, and to a private dispensation. Of the nations of the earth, and their polities, nothing more occurs, excepting only as their history chances to be connected with that of the sons of Israel. We

must, therefore, have recourse to Gentile authority for a subsequent account. And, previously to this, we may from them obtain collateral evidence of the great events which had preceded, and which are mentioned by Moses. We learn from the poets, and all the more antient writers were poets, that there was a time when mankind lived a life of simplicity and virtue; that they had no laws; but were in a state of nature when pains and penalties were unknown. They were wonderfully blessed with longevity, and had a share of health and strength in proportion to their years. At last, there was a mighty falling off from this primitive simplicity, and a great change was effected in consequence of this failure. Men grew proud and unjust; jealousies prevailed, attended with a love of rule; which was followed with war and bloodshed. The chief person who began these innovations was Nimrod. The Greeks often call him Nebrod, and Nebros, and have preserved many oriental memorials concerning him and his apostasy, and concerning the tower, which he is supposed to have erected. He is described as a gigantic, daring personage; a contemner of every thing divine; and his associates are represented of a character equally enterprizing and daring. Abydenus, in his Assyrian Annals,

87

87

Εντι δε δι λεγωσι της πρώτης εκ γης ανασχοντας ρωμη

alludes to the insurrection of the sons of Chus, and to their great impiety. He also mentions the building of the tower, and confusion of tongues; and says, that the tower, analogous to the words of the Scripture, was carried up to heaven; but that the Gods ruined it by storms and whirlwinds, and frustrated the purpose for which it was designed; and overthrew it upon the heads of those who were employed in the work: that the ruins of it were called Babylon. Before this, there was but one language subsisting among men but now they had, when, a manifold sound, or utterance. A war soon after ensued between Cronus and Titan. He repeats, that the particular spot, where the tower stood, was in his time called Babylon. It was so

88

μεγεθει χαυνωθεντας, και δη θεων καταφρονήσαντας αμεινονας είναι, πυργων τυρσιν ἡλίβατον αείρειν, ἵνα νυν Βαβύλων εσιν, ήδη τε ασσον είναι το εξανε και τις ανεμως θεοισι βωθεοντας ανατρέψαι περι αυτοισι το μηχανημα τε δητα ερείπια λέγεσθαι Βαβυλωνα. Τεως δε οντας όμογλώσσας εκ θεών πολυθρων φωνην ενεικασθαι. Μετα δε Κρονῳ και Τιτην συςησαι πολεμον. Ὁ δὲ τοπος, εν ᾧ πυργον ᾠκοδόμησαν, νυν Βαβύλων καλείται, δια την συγχυσιν τε περι την διαλεκτον πρώτην εναργους. Εβραιοι γαρ την συγχυσιν Βαβελ καλεσι. Euseb. Chron.

p. 13.

88 Strabo speaks of a tower of immense size at Babylon, remaining in later times, which was a stadium every way. 1. 16. p. 1073. These are nearly the dimensions of some of the principal pyramids in Egypt.

called, he says, from the confusion of tongues, and variation of dialect: for, in the Hebrew lan-guage, such confusion is termed Babel. The Scriptures speak only of a confusion of tongue : but Abydenus mentions high winds, which impeded the work, and finally overthrew the tower. The like is mentioned in the Sibylline oracles, together with the confusion of tongues: which circumstance most of these writers, from not being well versed in the original history, have supposed to have been "9 general. And similar to the history of Abydenus, an account is here given of a war, which broke out soon after.

89

Some traces of those fearful events, with which the dispersion is said to have been attended, seem to have been preserved in the records of Phenicia. Syria, and the greatest part of the country about Libanus, was, as I have abundantly shewn, possessed by the sons of Chus: and even the city Tyre was under their rule. The people of this city were styled Phenicians, and are said to have been driven from their first place of settlement, which we know to have been in Babylonia, by earthquakes. Tyriorum gens, condita a Phonicibus fuit; qui terræ motu vexati Assyrium

VOL. IV.

89 Theophilus ad Autolyc. 1.2. p. 371.

So Justin. 1. 18. c. 3.

E

stagnum primo, mox mari proximum littus incoluerunt.

I have mentioned the remarkable evidence of Eupolemus, who attributes the construction both of Babylon, and the Tower, to people of the giant race. By these are always meant the sons of Ham and Chus: so that it certainly was not a work of general co-operation. Epiphanius also takes notice of Babel, or Babylon; "rns wgwrns wa91 της πρώτης

λεως μετα τον κατακλυσμον κτισθείσης IVhich, he says, was the first city that was built after the flood. Επ' αυτή τη οικοδομη αρχη λοιπον συμβέλιας, αθροισμό, και τυραννίδος, γινεται Νεβρωθ. Νεβρωθ γαρ βασιλεύει υιος τε Χες Αιθιοπος. From the very foundation of this city, there commenced an immediate scene of conspiracy, sedition, and tyranny, which was carried on by Nimrod: for royalty was then first assumed by Nimrod, who was the son of Chus, the Ethiop. He is in all histories represented as a giant; and, according to the 9 Persian accounts, was deified after his death, and called Orion. One of the

91 L. 1. p. 7.

Βαβυλωνα κτισαν

92 Xας-οςις εγέννησε τον Νεβρώδ γιγαντα, τον την τα, ὁν λεγεσιν ὁι Περσαι αποθεώθεντα, και γενομενον εν άτροις το Ουρανέ, όντινα λεγεσιν ΩΡΙΩΝΑ. Chron. Pasch. p. 36. Εν δε τοις προει

ρημένοις χρόνοις γεγονε τις γιγας, τόνομα Νεβρώδ, υιος Χες το Αιθίοπος. Johan. Malala. P. 18.