bis sacrifice, and to grant, that the earth might never again undergo the like effects of his wrath; that men might be permitted to go on cheerfully in cultivating the same; to build cities, and live happily in them; and that they might not be deprived of any of those good things which they enjoyed before the flood; but might attain to the like length of days and old age, which the ancient people had arrived at before. have for witnesses to what I have said, all those that have written antiquities, both ainong the Greeks and Barbarians: for even Manetho, who wrote the Egyptian history, and Berossus, who collected the Chaldean monuments, and Mochus and Hestiæus, and besides these Hieronymus the Egyptian, and those who composed the Phenician history, agree to what I here say Hesiod also, and Hecatæus, and Hellanicus, and Acusilaus; and, besides these, Ephorus and Nicolaus relate, that the ancients lived a thousand years. But as to these matters, let every one look upon them as they think fit. CHAPTER IV. Concerning the Tower of Babylon and the Confu sion of Tongues. 8. When Noah had made these supplications, God, who loved the man for his righteousness, granted entire success to his prayers; and said, that it was not he who brought the destruction on a polluted world, but that they underwent that vengeance on account of their own wickedness; and that he had not brought| meu into the world, if he had himself deter- § 1. Now the sons of Noah were three, Shem, vined to destroy them, it being an instance of and Japhet, and Ham, born one hundred years greater wisdom not to have granted them life before the deluge. These first of all descendat all, than, after it was granted, to procure ed from the mountains into the plains, and fixed their destruction; but the injuries, said he, they their habitation there; and persuaded others offered to my holiness and virtue, forced me to who were greatly afraid of the lower grounds bring this punishment upon them. But I will on account of the flood, and so were very Lave off for the time to come, to require such loath to come down from the higher places, to punishments, the effects of so great wrath, for venture to follow their examples. Now the their future wicked actions, and especially on plain in which they first dwelt, was called Shiaccount of thy prayers. But if I shall, at any nar. God also commanded them to send coloame, send tempests of rain in an extraordinary nies abroad, for the thorough peopling of the manner, be not affrighted at the largeness of earth, that they might not raise seditions among the showers; for the water shall no more over-themselves, but might cultivate a great part of spread the earth. However, I require you to the earth, and enjoy its fruits after a plentiful abstain from shedding the blood of men, and to manner. But they were so ill instructed that keep yourselves pure from murder; and to pun-they did not obey God: for which reason they ish those that commit any such thing. I per- fell into calamities, and were made sensible, by mit you to make use of all the other living experience, of what sin they had been guilty creatures at your pleasure, and as your appe- For when they flourished with a numerous ties lead you; for I have made you lords of them all, both of those that walk on the land, and of those that swim in the waters, and of those that fly in the regions of the air on high, excepting their blood, for therein is the life. But I will give you a sign that I have left off my anger, by my bow, (whereby is meant the rainbow, for they determined that the rainbow was the bow of God.) And, when God had said and promised thus, he went away. 9. Now when Noah had lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood, and all that time happily, he died, having lived the number of nine hundred and fifty years. But let no one upon comparing the lives of the ancients with our lives, and with the few years which we now live, think, that what we have said of them is false; or make the shortness of our lives at present an argument, that neither did they attain to so long a duration of life, for those ancients were beloved of God, and [lately] made by God himself; and because their food was then fitter for the prolongation of life, might well live so great a number of years; and besides,God afforded them a longer time of life on account of their virtue, and the good use they made of it in astronomical and geometrical discoveries which would not have afforded the time for foretelling, [the periods of the stars,] unless they had lived six hundred years: for the great year is completed in that interva Now youth, God admonished them again to send out colonies; but they, imagining that the prosperity they enjoyed was not derived from the favor of God, but supposing that their own power was the proper cause of the plentiful condition they were in, did not obey him. Nay, they added to this their disobedience to the divine will, the suspicion they were therefore ordered to send out separate colonies, that being divided asunder, they might the inore easily be oppressed. 2. Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He per suaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it was through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependnee on his own power. He also said, "He would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again, for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach; and that he would avenge unself on God for destroying their forefathers." 3. Now the multitule were very ready to follow the determination of Nimrod, and to esteem it a piece of cowardice to submit 35 God; and they built a tower, neither sparing on the nations by those that first seized upon any pains, nor being in any degree negligent them. Japhet the son of Noah had seven about the work. And by reason of the multi-sons. They inhabited so, that beginning at the tude of hands employed in it, it grew very mountains Taurus and Amanus, they proceedhigh, sooner than any one could expect; but ed along Asia, as far as the river Tanais, and the thickness of it was so great, and it was so along Europe to Cadiz; and settling themselves strongly built, that thereby its great height on the lands they lighted upon, which none seemed, upon the view, to be less than it really had inhabited before, they called the nations was. It was built of burned brick, cemented by their own names. For Gomer founded together with mortar made of bitumen, that it those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, might not be liable to admit water. When God [Gauls,] but were then called Gomerites. MaBaw that they acted so madly, he did not re-gog founded those that from him were named solve to destroy them utterly, since they were Magogites, but who are by the Greeks called not grown wiser by the destruction of the Scythians. Now as to Javan and Madai, the former sinners, but he caused a tumult among sous of Japhet; from Madai came the Mathem, by producing in them divers languages, deans, which are called Medes by the Greeks, and causing, that through the multitude of those but from Javan, Jonia and all the Grecians are languages, they should not be able to under-derived. Thobel founded the Thobelites, stand one another. The place wherein they which are now called Iberes; and the Mosobuilt the tower is now called Babylon, because of the confusion of that language which they readily understood before; for the Hebrews mean by the word Babel, confusion. The Sihyl also makes mention of this tower, and of the confuson of the language when she says thus, "When all men were of one language, some of them built a high tower, as if they would thereby ascend up to heaven, but the gods sent storms of wind and overthrew the tower, and gave every one his peculiar language, and for this reason it was that the city was called Babylon." But as to the plain of Shinar, in the country of Babylonia, Hestiæus mentions it, when he says thus, "Such of the priests as were saved took the sacred vessels of Jupiter Enyalius, and came to Shinar of Babylonia." CHAPTER V. After what manner the posterity of Noah sent out cheni were founded by Mosoch; now they are Cappadocians. There is also a mark of their ancient denominations still to be showed; for there is even now among them a city called Mazaca, which may inform those that are able to understand, that so was the entire nation once called. Thiras also called those whom he ruled over, Thiracians; but the Greeks changed the name into Thracians. And so many were the countries that had the children of Japhet for their inhabitants. Of the three sons of Gomer, Aschanaz founded the Aschanasians, who are now called by the Greeks Rheginians. So did Riphath found the Ripheans, now called Paphlagonians; and Thrugramma the Thrugrammeans, who, as the Greeks resolved, were named Phrygians. Of the three sons of Javan also, the son of Japhet, Elisa gave name to the Elisians, who were Colonies, and inhabited the whole earth. subjects; they are now the Æolians. Tharsus § 1. After this they were dispersed abroad, to the Tharsians, for so was Cicilia of old callon account of their languages, and went out by ed; the sign of which is this, that the noblest colonies everywhere; and each colony took city they have, and a metropolis also, is Tarsus, possession of that land which they lighted the Tau being by change put for the Theta upon, and unto which God led them, so that Cethimus possessed the island of Cethima; it the whole continent was filled with them, both is now called Cyprus; and from that it is, that the inland and the maritime countries. There all islands, and the greatest part of the seawere some also who passed over the sea in coasts, are named Cethium by the Hebrews; ships, and inhabited the islands; and some of and one city there is in Cyprus that has been those nations do still retain the denominations able to preserve its denomination; it is called which were given them by their first founders; Citius by those who use the language of the but some have lost them also, and some have Greeks, and has not, by the use of that dialect, only admitted certain changes in them, that escaped the name of Cethium. And so many they might be the more intelligible to the in-nations have the children and grandchildren of habitants. And they were the Greeks who Japhet possessed. Now when I have premisbecame the authors of such mutations; for ed somewhat, which perhaps the Greeks do when, in after ages, they grew potent, they claimed to themselves the glory of antiquity; giving names to the nations that sounded well, [in Greek,] that they might be better understood among themselves; and setting agreeable forms of government over them, as if they were a people derived from themselves. not know, I will return and explain what I have omitted; for such names are pronounced here after the manner of the Greeks, to please my readers; for our own country language does not so pronounce them. But the names in all cases are of one and the same ending. for the name we here pronounce Noeas is there Noah; and in every case retains the same termination. 2. The children of Ham possessed the land from Syria and Amanus, and the mountains of Libanus; seizing upon all that was on its sea coasts, and as far as the ocean, and keeping as their own. Some indeed, of its names are utterly vanished away; others of them being changed, and another sound given them, are nardly to be discovered, yet a few there are which have kept their denominations entire. For of the four sons of Ham, time has not at all hurt the name of Chus; for the Ethiopians, over whom he reigned, are even at this day, both by themselves and by all men in Asia, called Chusites. The memory also of the Mesraites is preserved in their name; for all we who inhabit the country [of Judea] call Egypt Mestre and the Egyptians Mestreans. Phut also was the founder of Libya, and called the inhabitants Phutites, from himself; there is also a river in the country of the Moors, which bears that name; whence it is that we may see the greatest part of the Grecian historiographers mention that river, and the adjoining country, by the appellation of Phut; but the name it has now, has been by change given it from one of the sons of Mestraim, who was called Lybyos. We will inform you presently what has been the occasion why it has been called Africa also. Canaan, the fourth son of Ham, inhabited the country now called Judea, and called it from his own name Canaan. The children of these [four] were these: Sabase, who founded the Sabeans; Evilas, who founded the Evileans, who are called Getuli; Sabathes founded the Sabathens; they are now called by the Greeks Astaborans; Sabactas settled the Sabactens; and Ragmus the Ragmeans; and he had two sons, the one of which Judadas, settled the Judadeans, a nation of the western Ethiopians, and left them his name; as did Sabas, to the Sabeans. But Nimrod, the son of Chus, stayed and tyrannized at Babylon, as we have already informed you. Now all the children of Mesraim, being eight in number, possessed the country from Gaza to Egypt, though it retained the name of one only, the Philestim, for the Greeks called part of that country Palestine. As for the rest, Ludiem, and Enemim, and Labim, who alone inhabited in Libya, and called the country from himself; Nedim, and Pethrosim, and Chesloim, and Cepthorim, we know nothing of them besides their names; for the Ethiopic war,* which we shall describe hereafter, was the cause that those cities were overthrown. The sons of Canaan were these: Sidonius, who also built a city of the same name; it is called by the Greeks Sidon; Amathus inhabited in Amathine, which is even now called Amathe by the inhabitants, although the Macedonians named it Epiphania, from one of his posterity; Arudues possessed the island Aradus; Arucas possessed Arce, which is in Libanus. But for the seven others [Euens,] Chetteus, Jebuseus, Amorreus, Gergeseus, Eudeus, Sineus, Samareus, we have nothing in • One observation ought not to be here neglected with regard to that Ethiopic war which Moses, as general of the Egyptians, put an end to, Antiq. b. ii. ch. x. and about which our late writers seem very unconcerned; viz. that it was a war of that consequence, as to occasion the removal or destruction of six or seven nations of the posterity of Mitzraim, with their cities; which Josephus would not have said, if he had not had ancient records to justify those his assertions, though those records be all now lost. the sacred books but their names, for the Hebrews, overthrew their cities: and their calamities came upon them on the occasion following. 3. Noah, when after the deluge the earth was resettled in its former condition, set about its cultivation; and when he had planted it with vines, and when the fruit was ripe, and he had gathered the grapes in their season, and the wine was ready for use, he offered sacrifice, and feasted, and being drunk, he fell asleep, and lay naked in an unseemly manner. When his youngest son saw this, he came laughing, and showed him to his brethren; but they covered their father's nakedness. And when Noah, was made sensible of what had been done, he pray ed for posterity to his other sons; but for Ham, he did not curse him, by reason of his nearness in blood, but cursed his posterity. And when the rest of them escaped that curse, God inflicted it on the children of Canaan. But as to these matters, we shall speak more hereafter. 4. Shem the third son of Noah, had five sons, who inhabited the land that began at Euphrat es, and reached to the Indian ocean. For Elam left behind him the Elamites, the ancestors of the Persians. Ashur lived at the city Nineve; and named his subjects Assyrians, who became the most fortunate nation, beyond others. Arphaxad named the Arphaxadites, who are now called Chaldeans. Aram had the Aramites, which the Greeks called Syrians; as Laud founded the Laudites, which are now called Lydians. Of the four sons of Aram, Uz founded Trachonitis and Damascus, this country lies between Palestine and Celosyria. Ul founded Armenia, and Gather the Bactrians; and Mesa the Mesaneans; it is now called Charax Spasini. Sala was the son of Arphaxad; and his son was Heber, from whom they originally called the Jews* Hebrews. Heber begat Joctan and Phaleg; he was called Phaleg because he was born at the dispersion of the nations to their several countries; for Phaleg among the Hebrews signifies division. Now Joctan, one of the sons of Heber, had these sons, Elmodad, Saleph, Asermoth, Jera, Adoram, Aizel, Decla, Ebal, Ábimael, Sabeus, Ophir, Euilat, and Jobab. These inhabited from Cophen, an Indian river, and in part of Aria adjoining to it. And this shall suffice concerning the sons of Shem. 5. I will now treat of the Hebrews. The son of Phaleg, whose father was Heber, was Ragau; whose son was Serug, to whom was born Nahor; his son was Terah, who was the father of Abram, who accordingly was the tenth from Noah, and was born in the two hundred and ninety-second year after the deluge; for Terah begat Abram in his seventieth * That the Jews were called Hebrews, from this their progenitor Heber, our author Josephus here rightly affirms; and not from Abram the Hebrew, or Passenger over Euphrates, as many of the moderns suppose. Shem is also called the Father of all the children of Heber, or of all the Hebrews, in a history long before Abram passed over Euphrates, Gen. x. 21, though it must be confessed, that, Gen. xiv. 13, where the original says, they told Abram the Hebrew, the Septuagint renders it the Passenger, par: but this is spoken only of Abram himself, who had then lately passed over Euphrates, and is another signification of the Hebrew word taken as an appellative and not as a proper naine rate to our advantage, they do it not of their own abilities, but as they are subservient to him that commands them, to whom alone we ought justly to offer our honor and thanksgiving. For which doctrines, when the Chaldeans, and other people of Mesopotamia, raised a tumult against him, he thought fit to leave that country; and at the command, and by the assistance of God, he came and lived in the land of Canaan. And when he was there settled, he built an altar, and performed a sacrifice to God. year. Nahor begat Haran, when he was one hundred and twenty years old; Nahor was born to Serug at his hundred and thirty-second year; Ragau had Serug at one hundred and thirty; at the same age also, Phaleg had Ragau; Heber begat Phaleg in his hundred and thirty-fourth year; he himself being begotten by Sala, when he was a hundred and thirty years old, whom Arphaxad had for his son at the hundred and thirty-fifth year of his age. Arphaxad was the son of Shem, and born welve years after the deluge. Now Abram 2. Berosus mentions our father Abram withhad two brethren, Nahor and Haran; of these out naming him, when he says thus: "In the Haran left a son, Lot; as also Sarai and Milcha tenth generation after the flood, there was his daughters: and died among the Chaldeans, among the Chaldeans, a man, righteous and in a city of the Chaldeans, called Ur; and his great, and skilful in the celestial science." But monument is showed to this day. These mar- Hecatæus does more than barely mention him; ried their nieces. Nahor married Milcha, and for he composed, and left behind him, a book Abraham married Sarai. Now Terah hating concerning him. And Nicolaus of Damascus, Chaldea, on account of his mourning for Haran, in the fourth book of his history, says thus: they all removed to Haran of Mesopotamia, "Abram reigned at Damascus, being a foreignwhere Terah died, and was buried, when he er, who came with an army out of the land had lived to be two hundred and five years old; above Babylon, called the land of the Chaldefor the life of man was already by degrees di- ans; but, after a long time, he got him up, and minished, and became shorter than before, till removed from that country also, with his peothe birth of Moses; after whom the term of hu- ple, and went into the land then called the land man life was one hundred and twenty years, of Canaan, but now the land of Judea, and this God determining it to be the length that Moses when his posterity were become a multitude, happened to live. Now Nahor had eight sons as to which posterity of his, we relate their his by Milcha; Uz, and Buz, Kemuel, Chesed, Az-tory in another work. Now the name of au, Pheldas, Jadelph, and Bethuel. These were Abram is even still famous in the country of all the genuine sons of Nahor; for Teba, and Damascus; and there is showed a village Gaam, and Tachas, and Mecha, were born of named from him, the habitation of Abram. Reuma his concubine; but Bethuel had a CHAPTER VIII. daughter Rebecca, and a son Laban. That when there was a Famine in Canaan, Abram went thence into Egypt; and after he had continued there awhile, he returned back again. §1. Now after this, when a famine had invaded the land of Canaan, and Abram had dis§ 1. Now Abram, having no son of his own, covered that the Egyptians were in a flourishadopted Lot, his brother Haran's son, and his ing condition, he was disposed to go down to wife Sarai's brother; and he left the land of them, both to partake of the plenty they enChaldea when he was seventy-five years old,joyed, and to become an auditor of their priests, and at the command of God, went into Canaan, and to know what they said concerning the and therein he dwelt himself, and left it to his gods; designing either to follow them, if they posterity. He was a person of great sagacity, had better notions than he, or to convert them both for understanding all things, and persuad- into a better way, if his own notions proved the ing his hearers, and not mistaken in his opin-truest. Now seeing he was to take Sarai with ions; for which reason he began to have higher him, and was afraid of the madness of the notions of virtue than others had, and he de- Egyptians with regard to women, lest the king termined to renew, and to change the opinion should kill him on occasion of his wife's great all men happened then to have concerning beauty, he contrived this device: He pretendGod; for he was the first that ventured to pub-ed to be her brother, and directed her in a dislish this notion, that there was but One God, sembling way to pretend the same; for he said the Creator of the Universe; and that as to other it would be for their benefit. Now as soon as [gods,] if they contributed any thing to the hap- they came into Egypt, it happened to Abram piness of men, that each of them afforded it as he supposed it would, for the fame of his only according to his appointment, and not by wife's beauty was greatly talked of; for which their own power. This his opinion was de- reason Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, would not ived from the irregular phenomena that were be satisfied with what was reported of her, but Visible both at land and sea, as well as those would needs see her himself, and was preparthat happen to the sun and moon, and all the ing to enjoy her; but God put a stop to his unheavenly bodies; thus, "if [said he] these bodies just inclinations, by sending upon him a distemhad power of their own, they would certainly per, and a sedition against his government. take care of their own regular motions; but And when he inquired of the priests, how he since they do not preserve such regularity, might be freed from these calamities, they told they make it plain that so far as they co-ope- him that his miserable condition was derived CHAPTER VII. How Abram our forefather went out of the land of the Chaldeans, and lived in the land then called Canaan, but now Judea. from the wrath of God, upon account of his | conquerors and imposed a tribute upon the inclinaons to abuse the stranger's wife. He kings of the Sodomites, who submitted to this then, out of fear, asked Sarai, who she was? slavery twelve years, and so long they conand who it was that she brought along with tinued to pay their tribute; but on the thirteenth her? And when he had found out the truth, year they rebelled, and then the army of the he excused himself to Abram, that supposing Assyrians came upon them, under their comthe woman to be his sister, and not his wife, manders, Amraphel, Arioch, Chedorlaomer, he set his affections on her, as desiring an af- and Tidal. These kings had laid waste all finity with him by marrying her; but not as in- Syria, and overthrown the offspring of the cited by lust to abuse her. He also made him giants. And when they were come over against a large present in money; and gave him leave Sodom, they pitched their camp at the vale to enter into conversation with the most learn- called the Slime-pits, for at that time there ed among the Egyptians; from which conver- were pits in that place; but now, upon the desation, his virtue and his reputation became struction of the city of Sodom, that vale bemore conspicuous than they had been before. came the Lake Asphaltites, as it is called; how2. For whereas the Egyptians were formerly ever, concerning this lake we shall speak more addicted to different custoins, and despised one presently. Now when the Sodomites joined another's sacred and accustomed rites, and battle with the Assyrians, and the fight was were very angry one with another on that ac- very obstinate, many of them were killed, and count, Abram conferred with each of them, the rest were carried captive; among which and confuting the reasonings they made use of, captives was Lot, who had come to assist the every one for their own practices, he demon- Sodomites. strated that such reasonings were vain, and void of truth; whereupon he was admired by them, in those conferences, as a very wise man, and one of great sagacity, when he discoursed on any subject he undertook; and this not only in understanding it, but in persuading other men also to assent to him. He communicated to them arithmetic, and delivered to them the science of astronomy; for, before Abram came into Egypt, they were unacquainted with those parts of learning; for that science came from the Chaldeans into Egypt, and from thence to the Greeks also. CHAPTER X. How Abram fought with the Assyrians, and over came them, and saved the Sodomite Prisoners, and took from the Assyrians the prey they had gotten. 1 § 1. When Abram heard of their calamity he was at once afraid for Lot his kinsman, an pitied the Sodomites, his friends and neighbors, and thinking it proper to afford them assistance, he did not delay it, but marched hastily, and the fifth night fell upon the Assyrians, near Dan, for that is the name of the other spring of Jordan, and before they could arm themselves, he slew some as they were in their beds, before they could suspect any harm; and others who were not yet gone to sleep, but were so drunk that they could not fight, ran away. Abram pursued after them, till, on the second day, he drove them in a body into Hoba, a place belonging to Damascus; and thereby demonstrated, that victory does not depend on multitude, and the number of hands, but the alacrity and courage of soldiers overcome the most numerous bodies of men, while he got the victory over so great an army with no more than three hundred and eighteen of his servants, and three of his friends, but all those that fled returned home ingloriously. CHAPTER IX. 2. So Abram, when he had saved the captivo Sodomites, who had been taken by the Assyrians, and Lot also, his kinsman, returned home rian War. The Destruction of the Sodomites by the Assy-in peace. Now the king of Sodom met hita at a certain place which they called the King' 1. At this time, when the Assyrians had Dale, where Melchisedec, king of the city Sathe dominion over Asia, the people of Sodom lem, received him. That name signifies the were in a flourishing condition, both as to righteous king: and such he was, without disriches and the number of their youth. There pute, insomuch that, on this account, he was were five kings that managed the affairs of this made the priest of God: however, they after country, Ballas, Barsas, Senabar, and Sumo-ward called Salem Jerusalem. Now this Mel bor, with the king of Bela, and each king led chisedec supplied Abram's army in a hospi on his own troops. And the Assyrians made table manner, and gave them provisions in war upon them, and dividing their army into abundance; and as they were feasting, he befour parts, fought against them. Now every gan to praise him, and to bless God for subdu part of the army had its own commander; and ing his enemies under him. And when Abram when the battle was joined, the Assyrians were gave him the tenth part of his prey, he accept 3. As soon as Abraham was come back into Canaan, he parted the land between him and Lot, upon account of the tumultuous behavior of their shepherds, concerning the pastures wherein they should feed their flocks. However, he gave Lot his option, or leave, to choose which lands he would take: and he took himself what the other left, which were the lower grounds at the foot of the mountains; and he himself dwelt in Hebron, which is a city seven years ancienter than Tanus of Egypt. But Lot possessed the land of the plain, and the river Jordan, not far from the city Sodom, which was then a fine city, but is now destroyed by the will and the wrath of God; the cause of which I shall show in its proper place hereafter. |