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but from Javan and Jonia all the Grecians are derived. Thobel founded the Thobelites, now called Iberes: and the Mosocheni, now called Cappadocians, were founded by Mosoph. There is also a mark of their ancient denomination still to be shewn, for there is even now among them a city called Mazaca, which may inform those who are able to understand, that so was the nation once called. Thiras also called those whom he ruled over Thirasians, but the Greeks changed the name into Thracians; and so many were the countries that had the children of Japhet for their inhabitants.

now

Of the three sons of Gomer, Aschanax founded the Aschanaxians, who are called by the Greeks Rheginians; Riphath founded 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 Eliseans, who were his subjects; they are now the Eolians. Tharsus to the Tharsians, for so was Cilicia of old called; the sign of which is, that the noblest city they have, and a metropolis also, is Tausus, the letter Tau being by change put for Theta. Cethimus possessed the island Cethima. It is now called Cyprus, and from that all islands, and the greatest part of the sea-coasts, are named Cethim by the Hebrews; and one city there is in Cyprus that has been able to preserve its denomination; it is called Citius by those who use the language of the Greeks, and has not, by the use of that dialect, escaped the name of Cethim; and so many nations have the children and grand-children of Japhet possessed. Now when I have premised somewhat which, perhaps, the Greeks do 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 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 Noeus, is there Noah, and in every case retains the same termination.

The children of Ham possessed the land from Syria and Amanus, and the mountains of Libanus, seizing upon all the maritime

* One observation ought not here to be neglected, with

parts, and keeping them as their own. Some, indeed, of its names are utterly vanished: others of them being changed, and another sound given them, are hardly to be discovered; yet there are a few 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 Mestrians. 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 the greatest part of the Grecian historians mention that river, and the adjoining country, by the appellation of Phut; but the name it has now is derived 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, Sabas, who founded the Sabeans: Evilas, who founded the Evileans, now called Getuli; Sabathes, who founded the Sabathens, called by the Greeks Astoborans; Sabactas, who settled the Sabactens: and Ragmus, who founded the Ragmeans. This latter had two sons, one of whom, 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 observed.

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 Philistim, for the Greeks call part of that country Palestine. As for the rest, Ludieim, Enemim, and Labim, who alone inhabited Libya, and called the country from himself; Nedim and Phethrosim, and Chesloim and Cephthorim, we know nothing of them besides their names: for the Ethiopic war, which we shall describe hereafter, regard to that Ethiopic war, which Moses, as General of

was the cause that those cities were overthrown.

The sons of Canaan were these; Sidonius, who built a city of the same name, but called by the Greeks Sidon; Amathus inbabited Amathine, which is even now called Amathe by the inhabitants, although the Macedonians named it Epiphania, from one of his posterity; Arudeus possessed the island Aradeus; Arucus possessed Arce, which is in Libanus. But of the seven others, Chetteus, Jebuceus, Amorreus, Gergesseus, Eudeus, Sineus, and Samareus, we have nothing in the sacred books but their names; for the Hebrews overthrew their cities, and their calamities came upon them on the occasion following.

When, after the deluge, the earth was resettled in its former condition; Noah set about its cultivation, and 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 inebriated, he fell asleep, and lay naked in an unseemly manner. When his youngest son saw this, he came laughing, and shewed him to his brethren, but they covered their father's nakedness; and when Noah was made sensible of what had been done, he prayed for prosperity 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 of these matters we shall speak more hereafter.

Shem, the third son of Noah, had five sons,† who inhabited the land that began at Euphrates, and reached to the Indian ocean. For Elam left behind him the Elamites, the ancestors of the Persians. Ashur lived at the

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city Ninive, 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, whom the Greeks call Syrians; as Lud founded the Ludites, who are now called Lydians. Of the four sons of Aram, Uz founded Trachonitis and Damascus; this country lies between Palestine and Celesyria. Ul founded Armenia; and Gather the Bactrians; and Mesa the Mesaneans: it is now called Charax Spasina. 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, Abimeal, Sabeus, Ophir, Euilar, and Jobab: these inhabited from Cophen, an Indian river, and in part of Asia adjoining to it; and this may suffice concerning the sons

of Shem.

The son

I will now treat of the Hebrews. 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 Abraham, who accordingly was the tenths from Noah, who was born in the two hundred and ninety-second year after the deluge: for Terah begat Abram in his seventieth year. Nahor begat Haran when he was one hundred and twenty years old: Nahor was born to Serug at his hundred and thirtysecond year; Ragau had Serug at one hundred and thirty; at the same age also Phaleg had Ragau; Heber begat Phaleg in his hun

Hebrews in a history long before Abram passed over Euphrates. Gen. x. 21.

If Phaleg were so called at his birth, as Josephus here rightly asserts, it is plain the short Hebrew, or Masorete chronology was not the chronology of Josephus, by which the confusion of languages, and the dispersion of mankind fell no later than the 100th year after the deluge, which is impossible to be supposed, and is a great deal too soon for such confusion of languages and dispersion of mankind, which, by the best chronology, did not happen till 300 years later, or till 400 years after the flood.

§ Therefore the second Cainan is spurious. See Bernard's note.

then to have concerning God; for he was the first who ventured to publish this notion that there was but one God, the creator of the universe; and that as to other gods, if they contributed to the happiness of men, that each of them afforded it according to his appointment, and not by their own power. This opinion was derived from the irregular phenomena that were visible both at land and sea; as well as those that happen to the sun and moon, and all the heavenly bodies, thus: "If," said he, "these bodies had power of their own they would certainly take care of their own regular motions; but since they do not preserve such regularity, they make it plain that so far as they operate to our ad vantage, they do it of their own abilities bu as they are subservient to him that commands them; to whom alone we ought justly to offer our honour and thanksgiving." For which doctrines when the Chaldeans and other people of Mesopotamia raised a tumult

dred 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 twelve years after the deluge. Now Abram had two brethren, Nahor and Haran; of these, Haran left a son, Lot: as also Sarai and Milcha, his daughters; and died among the Chaldeans, in a city of the Chaldeans called Ur, and his monument is shewn to this day. These married their nieces; Nahor married Milcha, and Abram married Sarai. Now Terah hating Chaldea on occount of his mourning for Haran, they all removed to Haran of Mesopotamia, where Terah* died, and was buried, when he had lived to be two hundred and five years old; for the life of man was already, by degrees, diminished, and became shorter than before, till the birth↑ of Moses, after whom the term of human life was one hundred and twenty years, God determining it to the length that Moses hap-against him, he thought fit to leave that counpened to live. Now Nahor had eight sons by Milcha; Uz and Buz, Kemuel, Chesed, Azau, Pheldas, Jadelph, and Bethuel. These were all the genuine sons of Nahor; for Teba and Gaam, and Tachas and Maaca, were born of Reuma his concubine; but Bethuel had a daughter Rebecca, and a son Laban.

CHAP. VII.

OF ABRAM'S REMOVAL FROM THE COUNTRY OF THE CHAL-
DEANS, TO THE LAND THEN CALLED CANAAN, BUT NOW
JUDEA.

BRAM having no sons of his own, adopted Lot, his brother Haran's son, and his wife Sarai's brother: he left the land of Chaldea, when he was seventy-five years old; and at the command of God‡ went into Canaan, and therein he dwelt himself, and left it to his posterity. He was a person of great sagacity, both for understanding all things, and persuading his hearers; and not mistaken in his opinions, for which reason he began to have higher notions of virtue than others had; and he determined to reform and change the opinion all men happened

* An. 1962.

An. 1612.

try; 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.

Berosus mentions our father Abram without naming him, when he says, "In the tenth generation after the flood, there was among the Chaldeans a man, righteous and great, and skilful in the celestial science." But Hecateus does more than barely mention him; for he composed and left behind him a book concerning him. And Nicolaus of Damascus, in the fourth book of his history, says, " Abram reigned at Damascus; being a foreigner, who came with an army out of the land above Babylon, called the land of the Chaldeans. But after a long time he removed from that country also, with his people, and went into the land then called the land of Canaan, but now the land of Judea: and this when his posterity were become a multitude; as to which posterity of his we relate their history in another work. Now the name of Abram is even still famous in the country of Damascus; and there is shewn a village named from him, The Habitation of Abram."

Gen. xii. 1

Gen. xii. 5.

CHAP. VIII.

OF ABRAM'S DEPARTURE INTO EGYPT IN CONSEQUENCE OF A FAMINE; AND OF HIS SUBSEQUENT RETURN.

TOW after this, when a famine* had invaded the land of Canaan, and Abram had discovered that the Egyptians were in a flourishing condition, he was disposed to go down to them; both to partake of the plenty they enjoyed, and to learn what their priest asserted concerning the gods: designing either to follow them, if they had better notions than he; or to convert them into a better way, if his own notions proved the truest. Now as he was to take Sarai with him, and was afraid of the madness of the Egyptians with regard to women, lest the king should kill him on occasion of his wife's great beauty, he contrived this device: He pretended to be her brother, and directed her in a dissembling way to pretend the same: for he said, it would be for their benefit. Now as soon as they came into Egypt, it happened to Abram as he supposed. For the fame of his wife's beauty was greatly talked of; for which reason Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, would not be satisfied with what was reported of her, but would needs see her himself. But God put a stop to his unjust inclinations, by sending upon him a distemper, and a sedition against his government. And when he enquired of his priests, how he might be freed from those calamities, they told him, that his miserable condition was derived from the wrath of God, upon account of his inclination to abuse the stranger's wife. He then, out of fear, asked Sarai, who she was, and who it was that she had brought along with her? And when he had discovered the truth, he excused himself to Abram, that supposing the woman to be his sister, and not his wife, he set his affections on her, as desiring an affinity with him by marrying her, but not as incited by lust to abuse her. He also made him a large present in money; and gave him leave to enter into conversation with the most learned among the Egyptians. From which conversation his virtue and reputation became more conspicuous than they had been before.

For whereas the Egyptians were formerly

* Gen. xii. 10.

Gen. xiii 7

addicted to different customs, and despised each others sacred and accustomed rites, and were angry one with another on that account: Abram conferred with each of them, and confuting the reasonings they made use of for their respective practices, he demonstrated 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 some parts of learning; for that science came from the Chaldeans into Egypt, and from thence to the Greeks also.

As soon as Abram returned into Canaan, he parted the land between him and Lot, upon account of the tumultous behaviour 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 Tanis of Egypt. But Lot possessed the land of the plain and the river Jordan, not far from the kingdom of Sodom: which was then a fine city, but is now destroyed, by the will and wrath of God; as will be shewn in its proper place hereafter.

CHAP. IX.

OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SODOMITES BY THE ASSYRIAN WAR.

T this time, when the Assyrians had the

A dominion over Asia, the people of Sodom

were in a flourishing condition; both as to riches and the number of their youth. There were five kings that managed the affairs of this country; Ballas, Barsas, Senabir, and Sumobor, with the king of Bela; and each king led on his own troops. And the Assyrians made war upon them, and dividing their army into four parts, fought against them.

† Numbers xiii. 22.

Now every part of the army had its own commander, and when the battle was joined, the Assyrians were conquerors, and imposed a tribute upon the kings of the Sodomites, who submitted to this slavery twelve years; and so long they continued to pay their tribute; but on the thirteenth year they rebelled; and then the army of the Assyrians came upon them, under their commanders Amraphel, Arioch, Chedorlaomer,* and Tidal. These kings had laid waste all Syria, and overthrown the offspring of the giants. And when they were come over against Sodom, they pitched their camp at the vale, called the Slimepits; for at that time there were many pits in that place; but upon the destruction of the city of Sodom, that vale became the lake Asphaltites, as it is called: however, concerning this lake, we shall speak more presently. Now when the Sodomites joined battle with the Assyrians, and the fight was very obstinate, many of them were killed, and the rest were carried captive; among which captives were Lot, who had come to assist the Sodomites.

CHAP. X.

OF ABRAM'S SUCCESSFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ASSYRIANS, AND HIS RESCUE OF THE SODOMITE PRISONERS.

THEN Abram heard of their calamity,

W

he was at once afraid for Lot, his kinsman, and pitied the Sodomites, his friends and neighbours; 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 them as they were in their beds; and others, who were not yet gone to sleep, but were so intoxicated they could not fight, ran away. Abram pursued after them till, on the second

* We no where in profane history meet with the name of Chedorlaomer, nor with any of those names of the kings who were confederate with him. The reason hereof is, that Ctesias X. from whom the profane historians take the names of these kings, did not use their original Assyrian names in his history, but rather such as he found in the Persian records. However, since the date of this transaction falls four years before the death of Ninyas, there are good grounds to infer, that Ninyas, who then lived in Persia, was the Chedorlaomer of Moses, at that time the head of the Assyrian monarchy: that Amraphel was his

day, he drove them in a body unto Hoba,‡ a place belonging to Damascus; and thereby demonstrated that victory does not depend on multitude, and the number of hands, but that 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. So Abram, when he had saved the captive Sodomites, who had been taken by the Assyrians, and Lot, also, his kinsman, returned home in peace.

Now the king of Sodom met him at a certain place, which they called the King's Dale, where Melchisedec, king of the city of Salem, received him. That name signifies, the righteous king: and such he was without dispute, insomuch, that on his account, he was made the priest of God. However, they afterwards called Salem, Jerusalem. Now this Melchisedec supplied Abram's army in a hospitable manner, and gave them provisions in abundance: and as they were feasting, he began to praise him, and to bless God for subduing his enemies under him. But when Abram gave him the tenth part of his prey, he accepted of the gift. But the King of Sodom desired Abram to take the prey; but intreated that he might have those men restored to him whom Abram had saved from the Assyrians because they belonged to him. But Abram would not do so; nor would make any other advantage of that prey, than what his servants had eaten; but still insisted that he should afford a part to his friends who had assisted him in the battle. The first of them was called Eschol, and the others Enner and Mambre.

God commended his virtue and said, "Thou shalt not, however lose the rewards thou hast deserved to receive by such glodeputy at Babylon in Shinar: and Arioch and Tidal his deputies over some other adjacent countries. For it is remarkable, that Ninyas, was the first who appointed under him such deputies: nor is there any absurdity in Moses to call them kings, since it is observable, from what Isaiah hinted afterwards, chap. x. 8. that the Assyrian boasted his deputy princes to be equal to royal governors. Are not my princes altogether kings? Shackford's Connection, Vol. II. 1. 6. B.

† Gen. xiv. 1. Gen. xiv. 15.

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