enim comparata funt omnia, ut comprobetur fequioris ævi Egyptios, qui hiftoriarum a se fcriptarum monumentis inclaruerunt, de Hebræorum antiquitatibus nihil intemeratum apud majores fuos inveniffe, vel certe prodidiffe: fed, ex mera invidia, quidquid magnifice ab Hebræis geftum fuit vel calumniis obscuraffe, vel arroganter fuis vindicaffe. Adeo quidem ut ipfa calumniatrix invidia antiquorum Hebræorum in Egypto autoritatem atque potentiam vel invita aftruat. Quorfum enim tam prodigiofa mendaciorum ftrues, nifi pofterorum animis ægre fuiffe ob incluta Hebræorum facinora; quæ majores natu, tunc quum fierent, veluti portenta quædam, cum ftupore fufpexerant ? XVI. Id unum ex Manethone tenendum, ea Mofen, five Ofarfiphum, qui leprofis iftis Politiam & leges exhibuit, fenfiffe, ac juffiffe, QUE MAXIME ÆGYPTIORUM, CONSUETUDINIBUS INIMICA ERANT. Tantum abeft ut probari ex Manethone poffit, Mosen, nescia quibus ufum politicorum vaframentis, Egyp tiacorum pleraque in Ifraelitarum religionem transfumfiffe, Manetho is faid to have taken his history from certain pillars in εκ των εν γη σηριαδίκη κειμενων ξυλων. . the land of Seriad, which had been inscribed by the hand of the first Mercury, and tranflated into Greek after the flood, μετα τον κατακλυσμον εκ της ιερας διαλέκτε εις την ελληνιδα φωνην. There are however, fome very plausible objections to these particulars: First, that such of pillars could never have stood the ravages the flood; and that fuppofing they did, yet it is impoffible they could have been tranflated into the Greek language foon after the flood, as that language did not then exift; both which objections appear very natural and proper; yet the poffibility of the pillars remaining undestroyed until after the deluge, is by no means to be called in queftion, unless we admit the abfurd theory of fome flood makers, who affert that the whole mafs of the earth was reduced into its primitive chaos at that time, under which circumftances, I am apt to think Noah, instead of finding his ark reft on the top of a mountain, might have been for ever inclofed in the very center of Mount Ararat. But if it be poffible, that many trees escaped deftruction, and were fo little injured as to be again capable of vegetation; which may be inferred from Noah's planting a vineyard, before vines could have been brought brought to any maturity, in a natural way; nor is it once mentioned that Noah brought the plants of trees into the ark, but it is faid very expreffively that the dove which returned, brought in her bill an olive leaf plucked off, which was an evidence that trees had in fome places efcaped a total ruin. I fay then, if this was the cafe, the Seriad pillars might, if their fituation was favourable, have escaped the general ruin. If we can believe Jofephus, there were remaining in his time, pillars, which were believed to have been Seth's, on which were recorded, prophetical, as well as astronomical observations. To fay that if this were the cafe, that fuch remarkable monuments of antiquity would have been carefully preferved by the literati of the times, is no strong objection; for it has been well known how carclefs people of old were in keeping and preferving the monuments of antiquity; a circumftance much to be regretted, and which fhould be a leffon to this and future generations. With respect to infcriptions being tranflated into Greek after the flood, we find this alfo not a fufficient objection. What the diver diversity of dialects were immediately after the dispersion, (which in respect to such a very remote distance of time, may be called, after the flood) it is impoffible to ascertain; what was afterwards called Greek, might poffibly have been one; at least the contrary cannot be proved, but the probability remains, and for this reafon, that in the Greek language are found a great number of inftances, where the words are nearly the fame of the Hebrew. People are at liberty to form what conjectures they please; but mine has as much the appearance of probability as any other of a fimilar nature.-Į fhall therefore give an example : |