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, wife pwny, 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 $8 μεγέθει χαινωθέντας, και δη θεων καταφρονήσαντας αμείνονας είναι, πύργων τυρσιν ἡλίβατον zept, iva νυν Βαβυλων 1517, ηδη τε άσσον είναι το εξανε και τις ανεμες θεοισι βωθεοντας ανατρέψαι περί αυτοισε το μηχανημα το δητα ερείπια λεγεσθαι Βαβυλώνα. Τέως δε οντας όμογλωσσας εκ θεών πολυθρων φωνην ενεικασθαι. Μετα δε Κρόνω και Τιτην σύςησαι πολεμον. Ὁ δὲ τοπος, εν ᾧ πύργον ᾠκοδόμησαν, νυν Βαβυλων καλείται, δια την συγχυσιν τε περί την διάλεκτον πρώτην ενάργους. Εβραιοι γας 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. 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. 9° Tyriorum gens, condita a Phonicibus fuit; qui terræ motu vexati Assyrium VOL. IV. 59 Theophilus ad Autolyc. 1. 2. p. 371. 9o 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 gi ant 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 280λεως μετα τον κατακλυσμον κτισθείσης• Which, he says, was the first city that was built after the flood. Επ' αυτή τη οικοδομη αρχη λοιπον συμβέλιας, αθροισμα, και τυραννίδος, γινεται Νεβρωθ. Νεβρωθ γαρ βασιλεύει υιος τα 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. 92 Χας-οςις εγέννησε τον Νεβρωδ γιγαντα, τον την Βαβυλωνα κτισαν τα, ὃν λέγεσιν δι Περσαι αποθεωθέντα, και γενόμενον εν αςροις το Ουρανό, όντινα λεγεσιν ΩΡΙΩΝΑ. Chron. Pasch. p. 36. Εν δε τοις προει βημενοις χρόνοις γεγονε τις γιγας, τένομα Νεβρώδ, υιος Χως το Αιθίοπος, Johan. Malala. p. 18. asterisms in the celestial sphere was denominated from him. The Scripture speaks of him as a mighty hunter: and Homer, in reference to these histories, introduces him as a giant, and a hunter in the shades below. 93 Τον δε μετ' Ωριωνα πελώριον εισενοησα Next I beheld Orion's tow'ring shade, fear Before him fled in herds. These he had slain Upon the cliffs, and solitary hills. His arms, a club of brass, massy and strong The author of the Paschal Chronicle mentions all his attributes, in speaking of him: “ Νεβρώδ ὁ κυνηγος, και Γίγας, ὁ Αιθιοψ.-Τετῳ τῳ Νεβρώδ την βάσιο λειαν Βαβυλώνος μετα τον κατακλυσμον ή θεια γραφη ανα 93 Homer. Odyss. 1. A. v. 571. 4 Chron. Pasch. p. 28. Tino. Nebrod, the great hunter, and giant, the Ethiopian whom the sacred writings make king of Babylon after the deluge. The same author says, that he first taught the Assyrians to worship fire. Ουτος διδασκει Ασσυρίας σεβειν το πυς. By the Assyrians are meant the Babylonians, who in after times were included under that name, but in these days were a very distinct people. Nimrod, by the Grecians, was sometimes rendered Ngos, Nebros; which signifies also a fawn: whence in the history of Bacchus, and the Cuthites, there is always a play upon this term ; as well as upon vegis and vigides, Nebris and Nebrides. They were not only the oriental historians, who retained the memory of these early events: manifest traces of the same are to be found in the Greek poets; who, though at first not easy to be understood, may be satisfactorily explained by what has preceded. The clue given above will readily lead us to the history, to which they allude. The dispersion of the Cuthites is manifestly to be discovered under the fable of the flight of Bacchus and the disunion of that formidable body, which made so bold a stand, and the scattering of them over the face of the earth, is represented under the fable of dismembering the same person. It is said of him, that he was torn |