6

• Jerome

Munah, or Mountain of the Moon. takes notice of this passage, and mentions how differently it has been rendered by expositors; a circumstance which must happen when writers are of different countries and of different times. Hieronymus et projiciemini inquit in locis Armeniæ, quæ vocantur Armona. Denique Symmachus ita interpretatus est, et projiciemini in Armeniâ: pro quibus LXX montem Remman, Aquila montein Armona, Theodotio montein Mona. 7 Bochart, who quotes this passage, at the close asks, What if Mini, Minyas, and Monah, should after all prove to be the same name, only differently expressed? We may safely answer, that they are; and that they relate to the same history. Even the Remman of the LXX is a transposition of the true name; and a mistake for Ar-Man, the same as Ar-Mini in the Chaldaic Paraphrase, as Ar-Mona of Aquila, Ar-Muna of Amos, and the Mountain Mona of Theodotion. They all signify Mons Lunus, and relate to the

Hieron. et Theodoretus. See Bochart. Geog. Sacra. 1. 1. c. 3.

p. 20.

7 Bochart supra. p. 20. Θεοδώρητος, απορρόφησεσθε εις το όρος το Αρμανα, &c. Ο δε Σύμμαχος το Αρμανα Αρμενίαν ἡρμηνευσεν· Ὁ δε Θεοδοτίων ὑψηλον όρος. Ibid.

8 This is manifest from the Vulgate, in which it is rendered Et projiciemini in Ar-mon.

Arkite emblem Selene, of which I have before treated.

The most common name given to the mountain was Ararat; and by this it has been distinguished by Moses. This is a compound of ArArat, and signifies the Mountain of Descent, and is equivalent to 7-7, of the Hebrews. That the name was a compound of Ar-Arat, is plain from Hatho the Armenian, who mentions it out of composition by the name of Arath. 9 In Armeniâ est altior mons, quam sit in toto orbe terrarum, qui Arath vulgariter nuncupatur; et in cacumine illius montis arca Nox post diluvium primo stetit. Josephus tells us expressly, that it was called by the natives the Mountain of Descent, which he translates arobarngiov, on account of the Patriarch here first descending from the ark. Αποβατηριον τοπον τετον Αρμενιοι καλεσιν. The same is mentioned by " Eustathius Antiochenus. By Jerome it is styled the place of exit. 12 Nunc locum Armenii exitum vel egressum vocant. The sacred writer seems always to express foreign

10

9 Hatho Armenius. See Purchas. vol. 3. p. 110.

Το

10 Josephus. Antiq. 1. 1. c. 3. p. 16.

Η Και τον τοπον ετί και νυν εκείνον Αποβατηριον οι επιχώριοι καλεσι. Eustathius Antiochenus. See Bochart above. p. 20.

12 Hieron. in Eusebianis,

names of places, as they were exhibited by the natives. He accordingly calls this mountain in the provincial dialect "Ar-Arat; which would have been rendered Har-Irad by the Hebrews. By this is signified arobaτngiov, or place of descent. The region round about was called Araratia, and also Minyas, where the Minya resided, of whom I have taken notice before. This probably, after the general migration, was one of the oldest colonies in the world. Nay, it is not impossible, but that the region may have been originally occupied by a people styled Minyæ, who out of a false zeal adhered to the spot, and would never depart from it. From the similitude which the natives of these parts bore to the Syrians and Arabians, in religion, customs, and language, it appears plainly, that they were one of the 14 Cuthite branches.

We may be assured, that the ark was providentially wafted into Armenia; as that region seems to have been particularly well calculated

,הורט Mosis reperitur in Codice Samaritano אורט Pro 13

Hararat. Le Clerc. vol. 1. p. 72.

14

Το γαρ των Αρμενιων εθνος, και το των Σύρων και των Αράβων wodne opoßudia a xλ. Strabo. 1. 1. p. 70. One of the principal cities in this part of Armenia was Cu-Cousus, which signifies the place of Chus. See Hierocles Evvxdypos. p. 703. Κουκουσος, Κομανα, Αραραθία.

for the reception of the Patriarch's family, and for the repeopling of the world. The soil of the country was very fruitful, and especially of that part where the Patriarch first made his descent. Some have objected to the Mosaic account of the dove and olive, and will not allow that the ark could have rested in Armenia, because travellers of late have discovered no olives in that country: they therefore infer, that there never were any trees of this sort in that region. In like manner, there may be in these days no balsam at Jericho, nor date trees in Babylonia; but it does not follow, that there were none of old. We must not therefore set aside antient histories faithfully transmitted, because the same occurrences do not happen at this day. But the inference is not only trifling, but false. Strabo was a native of Asia Minor; and he speaks of the fertility of Armenia, and especially of the region Gogarene, which he particularly mentions as productive of the olive. 1ο Ειθ ̓ ἡ Γωγαρηνη Πασα γαρ ή χώρα αυτη καρποις τε και τοις ήμεροις δενδροις, και τοις αειθαλεσι πληθυει φέρει δε και Ελαιαν, He had been speaking of various parts of Armenia, and then adds, After these succeeds Gogarene. All

16

this country abounds with fruits and trees for the use of man, and with those also which are evergreen. It likewise produces the OLIVE. I have mentioned that Arene was one name of the ark; and many places were so denominated in memorial of it. It is to be observed, that there is scarcely any eastern name which begins with a vowel, or common aspirate, but is at times to be found expressed with a guttural. The city Ur was called Cur, Cour, and Chora: Aza was rendered Gaza: Ham, Cham; Hanes, Chanes: Hala, Habor, and Haran; Chala, Chabor, and Charan, So Arene, an ark or ship, was expressed " Carene: from whence came the Carina of the Romans. The term Go-Carene (гw-гagnvn) signifies literally the place or region of the ark. I do not, however, imagine, that this was precisely the spot where the 18 descent was first made, though the name was given in memorial of that event; a circumstance common to many other places. I make no doubt but that the region of the Minya, at the foot of Mount Arad, or Ar

17 Many places are to be found in Media, Susiana, and Armenia, named Carene and Carina. See Cluver. Geog.

18

Gogarene was beyond the Cyrus, and a northern province, See Strabo, Stephanus, and others. It was at too great distance from Ararat, which was upon the river Araxes.