the antiquities of the jews-1-第237章

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hints　of　any　mystery　at　all；　but　when　he　here　comes　to　ver。　4；
etc。　he　says　that　Moses；　after　the　seventh　day　was　over；　began　to
talk　philosophically；　it　is　not　very　improbable　that　he
understood　the　rest　of　the　second　and　the　third　chapters　in　some
enigmatical；　or　allegorical；　or　philosophical　sense。　The　change
of　the　name　of　God　just　at　this　place；　from　Elohim　to　Jehovah
Elohim；　from　God　to　Lord　God；　in　the　Hebrew；　Samaritan；　and
Septuagint；　does　also　not　a　little　favor　some　such　change　in　the
narration　or　construction。

（2）　We　may　observe　here；　that　Josephus　supposed　man　to　be
compounded　of　spirit；　soul；　and　body；　with　St。　Paul；　1
Thessalonians　5：23；　and　the　rest　of　the　ancients：　he　elsewhere
says　also；　that　the　blood　of　animals　was　forbidden　to　be　eaten；
as　having　in　it　soul　and　spirit；　Antiq。　B。　III。　ch。　11。　sect。　2。

（3）　Whence　this　strange　notion　came；　which　yet　is　not　peculiar　to
Joseph；；　but；　as　Dr。　Hudson　says　here；　is　derived　from　older
authors；　as　if　four　of　the　greatest　rivers　in　the　world；　running
two　of　them　at　vast　distances　from　the　other　two；　by　some　means
or　other　watered　paradise；　is　hard　to　say。　Only　since　Josephus
has　already　appeared　to　allegorize　this　history；　and　take　notice
that　these　four　names　had　a　particular　signification；　Phison　for
Ganges；　a　multitude；　Phrath　for　Euphrates；　either　a　dispersion　or
a　flower；　Diglath　for　Tigris；　what　is　swift；　with　narrowness；　and
Geon　for　Nile；　what　arises　from　the　east；we　perhaps　mistake　him
when　we　suppose　he　literally　means　those　four　rivers；　especially
as　to　Geon　or　Nile；　which　arises　from　the　east；　while　he　very
well　knew　the　literal　Nile　arises　from　the　south；　though　what
further　allegorical　sense　he　had　in　view；　is　now；　I　fear；
impossible　to　be　determined。

（4）　By　the　Red　Sea　is　not　here　meant　the　Arabian　Gulf；　which
alone　we　now　call　by　that　name；　but　all　that　South　Sea；　which
included　the　Red　Sea；　and　the　Persian　Gulf；　as　far　as　the　East
Indies；　as　Reland　and　Hudson　here　truly　note；　from　the　old
geographers。

（5）　Hence　it　appears；　that　Josephus　thought　several；　at　least；　of
the　brute　animals；　particularly　the　serpent；　could　speak　before
the　fall。　And　I　think　few　of　the　more　perfect　kinds　of　those
animals　want　the　organs　of　speech　at　this　day。　Many　inducements
there　are　also　to　a　notion；　that　the　present　state　they　are　in；
is　not　their　original　state；　and　that　their　capacities　have　been
once　much　greater　than　we　now　see　them；　and　are　capable　of　being
restored　to　their　former　condition。　But　as　to　this　most　ancient；
and　authentic；　and　probably　allegorical　account　of　that　grand
affair　of　the　fall　of　our　first　parents；　I　have　somewhat　more　to
say　in　way　of　conjecture；　but　being　only　a　conjecture；　I　omit　it：
only　thus　far；　that　the　imputation　of　the　sin　of　our　first
parents　to　their　posterity；　any　further　than　as　some　way　the
cause　or　occasion　of　man's　mortality；　seems　almost　entirely
groundless；　and　that　both　man；　and　the　other　subordinate
creatures；　are　hereafter　to　be　delivered　from　the　curse　then
brought　upon　them；　and　at　last　to　be　delivered　from　that　bondage
of　corruption；　Romans　8：19…22。

（6）　St。　John's　account　of　the　reason　why　God　accepted　the
sacrifice　of　Abel；　and　rejected　that　of　Cain；　as　also　why　Cain
slew　Abel；　on　account　of　that　his　acceptance　with　God；　is　much
better　than　this　of　Josephus：　I　mean；　because　〃Cain　was　of　the
evil　one；　and　slew　his　brother。　And　wherefore　slew　he　him？
Because　his　own　works　were　evil；　and　his　brother's　righteous；〃　1
John　3：12。　Josephus's　reason　seems　to　be　no　better　than　a
pharisaical　notion　or　tradition。

（7）　From　this　Jubal；　not　improbably；　came　Jobel；　the　trumpet　of
jobel　or　jubilee；　that　large　and　loud　musical　instrument；　used　in
proclaiming　the　liberty　at　the　year　of　jubilee。

（8）　The　number　of　Adam's　children；　as　says　the　old　tradition　was
thirty…three　sons；　and　twenty…three　daughters。

（9）　What　is　here　said　of　Seth　and　his　posterity；　that　they　were
very　good　and　virtuous；　and　at　the　same　time　very　happy；　without
any　considerable　misfortunes；　for　seven　generations；　＇see　ch。　2。
sect。　1；　before；　and　ch。　3。　sect。　1；　hereafter；＇　is　exactly
agreeable　to　the　state　of　the　world　and　the　conduct　of　Providence
in　all　the　first　ages。

（10）　Of　Josephus's　mistake　here；　when　he　took　Seth　the　son　of
Adam；　for　Seth　or　Sesostris；　king　of　Egypt；　the　erector　of　this
pillar　in　the　land　of　Siriad；　see　Essay　on　the　Old　Testament；
Appendix；　p。　159；　160。　Although　the　main　of　this　relation　might
be　true；　and　Adam　might　foretell　a　conflagration　and　a　deluge；
which　all　antiquity　witnesses　to　be　an　ancient　tradition；　nay；
Seth's　posterity　might　engrave　their　inventions　in　astronomy　on
two　such　pillars；　yet　it　is　no　way　credible　that　they　could
survive　the　deluge；　which　has　buried　all　such　pillars　and
edifices　far　under　ground　in　the　sediment　of　its　waters；
especially　since　the　like　pillars　of　the　Egyptian　Seth　or
Sesostris　were　extant　after　the　flood；　in　the　land　of　Siriad；　and
perhaps　in　the　days　of　Josephus　also；　as　is　shown　in　the　place
here　referred　to。

（11）　This　notion；　that　the　fallen　angels　were；　in　some　sense；　the
fathers　of　the　old　giants；　was　the　constant　opinion　of　antiquity。

（12）　Josephus　here　supposes　that　the　life　of　these　giants；　for　of
them　only　do　I　understand　him；　was　now　reduced　to　120　years；
which　is　confirmed　by　the　fragment　of　Enoch；　sect。　10；　in
Authent。　Rec。　Part　I。　p。　268。　For　as　to　the　rest　of　mankind；
Josephus　himself　confesses　their　lives　were　much　longer　than　120
years；　for　many　generations　after　the　flood；　as　we　shall　see
presently；　and　he　says　they　were　gradually　shortened　till　the
days　of　Moses；　and　then　fixed　＇for　some　time＇　at　120；　ch。　6。
sect。　5。　Nor　indeed　need　we　suppose　that　either　Enoch　or　Josephus
meant　to　interpret　these　120　years　for　the　life　of　men　before　the
flood；　to　be　different　from　the　120　years　of　God's　patience
＇perhaps　while　the　ark　was　preparing＇　till　the　deluge；　which　I
take　to　be　the　meaning　of　God　when　he　threatened　this　wicked
world；　that　if　they　so　long　continued　impenitent；　their　days
should　be　no　more　than　120　years。

（13）　A　cubit　is　about　21　English　inches。

（14）　Josephus　here　truly　determines；　that　the　year　at　the　Flood
began　about　the　autumnal　equinox。　As　to　what　day　of　the　month　the
Flood　began；　our　Hebrew　and　Samaritan；　and　perhaps　Josephus's　own
copy；　more　rightly　placed　it　on　the　17th　day；　instead　of　the
27th；　as　here；　for　Josephus　agrees　with　them；　as　to　the　distance
of　150　days　to　the　17th　day　of　the　7th　month；　as　Genesis　7。　ult。
with　8：3。

（15）　Josephus　here　takes　notice；　that　these　ancient　genealogies
were　first　set　down　by　those　that　then　lived；　and　from　them　were
transmitted　down　to　posterity；　which　I　suppose　to　be　the　true
account　of　that　matter。　For　there　is　no　reason　to　imagine　that
men　were　not　taught　to　read　and　write　soon　after　they　were　taught
to　speak；　and　perhaps　all　by　the　Messiah　himself；　who；　under　the
Father；　was　the　Creator　or　Governor　of　mankind；　and　who
frequently　in　those　early　days　appeared　to　them。

（16）　This　（GREEK）；　or　Place　of　Descent；　is　the　proper　rendering
of　the　Armenian　name　of　this　very　city。　It　is　called　in　Ptolemy
Naxuana；　and　by　Moses　Chorenensis；　the　Armenian　historian；
Idsheuan；　but　at　the　place　itself　Nachidsheuan；　which　signifies
The　first　place　of　descent；　and　is　a　lasting　monument　of　the
preservation　of　Noah　in　the　ark；　upon　the　top　of　that　mountain；
at　whose　foot　it　was　built；　as　the　first　city　or　town　after　the
flood。　See　Antiq。　B。　XX。　ch。　2。　sect。　3；　and　Moses　Chorenensis；
who　also　says　elsewhere；　that　another　town　was　related　by
tradition　to　have　been　called　Seron；　or；　The　Place　of　Dispersion；
on　account　of　the　dispersion　of　Xisuthrus's　or　Noah's　sons；　from
thence　first　made。　Whether　any　remains　of　this　ark　be　still
preserved；　as　the　people　of　the　country　suppose；　I　cannot
certainly　tell。　Mons。　Tournefort　had；　not　very　long　since；　a　mind
to　see　the　place　himself；　but　met　with　too　great　dangers　and
difficulties　to　venture　through　them。

（17）　One　observation　ought　not　here　to　be　neglected；　with　regard
to　that　Ethiopic　war　which　Moses；　as　general　of　the　Egyptians；
put　an　end　to；　Antiq。　B。　II。　ch。　10。；　and　about　which　our　late
writers　seem　very　much　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　now　all　lost。

（18）　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；　Genesis　10：21；　though　it　must
be　confessed　that；　Genesis　14：13；　where　the　original　says　they
told　Abram　the　Hebrew；　the　Septuagint　renders　it　the　passenger；
（GREEK）：　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　name。

（19）　It　is　worth　noting　here；　that　God　required　no　other
sacrifices　under　the　law　of　Moses；　than　what　were　taken　from
these　five　kinds　of　animals　which　he　here　required　of　Abram。　Nor
did　the　Jews　feed　upon　any　other　domestic　animals　than　the　three
here　named；　as　Reland　observes　on　Antiq。　B。　IV。　ch。　4。　sect。　4。

（20）　As　to　this　affliction　of　Abram's　posterity　for　400　years；
see　Antiq。　B。　II。　ch。　9。　sect。　1。

（21）　These　sons…in…law　to　Lot；　as　they　are　called；　Genesis
19：12…14；　might　be　so　styled；　because　they　were　betrothed　to
Lot's　daughters；　though　not　yet　married　to　them。　See　the　note　on
Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。　13。　sect。　1。

（22）　Of　the　War；　B。　IV。　ch。　8。　sect。　4。

（23）　This　pillar　of　salt　was；　we　see　here；　standing　in　the　days
of　Josephus；　and　he　had　seen　it。　That　it　was　standing　then　is
also　attested　by　Clement　of　Rome；　contemporary　with　Josephus；　as
also　that　it　was　so　in　the　next　century；　is　attested　by　Irenaeus；
with　the　addition　of　an　hypothesis；　how　it　came　to　last　so　long；
with　all　its　members　entire。　…　Whether　the　account　that　some
modern　travelers　give　be　true；　that　it　is　still　standing；　I　do
not　know。　Its　remote　situation；　at　the　most　southern　point　of　the
Sea　of　Sodom；　in　the　wild　and　dangerous　deserts　of　Arabia；　makes
it　exceeding　difficult　for　inquisitive　travelers　to　examine　the
place；　and　for　common　reports　of　country　people；　at　a　distance；
they　are　not　very　satisfactory。　In　the　mean　time；　I　have　no
opinion　of　Le　Clerc's　dissertation　or　hypothesis　about　this
question；　which　can　only　be　determined　by　eye…witnesses。　When
Christian　princes；　so　called；　lay　aside　their　foolish　and
unchristian　wars　and　quarrels；　and　send　a　body　of　fit　persons　to
travel　over　the　east；　and　bring　us　faithful　accounts　of　all
ancient　monuments；　and　procure　us　copies　of　all　ancient　records；
at　present　lost　among　us；　we　may　hope　for　full　satisfaction　in
such　inquiries；　but　hardly　before。

（24）　I　see　no　proper　wicked　intention