"geometrical knowledge. He made them distinguish the seeds of the earth, and shewed "them how to collect fruits; in short, he in"structed them in every thing which could tend "to soften manners and humanize mankind. From. "that time, so universal were his instructions,

nothing has been added material by way of "improvement. When the sun set, it was the "custom of this Being to plunge again into "the sea, and abide all the night in the deep." After this there appeared other animals like Oannes, of which Berosus promises to give an account when he comes to the history of the 19 kings.

18

Moreover Oannes wrote concerning the generation of mankind of their different ways of life, and of civil polity; and the following is the purport of what he said: "There was "nothing but darkness, and an abyss of water, "wherein resided most hideous beings, which

were produced of a twofold principle. Men appeared with two wings, some with four, "and with two faces. They had one body, but two heads; the one of a man, the other of

18 These again are the words of the transcriber.

19 The history of the kings of Babylon was to come afterwards, which is of consequence to be observed.

a woman. They were likewise in their several organs both male and female. Other human fi

gures were to be seen with the legs and horns "of goats. Some had horses' feet: others had "the limbs of a horse behind; but before were "fashioned like men, resembling hippocentaurs. "Bulls likewise bred there with the heads "of men; and dogs with fourfold bodies, and "the tails of fishes. Also horses with the heads "of dogs: men too, and other animals, with the "heads and bodies of horses, and the tails of "fishes. In short, there were creatures with the "limbs of every species of animals. Add to these,

fishes, reptiles, serpents, with other wonderful "animals; which assumed each other's shape and "countenance. Of all these were preserved de"lineations in the temple of Belus at Babylon, "The person, who was supposed to have pre"sided over them, had the name of Omorca. "This in the Chaldaic language is Thalath; "which the Greeks express Jaharra, the sea: "but according to the most true computation, it "is equivalent to (Eλnn) the moon. All things

being in this situation, Belus came, and cut the

woman asunder: and out of one half of her he "formed the earth, and of the other half the heavens; and at the same time destroyed the "animals in the abyss. All this, Berosus said, was an allegorical description of nature. For

K

"the whole universe consisting of moisture, and "animals being continually generated therein;

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22

20 the Deity (Belus) abovementioned cut off "" his own head: upon which the other Gods "mixed the blood, as it gushed out, with the "earth; and from thence men were formed. On "this account it is, that they are rational, and "partake of divine knowledge. This Belus. "whom men call Dis, divided the darkness, and

separated the heavens from the earth; and "reduced the universe to order. But the ani"mals so lately created, not being able to bear "the prevalence of light, died. Belus upon this, "seeing a vast space quite uninhabited, though

by nature very fruitful, ordered one of the "Gods to take off his head; and when it was "taken off, they were to mix the blood with the "soil of the earth; and from thence to form "other men and animals, which should be capa"ble of bearing the "light. Belus also formed

20 Eusebius expresses it, Terv dov; Syncellus, TYTO TOP DECI, the God abovementioned. This may be proved to be the true reading, from what comes after: for the fact is repeated; and his head cut off again.

23

Ewua, Syncell..

Others have laurs, which is the

Arga Pug, Eusebius; arga gur, Syncellus; which is the

"the stars, and the sun, and moon, together "with the five planets." We have after this the following intelligence concerning the history above; that what was there quoted, belonged to the first book of Berosus, according to the author's own distribution of facts; that in the second book was the history of the Chaldean monarchs, and the times of each reign; which consisted collectively of one hundred and twenty sari, or four hundred thirty-two thousand years; reaching to the time of the deluge. This latter attestation of the reigns of the kings, reaching in a line of descent to the deluge, was never taken from 24 Berosus: they are the words of the copier; and contrary to the evidence of the true history, as shall be plainly shewn hereafter.

After this comes a detached, but most curious extract from the same author: wherein he gives an account of the deluge, and of the principal

true reading. The original word was 18, Aur, light; which Aur they have changed to ang: but the context shews that it was not the air, which they were formed to be proof against, but is, light. This is a common mistake among the Latins, as among the Greeks. The Orientals worshipped Aur, 18, the sun: this is by Julius Firmicus and many other writers rendered Aer.

24 It is accordingly omitted by Syncellus, as foreign to the true history.

circumstances, with which that great event was attended, conformably to the history of Moses: and he mentions the person, who was chiefly interested in the affair, by the name of Sisuthrus.

25 After the death of Ardates, his son (Sisuthirus) "succeeded and reigned eighteen sari. In his "time happened the great deluge; the history “of which is given in this manner. The Deity, "Cronus, appeared to him in a vision ; and gave "him notice, that upon the fifteenth day of the "month Dæsius there would be a flood, by which "mankind would be destroyed. He therefore injoined him to commit to writing a history of "the beginning, procedure, and final conclu"sion of all things, down to the present term; "and to bury these accounts securely in the City "of the Sun at " Sippara. He then ordered Si"suthrus to build a vessel, and to take with him "into it his friends and relations; and trust him

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self to the deep. The latter implicitly obeyed: "and having conveyed on board every thing ne

cessary to sustain life, he took in also all spe"cies of animals, that either fly, or rove upon "the surface of the earth. Having asked the