Babel was first founded, and afterwards the celebrated tower; both which were built by some of those people who had escaped the deluge. Ειναι δε AUTES гiyavтas. They were the same who in aftertimes were recorded under the character of Giants. The tower was at length by the hand of the Almighty ruined: and these Giants were scattered over the whole earth. By this we find, that only a part of mankind was engaged in the building of the tower, and that those only were dispersed abroad; consequently the confusion of speech could not be universal, no more than the dispersion, of which it was the cause.

The people concerned in this daring undertaking encouraged each other to this work, by saying, 85 Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven: and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. What is in our version a name, is by many interpreted a monument, a 6 mark,

86

είναι δε αυτες Γιγαντας. Οικοδομειν δε τον ιςορεμενον Πύργον. πεσοντος δε τοτε ύπο της τ8 Θες ενεργείας, τους Γιγαντας διασπαρηναι καθ ̓ iλnv tuv ynv. Apud Euseb. Præp. 1. 9. p. 418.

85 Genesis. c. 11. v. 3.

86

,שם

According to Schultens, the proper and primary notion of is à mark, or sign, standing out, raised up, or exposed to open view. Taylor's Hebrew Concordance. n. 1693. □w, is similar to σημα and σαμα of the Greeks.

.

or sign to direct; and this certainly is the sense of it in this passage. The great fear of the sons of Chus was, that they might be divided and scattered abroad. They therefore built this tower as a land-mark to repair to; as a token to direct them: and it was probably an idolatrous temple, or high altar, dedicated to the host of heaven, from which they were never long to be absent. It is expressly said, that they raised it to prevent their being scattered abroad. It was the original temple of Sama-Rama, whence the Babylonians were called Semarim. The apostates were one-fourth of the line of Ham, and they had an inclination to maintain themselves where they first settled, instead of occupying the countries to which they were appointed. And that the sons of Chus were the chief agents, both in erecting the tower of Babel, and in prosecuting these rebellious principles, is plain from a previous passage; for it is said of Nimrod, the son of Chus, that the beginning of his kingdom was Babel We cannot therefore suppose this defection general, or the judgment universal, unless all mankind co-operated with this tyrant. Or, supposing that the term of his life did not extend to the erecting of the tower, and that he only laid the foundation of the city, yet the whole was carried on by those of his family, who were confessedly rebels and

apostates. They acted in defiance of God, and were in a continual state of trespass towards man. And though some did join them, yet it is hardly credible, that all should co-operate, and so totally forget their duty. How can we imagine that Shem, if he were alive, would enter into a league with such people? or that his sons Elam, Aram, or Arphaxad would join them? The pre-eminence shewn them in the regions to which they were appointed, and the regularity observable in their destination, prove that they could not have been a part in the dispersion, and consequently not of the confederacy. Indeed, they had retired to their several departments before the erecting of the tower and Assur, the second of the sons of Shem, so far from co-operating with this people, had been driven from his settlement by them, and forced to take shelter in another place. In short, there was a migration first, and a dispersion afterwards; which latter was effected by a fearful judgment; a confusion of speech, through a failure in labial utterance. This judgment was partial, as was the dispersion in consequence of it. It related only to the Cuthites of Shinar and Babel, and to those who had joined themselves to them. They seem to have been a very numerous body: and, in consequence of this calamity, they fled away; not to any particular place of destination: but were scattered abroad upon the face of the

whole earth. And the truth of this will appear from the concurrent testimony of the most approved Ethnic witers.

Such is the account transmitted by Moses of the reparation of mankind after the flood; and of their migration, according to their families, to the regions appointed for them: of the rebellion also of the Cuthites, and the construction of the tower; and of the dissipation which afterwards ensued. This is a curious and inestimable piece of history, which is authenticated in every part by the evidence of subsequent ages. As far as this history goes, we have an infallible guide to direct us in respect to the place of destination, to which each family retired. But what encroachments were afterwards made; what colonies were sent abroad; and what new kingdoms founded, are circumstances to be sought for from another quarter. And in our process to obtain this knowledge, we must have recourse to the writers of Greece. It is in vain to talk about the Arabian or Persic literature of modern daté; or about the Celts and the Scythæ; at least, according to the common acceptation, in which the last nation is understood. All knowledge of antient times has been derived to us through the hands of the Grecians. They have copied from the most early writers of the east; and we have no other resources to apply to where the Mosaic history closes. It

may perhaps be said, that these helps must be very precarious; as little trust can be reposed in writers who have blended and sophisticated whatever came to their hands: where the mixture is so general, that it is scarce possible, with the greatest attention, to distinguish truth from fable. It must be confessed, that the truth is much disguised; yet it is by no means effaced, and consequently may be still retrieved. I hope, in the course of my argument, that this has been abundantly shewn. To pass a proper judgment on the Grecian histories, we must look upon them collectively as a rich mine, wherein the ore lies deep, and is mixed with earth, and other base concretions. It is our business to sift and separate; and by refining to disengage it. This, by care and attention, is to be effected; and then what a fund of riches is to be obtained!

The last great event which I mentioned from the Mosaic account, was the dissipation of the Cuthites from Babel; from whence they were scattered over the face of the earth. This is an æra to be much observed: for at this period the sacred penman closes the general history of the world. What ensues relates to one family, and to a private dispensation. Of the nations of the earth, and their polities, nothing more occurs, excepting only as their history chances to be connected with that of the sons of Israel.

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