Σενε κατ' ηγάθεον * Νύσσηιον αι δ ̓ ἅμα πασαι Δυσεθ' άλος κατα κυμα· Οετις δ ̓ ὑποδέξατο κολπῳ In a mad mood, while Bacchus blindly rag'd, By the τιθηναι, or nurses, of Bacchus are meant the priests and priestesses of the Cuthites. I make no doubt but the story is founded in truth; that there was some alarming judgment; terrified with which the Bacchians, or Cuthites, fled difways; that their priests, in consternation, away what Hestiæus styles 3 ἱερωματα Ζηνος ferent threw 2 μεν Νύσσα εν τισι χώραις ορος, ὡς εν Βοιωτία, και Θρακη, και Ινδικῃ, και Λιβύη, και Ναξῳ, όπε δε πολις, ὡς εν Καρία, και εν τῷ Καυκασιῳ ορει· ὁπε δε νησος, ὡς εν Νειλῳ τῷ ποταμῷ. Αραβία, και Scholia in Homer. supra. Evanı, all their implements of false worship. In short, the hand of heaven hung heavy upon their rear, till they had totally quitted the scene of their apostasy and rebellion, and betaken themselves to different quarters, The reason why the Çuthites combined in a strong body, and maintained themselves in their forbidden territory, was a fear of separation. Let us build us a tower, and make us a sign, lest we be scattered abroad. It was their lot to be totally dissipated; and they were the greatest wanderers of all nations; and the titles of αληται and αλημονες are peculiar to their history. They seem to have been in a roving state for ages. sense. I have often taken notice of a custom which prevailed among the Grecians, and consisted in changing every, foreign term that came under their view to something of similar sound in their own language, though it were ever so remote in A remarkable instance, if I mistake not, may be found in this passage from Homer. The text manifestly alludes to the vengeance of the Deity, and the dispersion of the sons of Chus. The term Bou, Bou, in the Amonian language, signified any thing large and noble. The God Sehor was called Bou-Sehor. This was the Busiris (Barigis) of the Greeks, who retained this term in their own language, and used it in the same sense. Accordingly, Barais was a jolly fine boy: Babuaia, a great sacrifice: Bengnoves, vast rocks: Bayasos, a great boaster: Beaμos, great hunger or famine. Hence Hesychius tells us, Βου, το μέγα και πολυ dno. By Bou is signified any thing great and abundant. The term Pleg, or Peleg, related to separation and dispersion: and when Homer mentions θεινομεναι βεπληγ, the original word was Bou-pleg, or Bou-peleg, which means literally a great dispersion. In the Hebrew tongue, of which the Amonian was a collateral branch, r, Pelach is to separate; and, , Peleg to sever, and divide. The son of Heber was named Peleg, 3 because in his days the earth was divided: and his name accordingly signified division, and separation. But the poet, not knowing, or not regarding, the true meaning of the word Pleg, or Peleg, has changed it to an instrument of husbandry. And instead of saying, that the Deity pursued the rebels, and scattered them with (Boupleg) a great dissipation, he has made Lycurgus follow and beat them, ßany, with an ox-goad. 3 The city of Babel, where was the scene of those great occurrences, which we have been mentioning, was begun by Nimrod, and enlarged by his posterity. It seems to have been a great seminary of idolatry and the tower, a stupendous build ing, was erected in honour of the sun, and named the Tower of Bel. Upon the confusion of speech, both the city and tower were called Babel; the original appellation not being obliterated, but contained in the latter. And as the city was devoted to the worship of the sun, it was also called the city of Bel-On, sive civitas Dei Solis: which was afterwards changed to Babylon. From these terms, I think, we may learn the nature of the judgment inflicted at the time of the dispersion. It did not consist in an utter change of language; but, as I have said before, it was a labial failure; an alteration in the mode of speech. It may be called the prevarication of the lip; which had lost all precision, and perverted every sound that was to be expressed. Instead of Bel, it pronounced Babel; instead of Bel-on, Babylon: hence Babel, amongst other nations, was used as a term to signify a faulty pronunciation. Εβραιοι γαρ την συγχυ σιν Βαβελ καλεσι. The Hebrews, says Josephus, by the word Babel denote confusion of speech. These terms seem ever afterwards to have been retained, even by the natives, in confirmation of this extraordinary history: and the city, as long as it existed, was called Babylon, or the City of Confusion. 4 + Ant. I. 1. c. 4. The tower of Babel was probably a rude mound of earth, raised to a vast height, and cased with bricks, which were formed from the soil of the country, and cemented with asphaltus or bitumen. There are several edifices of this sort still to be seen in the region of Babylonia. They are very like the brick pyramids in Egypt: and between every ninth or tenth row of plinth they have a layer of straw, and sometimes the smaller branches of palm. Travellers have had the curiosity to put in their hands, and to extract some of the leaves, and straws: which appear wonderfully fresh, and perfect; though they have lain there for so many ages. Many have been led to think, that one or other of these buildings was the original tower of Babel. But antient writers are unanimous, that it was overthrown; and that Nimrod perished in it. This was the opinion of Syncellus. 5 Εκεινος δε εμεινεν εκει κατοίκων, και μη αφιστ θαμενος τα Πυργκ, βασιλεύων μερικά τινος πληθους, εφ' όν πυργος ανεμῳ βιαίῳ, ὡς ἱσορεσι, καταπεσων, θεια κρισει τετον επαταξεν. But Nimrod would still obstinately stay, and reside upon the spot: nor could he by any means be withdrawn from the tower, still having the command over no contemptible body of men. Upon this, we are informed, that the tower being 5 Ant. p. 42. |