and of circumstances subsequent to the disper sion. Senaar in Babylonia must have been the city of that name, and not the country. It was the same as the Shinar of Moses, and the Singara of Ptolemy and other writers. Hestiæus had, undoubtedly, been treating of the demolition of the tower at Babel, and of the flight of the priests. To this he subjoined the curious piece of history which has been transmitted to us by Josephus. The purport of it is this: After the ruin of the tower, the priests, who escaped from that calamity, saved the implements of their idolatry, and whatever related to the worship of their Deity, and brought them, εις Σενααρ της Βαβυλωνίας, to the city Senaar, in Babylonia. But they were again driven from hence by a second dispersion; and mankind being as yet all of one' language, 3 The words are, ύπο της ὁμογλωσσίας τας συνοικίας ποιησάμενοι : which some may suppose to mean, that they made their settlements where they found people of the same language. But the author adds, τας συνοικίας ποιησαμενοι ΠΑΝΤΑΧΟΥ. By πανταχε is meant Ev warts TOTW. They made their abode in all parts of the world. They could not therefore be determined to any particular places, for it is plain that they were indeterminately scattered: and to shew that they had no choice, the author adds, xa ynu inases κατελαμβανον την εντυχεσαν. The whole world was open before them: they sojourned in any land that fortune put in their way. And this was easy, ύπο της ομογλωσσίας, on account of the uniformity of they made their settlements in various parts, laying hold of any spot to dwell in that chance offered. The former flight of the people from Babylon, and particularly of the priests, is the circumstance alluded to by the poet, when he speaks of Lycurgus as driving the Tithenæ, or Nurses, of Bacchus over the plain of Nusa. 4 Ος ποτε μαινομενοιο Διωνύσοιο Τιθήνας Σευε κατ' ηγάθεον Νυσσηϊον· αι δ ̓ ἁμα πασαι Upon the expulsion of this people from Senaar, it was, that the sons of Shem got possession of that city and region; and after this success they proceeded farther, and attacked the Titanians in all their quarters. Their purpose was, either to drive them away from the countries which they had usurped, or to subdue them totally, and reduce them to a state of vassalage, They accord language, which as yet prevailed. From this antient writer we find, that there was originally one language in the world; and though at Babel there was an impediment in utterance, yet language suffered no alteration for some ages. Bochart alters όμογλωσσίας το πολυγλωσσίας; but surely this is too bold a deviation. See Geog. Sac. 1. 1. p. 64. * Iliad 1. Z. v. 132. He makes them in their fright throw away all their idolatrous implements. 6 ingly set out with a puissant army, and after a dispute of some time, they made them tributaries. But upon their rising in rebellion, after the space of thirteen years, the confederates made a fresh inroad into their countries, where they smote the Rephaïms in Ashteroth Karnaïm, who were no other than the Titans. They are accordingly rendered by the Seventy ° Tus Γιγαντας τες εν Asagwe, the Giant brood in Astaroth: and the valley of the Rephaïm, in Samuel, is translated 7 κοιλάδα των Τιτάνων, the valley of the Titans. We are also told, by Procopius Gazæus, т85 гiyavras, και Τιτανας ωνόμαζον, ἐς Ραφαειμ Εβραιοι φασιν that those whom the Hebrews mentioned as Raphaim, were by other people called Giants and Titans. Those of the confederacy smote also the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaïm. All these were of the Giant or Titanian race. 8 την 6 5 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer. Gen. c. 14. v. 4. Ibid. v. 5. The rebellion of their family is alluded to by the prophet Isaiah, who styles them, in the language of the Seventy, Γιγαντες. Συνεγερθησαν σοι παντες οι γιγαντες, οι αρξαντες της γης. c. 14. v. 9. 72. Samuel. c. 5. v. 18. They are mentioned by Judith. Ουδε υιοι Τιτάνων επάταξαν αυτόν. c. 16. v. 8. * Ad 1. 2. Regum. c. 5. Moses Chorenensis speaks of the people here mentioned as the Titans. Cæterum de Titanibus ac Raphæmis meminerunt Sacræ Literæ. 1. 1. c. 5. p. 17. says, Hence Moses, speaking of the land of Moab, 10 The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims : but the Moabites call them Emims, which also were accounted Giants. He mentions also the "Zuzims in the same light. This attack made upon the sons of Ham is taken notice of by Theophilus, who speaks of it as the first war upon "earth, and calls it the war of the Giants. Credenus assures us, that there were records in Egypt which confirmed the account given by Moses concerning these personages of so extraordinary stature; and that they particularly flourished about the times of " Abraham and Isaac. And he adds, της ύπο. Ἑλληνων Γιγαντας ονομαζόμενες, that 10 Deuteron. c. 2. v. 10. "Ibid. c. 2. v. 20. Giants dwelt therein in old time, and the Ammonites called them Zanzummim. They were the same as the Zuzim. +12 Ad Autolyc. 1. 2. p. 372. άυτη αρχή εγενετο πρωτη το γινεσθαι πολεμος επι της γης, και κατεκοψαν τις Γίγαντας, εν Καραναίμ, και εθνη ισχυρα άμα αυτοις, κλο 13 Ότι εν τοις χρόνοις Αβρααμ και Ισαακ πολυσωμάτους ανθρώπους Αιγυπτιοι ἱσορεσι γενεσθαι, τους ὑπο Ελληνων Γίγαντας ονομαζόμενες. p. 34. Artapanus mentions Abraham αναφέροντα εις της Γίγαντας. Euseb. P. E. 1. 9. p. 420. Josephus also mentions, that this engagement of the four kings was, with some of the Titanic or Gigantic race, whom they defeated. Και κατέκοψαν τις απογονος Two Tiyartwr. Antiq. 1. c. 9. p. 31. these were the people whom the Grecians called Giants. The most full account of the Titans and their defeat, is to be found in some of the Sibylline poetry. The Sibyls were Amonian priestesses; and were possessed of antient memorials, which had been for a long time deposited in the temples where they presided. A great part of those compositions, which go under their name, is not worth being mentioned. But there are some things curious and among these is part of an historical poem, to which I allude. It is undoubtedly a translation of an antient record, found by some Grecian in an Egyptian temple: and though the whole is not uniform, nor perhaps by the same hand, yet we may see in it some fragments of very curious history. * Αλλ' ὁποταν μεγάλοιο Θεα τελεώνται απειλαι, **Sib. Orac. 1. 3. p. 223. Theoph. ad Autolyc. 1. 2. p. 371.1 |