Pilgrimage, Book 1 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Of the re-peopling of the world: and of the diuision of Tongues and Nations.
NOw aGenes. 8.1.GOD remembred NOAH, saith Moses; not that God can forget, but that hee declared his Diuine power, whereby Noah might know hee was not forgotten. Then did the bHos. 2. 21. 22.Heauensremember their wonted influence in the Elements: then did the Elements remember their naturall order: GOD made awinde to passe in commission, and, as a common vmpire, to end their vnnaturall strife, forcing the waters into their ancient precincts aboue and beneath the firmament. (Ambrose interpreteth this Winde of the HOLY GHOST, lib. de No. Rupertus lib. 4. of the Sunne. The most, of winde, which yet naturally could not bee produced from that waterie masse, but by the extraordinary hand of God *Perer. in Genes. lib. 13..) Then did the Earth remember her first inheritance, being freed from the tyrannicall inuasion and vsurpation of the waters. And what could then forget or bee forgotten, when GOD remembred NOAH and all that was with him in the Arke?
And in the cAn. Mund. 1656. the Floud.seuenth monethmonth, the seuenteenth day of the monethmonth, the Arke rested vponupon the Mountaines of Ararat. This fell out in the yeare from the Creation 1656. The dAfter the Sept. 2242. and after the most ancient copies 2262. Scalig.Septuagint, and the Fathers that followed them, reckon farre otherwise: which errour of theirs, differing from the Hebrew veritie, eDe Ciu. Dei. lib. 15. cap. 11. & dein. ad 13.Augustine ascribes to the first Copiers of that Translation: *Iunius. Broughton.Others to their owne set purpose, that they might contend with other Nations in the challenge of Antiquitie: for that cause, and lest the often halfing of ages should trouble the faithlesse, saith Master Broughton, they faine Cainan, betwixt Arphaxad and Selah: in which account if fLuke 3. 36.Luke in his Genealogie hath followed them, it is to be ascribed to them which would correct Luke by their corrupt translation of the Septuagint, for gB…za annot. Luc. 3.some copies of the Gospell hauehave wanted it. The place is commonly thought to be Armenia. hG…t. Bec. Indoicytbica. pag. 473.Goropius after his wont paradoxicall, holdeth it to be the hill Paropanisus, or Paropamisus, a part of the hill Taurus (vnproperly ascribed to Caucasus, which riseth betweene the Euxine and Hircan sea) supposed the highest part of the earth, called now, M.Paul.VenNaugracot.
He imagined, that the place first inhabited after the Floud was Margiana, whence those Colonies passed that with Nunrod built Babylon. His reason is, because iGenes. 11. 2.they went from the East to the Plaine of Shinar, whereas Armenia beareth somewhat Eastward from thence. As though that iourney had beene presently after the Floud, which was an hundred yeares after: in which space it is likely that they followed the Mountainous countries Eastward a long time, and from Assyria Adiabena, turned backe into that fertile Plaine, where pride, fulnesse of bread, and abundance ofidlenesse, set them on worke against GOD. I hold it not meete, that a few coniectures should counterpoise the generall consent of all ages. Iosephus saith, the place in Armenia was called Apobaterion, of this their going forth of the Arke: and alleageth Berosus testimonie, that a part of this Arke was then said to remaine in the Cordyaean (or Gordyaean) hilles, the pitch whereof some scraping away, wore the same for Amulets. And out of Nich. Damascenus, lib. 96; There is (saith hee) aboue the region of the Minyae, a great hill in Armenia, by name Baris, wherein, they say, many saued themselues in the time of the Floud, and one, brought in an Arke, there stayed (the remnants of the wood thereof continuing there long time after) which happily was hee that Moses the Iewish Law-giuer writ of. This mountaine or mountainous Region the Chaldean Paraphrast calleth kTremel. & Inn. Annot.Kardu; Curtius, Cordaei montes; Ptolomaeus, Gordiaei: the people are called Cardyaei or Gordyaei. In this Tract (saith Epiphan.) lib. 1. contra Haeres. there is one high mountaine called Lubar, which signifieth the descending place (Lubar in the Armenian and Egyptian language signifying the same that foreign before mentioned) and the word Baris before cited out of Damascenus seemeth to bee corruptly written for Lubaris.
The Armenians through all ages hauehave (as it seemeth) reserued the memorie hereof: and euen lCartwrights Trauels.in our dayes there standeth an Abbey of Saint Gregories Monkes neere to this hill, which was able to receiue *The Persian King.Shaugh Thamas and a great part of his armie. These Monkes, if any list to beleeue them, say that there remaineth yet some part of the Arke, kept by Angels: which, if any seeke to ascend, carrie them backe as farre in the night, as they hauehave climbed in the day. Cartwright, an eye-witnesse, saith that this hill is alwayes couered with snow; at the foot thereof issue a thousand springs; there are adioyning three hundred Villages of the Armenians. Hee saith also that there are seene many ruinous foundations supposed to bee the workes of this first people, that a long time durst not aduenture into the lower countries for feare of another Floud. mIn Chron. Graec. Eusebij & praeparat. Euang. lib. 9. cap. 4.Abidenus saith, that the Ship or Arke was still in Armenia (in his time) and that the people vsed the wood thereof against many diseases with maruellous effect.
After that Noah had obtained his deliuerance, and was now gone out of the Arke; his first care was Religion: and therefore he nGenes. 8. …0.built an Altar to the Lord, and tooke of eueryevery cleane beast, and of eueryevery cleane fowle, and offered burnt offerings vponupon the Altar. And the Lord smelled a fauour of rest, and renued the ancient blessings and promises to Noah and his Posterity. The liuing creatures were also permitted to their food, and submitted to their rule, by whom they had in the Arke escaped drowning. Only the bloud was prohibited to them, as a ceremonial obseruation to instruct them in lenity and hatred of cruelty: the politicall ordinance being annexed touching the bloud of man, against man or beast that should shed the same. This difference being oGibbins in Gènes. 9. Cic. dc …inilib. 2.alledged of the life of man and beast, that the life of the beast is his bloud, the life of man is in his bloud. Not that the bloud which we see shed is the life of the beast; for that is properly, Cruor, not Sanguis, that is, the matter, whose forme was the life or vitall spirit, which being separated from the bodie, is seuered also from the forme of life. And the life of beasts hath no other forme but that which is vnited with the bloud, as the life of trees is the sappe of trees; their bloud being (as it were) their soule. But *Vt sit pecndum anim a qualitativa, homi…num vero substantiua. Aquin. Sanguis vchicuculum animae Aristot. de Gen. animal. lib. 3.the life of man is in his bloud, hauing his seate therein, liuing when it is by death separated from the bloud; meane while the Spirites beeing the purest part of the bloud, as conduites conueying life to the bodily members, and as firme bands of a middle nature, betweene the body & soule, vniting them together; which bands and carriages being broken by effusion of bloud, the soule subsisteth a spirituall substance without the bodie, not subiect to substantiall corruption or mortalitie.
God did also make a couenant for man with the beasts of the field, infusing into the nature of all things, a dread and feare of man, whereby they feare the power, the snares, and sleights of man, and therefore flee or else submit themselues, not by that willing instinct, as to Adam in innocencie, but rather with a seruile feare. And although by hunger or prouocation, or feare of their owne danger, they sometimes rebell, yet otherwise there remaines some impression of this naturall decree in them, as experience in all places hath shewed. Euen the Lion, king of forrests & sauage creatures, doth not easily giuegive onset, but on such occasions: yea the Moores meeting with this beast, do rate and braule at him; this magnanimous beast passing by with a leering countenance, expressing a mixt passion of dread and disdaine, fearing the voyce of one, that feareth not the weapons of many, which himselfe, by the terrour of his voice, maketh the beasts to tremble. Hereunto the Lord addeth the Rainbow, a new sacrament, to seale his mercifull Couenant with the earth, not to drowne the same any more; which yet at last shall be burnt with fire, so to purge the heauens and earth of that vanity, whereto mans sin hath subiected them. And thus much do pGregor. Maz… nios homil. 8. in Ezech. Melanc. Comest.some reade in the colours of *Rabbini tres Iridis colores referunt ad tres Patriarchas: sicut & Christiain quatuor colores, ad 4.elementa. Gib.the Rainbow, of a waterish and fiery mixture, as a continued signe of the double destruction of the world, the first outward as already past, the other inward as yet to come. Wel indeed may this Bowe be called the qIris Thaumant. filia.Child of Wonder, both for the naturall constitution and diuine ordinance: not that there was before rAlcuinum et Chrysoft. accusat Percrius huius opin. l. 14. in Gt.no such creature, but that then this vse of the creature was ordained. The reflection or refraction of the Sunne-beames in a waterie cloude, the brightnes from the Sunne and from the cloud meeting together, the variety of colours proceeding from the varietie of matter; the furnish and drier part of the cloude yeelding a purplish, the watery a greenish sea-colour &c. borrowing the roundnes from the Sunne halfe eclipsed by the shadow of the Earth, are accounted the natural causes of this wonder of Nature; sometime also by reason of aboundance of matter, the same beeing doubled, one Bowe within the other, their colours placed contrarie, for that the one is the image (by reflection) of the other. Neither is it to be thought, that there was no Rainebowe before the Floud, anie more than that there was no water, bread or wine before the institution of our Christian Sacraments, which name and dignitie, not Nature, but Vse, by the appoyntment of the GOD of Nature and Grace doth giuegive vntounto them. For not in the cloudes alone is this Bows to be seene, but as further witnesse of the maturall causes and constitution thereof, the same, effect may be shewed by concurrence of like causes in the waters and rockes where Riuers hauehave their falles; yea on the buildings of men: as I my selfe hauehave seene a perfect Rainebowe by the reflection of the Sunne-beames on a boarded wall of a Water-mill, the boardes thereof being very wet with the fall of the water, and opposite to the Sunne.
The sonnes of Noah were Sem (which because of Diuine priuiledge, from whose loynes Christ was to come according to the flesh) is first named Ham or Cham, and Iapheth, who seemeth (as slunius & alij. Pererius contra lib. 15. in Gen.learned men gather by the *Gen. 10.21.text) to be the eldest. Fabulous Methodius, contrary to Moses, speaketh of an other sonne Ionithus after the Floud, whereas the tGenes. 9.19.Scripture saith, That of those three all the Earth was replenished.
To shew directly which Nations descended of each of these three, were a hard taske: and now after this confusion of Nations by wars, leagues, and otherwise, impossible. But for the first beginnings of Nations, before that Colonies were by violence of Conquerours, or by themselues, in their exceeding multiplying, voluntarily translated from one place to another, they are by Moses faithfully related, although the confusion of Languages and of peoples do make the matter hard and harsh to vsus. Yet the names of Nations in the Greeke Stories doe in great part agree with the names of these first Patriarkes, as maister uBroughtons Concent.Broughton hath shewed, by laying downe the names of Noahs house, which, vnvowelled, may admit sundry pronouncings, setting against them such names as heathen Authors hauehave mentioned. Out of him, and Arias Montanus his Phaleg, and others, what I thought likeliest, I hauehave heere inserted. Iapheth, Iapetus: Gomer, or after the Septuagint Gamer: Camaritae Cimmerij, and Cimbri. xIoseph. Ant. l. 1. Trem. & Iun. An.Iosephus saith, That the inhabitants of Galatia were of Gomer sometime called Gomarae. yCamd.Brit.Maister Camden deriueth the ancient Galls and Britans from this Gomer: the name which they giuegive to themselues to this day implying the same, which is Kumero, Cymro, and Kumeri, a Brittish or Welsh woman Kumeraes, and their language Kumeraeg.
zMagog Massagetae & Getae.Magog is supposed the father of the Scythians, before (saith Iosephus) called Magoges, Ezek. 38.2. and 39.6. who after inuading those parts, left the name Magog to Hierapolis in Syria: Plin lib. 5. c. 23. Of Madai came the Medes, of Iauan the Iones or Grecians. Of Thubal the Iberians, called sometime (saith Iosephus) Thobeli. The Iberians, saith Montanus, dwelt neere to Meotis: certaine colonies of them inhabited Spaine, and called it Hiberia, and themselues Hiberians: whence the Spaniards hauehave a report, that Thubal was the first peopler of their countrey. The Cappadocians were called Meschini of Meshech, whose citie Mazaca was named of Meshech, since by Tiberius named Caesarea, where Basil was Bishop. Hence was named Moschicus mons, and Moschos, and the Moscouites.
From Thiras came the Thracians. The name Tros may cause men to ascribe the Troians to this beginning. Of the sonnes of Gomer, Aschenaz was Author of the nations in Asia, Pontus, and Bithynia, where was the lake and riuer Ascanius, a proper name also of men in those parts: the Axine or Euxine Sea: the Ascanian Iland, and Ascania in Phrygia. Of Riphath came the Paphlagonians, sometimes called the Riphathaei, saith Iosephus: and the Riphaean hills in the North: the Amazonians were also called Aeorpatae in Herod. Melpom. The Arimphei neere to the Riphean hilles.
Thogarma gaue name to the inhabitants of Armenia Minor, whose Kings, called Tygranes, and Townes Tygranokartae, witnesse it: some also attribute the Turkes or Turkeman Nation to this name and author. These peopled Asia first, and from thence by degrees these parts of Europe: Of Togarma, Africanus deriueth the Armenians.
Of Iauans children, Elisha founded the Aeoles, called also Aelisei of Tarshish came the Cilicians, whose mother-citie was Tarsus, Paules birth-place. Montanus thinketh that Tharsis was Carthage in Africa, which the Poeni after possessed: some referre the Venetians to Tharsis also. Cittim was an other part of Cilicia. The Cretans (after Montanus) were called Chetim, and of others Cortini, of whom the Italian coast called Magna Graecia was inhabited, and the city Caieta, builded. Of Dodanim came the Dorians and Rhodians. These peopled the North and West parts of the World in Asia and Europe.
Chams posteritie was Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan: These possessed the South of Asia, and Africa. Of Cham is the name Chemmis in Aegipt; and Ammon the Idol and Oracle so notorious. Cush gaue name to the Aethiopians and Arabians knowne in Scripture by that name. Mizraim, to the Aegyptians, euen at this day so called in their owne and the Arabian tongues. Put, to the Libyans, sometime called Phuthaei: the riuer Fut is mentioned by ylib. 5. ca 1.Pliny not far from Atlas. The Canaanites I need not mention: Moses plainely describeth them.
Of the sons of Cush, Seba Author of the inhabitants of Arabia deserta, Ps. 72.10. or after Montanus Sabaea regio thurifera. Chauila is a name more forgotten, supposed to be Author of a people neere the Persian Gulfe. zSabtha Stabeisuper sinum Persie. & Messabathae ex ijs oriundi. Arias Montanus.Sabbesta left the name to the inhabitants of Arabia Faelix, where was the city Sabbatha with threescore temples therein. Other people of Arabia Faelix came of Raeamah, where Ptolomaeus placeth Regama: the Garamantes also in Libya. Sabitheca was Author of the Sachalitae in Arabia Faelix. Nimrod—the sonne of Cush, some thinke to be Zoroastres some Belus.
Misraim begate Ludim, the inhabitants of Maraeotica praefectura in Egypt: Anamim, the Cyreneans: & Lehabim, the Libyans: & Naphtuhim the Aethiopians neare to Egypt, whose towne Napata is mentioned in Ptolomey: Pathrusim the Pharusians, Casluhim, at the entrance of Egypt, Cassiotis. Montanus interpreteth Ludim the Libyans; Ghananim, the Troglodytes; Lehabim, the Cyrenaikes; Naphthuhim, Africa the lesse; Chasluhim the Saracens; Caphthorins, the Cappadocians.
To Shems posterity befell the parts of Asia from Iudaea eastward.
Shems sonnes were Elam, the father of the Elamites, in the higher part of Persia: Ashur, of whom came the Assyrians: Arphaxad: the Cadusians or the Chaldeans are (with little likenesse of sound) ascribed to him. Lud is holden father of the Lydians: and Aram of the Syrians, called also Aramaei; others of Aarm deriue Armenia.
Arams sonnes were Vz, of whom the region Ausanitis was named Chul, of whom Cholle seemeth to hauehave his appellation in the Palmyrene desarts neare to Euphrates. Gether; Iosephus ascribeth to him Bactria; others that part of Syria where Gnidar stood. Atergate and Derceto that notorious Syrian goddesse; happily borrowed the name hence: Of Mash is the name Masius, part of the hill Amanus: Montanus saith, of Mes Mis…', and Misia, whom Invenal calles Mesos—de grege Mesorum.
Ioktan begat Elmodad, of whom the hill Emodus may seeme named: of Shalah the Sclebij and Sariphi: of Hatzarmaveth, the Sarmatians: of Iarach, the Arachosians: of Hadoram, the Orites, people of India: of Vzal or Auxal, Auzakea a citie in Scythia, and the riuer Oxus: of Diklah (after Arias Montanus) Scythia intra Imaum, the reason I see not in the name: of Obal or Ghobal, the Cabolites, people of Paropanisus: of Abimael, Imaus: of Sheba, the Sabae which Eustathius placeth in India, or according to Montanus, the Sacae: of Ophir, some thinke called Aurea Chersonesus, where Pegu and Malacca now are: Montanus thinketh it to be Peru: Chanilah hath not left so plaine impression behinde. Montanus ascribeth to him India. Of Iobab, Arias Montanus coniectureth Parias in the West Indies to hauehave come, but with little probabilitie which I can see. And of the most before named wee hauehave probable coniectures, not certaine proofes, as appeareth by the difference of opinions of Authors concerning them. Neither may we thinke that Moses intended so much a Geographicall Historie of all the Nations of the World, many of which were not, long after his time, planted or peopled; but of the first Fathers, who peopled the places by degrees, as they increased in multitude which were neerest that Armenian centre: and especially he relateth & dilateth of them, whom it most concerned the Israelites to know, as the Canaanites, whose bounds and nations are exactly described. I could adde much touching the seuerall Nations descending of these three brethren, and the bounds of their habitations, in which Africanus sometime took profitable paines; and Eusebius out of him, although both be in this part lost: somewhat hath beene barbarously translated into Latine by an vnknowne Author, for the foloecismes, tedious; for the substance of history profitable to the Reader: and therefore by Scaliger in his edition of Eusebius communicated to the world. But the vncertainety *Pererius, Opmerus, and other Commē ters on Genes. and Chronologians, hauehave done somwhat in this argument, which yet as in many we see much probabilitie, so very much is exceeding doubtfull of that they say.maketh me vnwilling to proceed in this argument further.
Of this vncertaintie no greater cause can be alleadged, then the diuision and confusion of Tongues, the historie whereof Moses declareth. For whereas God had giuen to man two Priuiledges and principall prerogatiues, whereof other creatures are no way capable, his inward yRetione & oratione differunt bomines à bestijs.Reason, and abilitie to vtter the same by Speach: this benefite of God in Nature was turned into a conspiracie against God and Nature. They said one to another, zGenes.… 1. 2, 3Come, let vsus make bricke for stone, and slime had they instead of morter. Also they said, let vsus build vsus a City and Tower, whose toppe may reach vntounto the heauen, that we may get vsus a name, lest we be scattered vponupon the whole earth. This was their vaine arrogance and presumption, that when their guilty consciences threatened a dissipation and scattering by diuine Iustice: they would thus harten & harden themselues against God and Man: in stead of thankefulnesse to God, and honouring his name, they would winne themselues a name and honour: in stead of preuenting punishment by repentance, they would in this Giant-like fighting against God preuent future iudgements. But euen that, by which they intended to keepe them from scattering, was the true and first cause of their scattering. So doth God scatter the counsells of his enemies, and taketh the wise in their craftinesse. Babel or confusion is alway the attendant of Pride. Sibylla, alleaged by aAnt.li. 1. ca. 4.Iosephus, testifieth of this confusion of Tongues in these words. When all men before vsed one speech, they erected a high Tower, as if they would ascend to Heauen, but the Gods by tempests ouerthrew their Tower, and gaue to ech of them seuerall Languages, whereof the citie was named Babylon. According to that of Moses, bGenes. 11. 9.Therefore the name of it was called Babel, because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth. From thence then did the Lord scatter them vponupon all the Earth. The Atheists and Naturalists dreame the world to be eternall, and conceiue that all men could not be of one; because of this diuersitie of languages. If such had beene at Hierusalem, and heard the Apostles (not the expertest men in their owne vulgar) speake all Languages: they might then hauehave seene the like powerin a contrary effect to this of Babylon. Mans sinne caused this, Gods merciemercy that the one came from Babylon, the other from Ierusalem, that old Ierusalem giuing a taste and earnest of that, which the new Ierusalem shal once fully accomplish, when all shalbe made new, all shall become one, and God shalbe all in all. It appeereth that these Builders lost the vnderstanding of their owne speach, and were indued with other language, whereto their Vnderstandings and Tongues were framed, in stead of that former.
What this former Language was, hath bin doubted, either of ignorance or of curiositie and self-louelove. Theodor. q. 59. in Gen. esteemeth Syrian the first language and that Hebrew began with Moses, taught him by God as a sacred language. cHerodot. li. 2.Psammetichus K. of Egypt caused two children to be closely brought vp by a shepheard, who should at times put Goats to them to giuegive them suck, without euer hearing humane voice. After two yeeres they vttered the word Bec Bec, which was the voyce that they had heard of their nurses the Goates, but not so interpreted by Psammetichus; for he enquiring in what language Bec was significant, and hearing that the Phrygians so called Bread, ascribed to them the prioritie of all nations and languages. Melabdim Echebar the great dRelat. Regn. Mogor. loan. Orani.Mogor (as the Iesuites Epistles declare) made the like triall of thirty children, whom he caused, without hearing of man, to be brought vp, setting Guards to obserue the Nurses that they should not speake to them: purposing to be of that Religion whereto they should addict themselues. But neither could they euer speake, or would he euer addict himselfe to one certaine Religion. eIndoscyth.Goropini by a few Dutch Etymologies grew into conceit, & would hauehave the world beleeue him, that Dutch was the first language; which if it were, we English should reigne with them, as a Colony of that Dutch Citie, a streame from that fountaine, by commerce and conquests since manifoldly mixed. But his euidence is too weake, his authority too new.
The *Orig. in Num. 11. Hier in Sophon.ca. 3. Chrys. in Gen, 30. Aug de Ciuit. Dei li. 16. ca. 11 &c.common and more receiued opinion, is, that the Hebrew was the first, confirmed also by vniuersalitie, antiquitie, and consent of the Christian Fathers and learned men, grounding themselues vponupon this reason, That all the names, mentioned in Scripture before the Diuision, are in that Language only significant: besides, it is not like, that Shem conspired with these Babylonians, & therfore not partaker of their punishmēt. Now it is very probable, & almost manifest, that he was *See Broughton on that argument. Genebrard. Chron. Gen. 10. 21.the same which after is called Melchisedesh, King of Salem; betwixt whom & Abraham, in that familiaritie, it is not likely, that there was much dissonance in Language. He is also called the father of all the sonnes of Heber, by a peculiar proprietie, although he had other sonnes, because the puritie of Religion & Language remained in Hebers posteritie. And why should Heber call his sonne Peleg (Diuision) but of this diuision which then happened? The Nation and Language of Israel borrow their name (Hebrew) of him. And if it had happened to himselfe, why should he, more then other, hauehave so named his sonne?