The Court of the Gentiles, Discourse · Part 1 · Book 2 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. The Theogonie of Vulcan, Silenus, Pan, Prometheus, Neptune, Janus, Aeolus, Rhea, Minerva, Ceres, Niobe, and the Sirenes.
Vulcan the ſame with Tubal cain, Gen. 4.22. Silenus's parallel with, Silo, Gen. 40.10. &c. Silenus the ſame with Silas and Silo. Silenus is ſaid to be without Father and Mother; as Silo and Melchiſedek his Type Heb. 7.3. Silenus is ſaid to be the greateſt Doctor of his Age, from Silo's Character Gen. 49.10. Silenus's riding on an Aſſe, from Silo's Gen. 49.11. Silenus's being filled with Wine, from Silo's Gen. 49.12. Silenus's meat Cows milk, from Silo's Character Gen. 49.12. Silenus's Parallel with Balaam. The Theogonie of Pan and his Parallel with the Hebrew Meſſias. Pan the ſame with Silenus, Faunus, and Satyrus. Pan's parallel with Abel, Iſrael, and Cham. Prometheus's Theogonie and Parallel with Noah: as alſo with Magog. Neptunes Theogonie and Parallel with Japhet. Janus's Parallel with Noah, and Javan. The Theogonie of Aeolus, Rhea, Minerva, Ceres, Niobe, and the Sirenes, Hebraick.
§. 1. Vulcan the ſame with Tubalcain Gen. 4.22.FRom Mars we paſſe to Vulcan, who was exactly parallel unto, and derived from Tubalcain, as both their Names and Attributes prove. Ʋnde niſi à Tubalcain Vulcanus. Sandf. de Deſc. l. 1. §. 21.Firſt, as to the name Vulcan, Voſſius de Idolatr. lib. 1. cap. 16. ſhews us that Vulcanus is the ſame with Tubalcanus Gen. 4.22. only by a wonted and eaſy mutation of B into V. and caſting away a ſyllable: as from foreign lacte and from foreign rura.
2. As for the main Art or Office attributed to Vulcan, we have it mention'd by Diodorus lib. 5. foreign &c. By Vulcan, as they ſay, was invented the fabrication of Iron, Braſse, Gold, Silver, and all other metals, which receive the operation of fire; as alſo the univerſal uſe of fire, as imployed by Artificers and others. Whence the Maſters of theſe Arts offer up their prayers and ſacreds to this God chiefly: and by theſe, as by all others, Vulcan is called foreign fire, and having by this means given a great benefit to the common life of men, he is conſecrated to immortal memorie and honor. Thus Diodorus: wherein he gives us an exact account why the Mythologiſts conſecrated Vulcan, and made him the God of Fire, and all Arts perfected by fire. Which exactly anſwers to the character given to Tubalcain Gen. 4.22. Gen. 4.22.Tubalcain an inſtructor of every Artificer in iron and braſſe, &c. Thence Bochart in his Preface to Phaleg ſpeaks thus: The Grecians, when they write of the firſt Inventors of things, to Tubalcain, who firſt invented the conflature of Metals, they ſubſtitute the Curetes, or the Cyclopes, or Vulcanus Lemnius, &c. This alſo exactly anſwers to Sanchoniathons character of Vulcan, whom (according to Philo Byblius's Verſion) he calls foreign, in the Phenician Tongue foreign Chores-ur, i.e. foreign one, who by the operation of fire, fabricates metals into any forme: whence Lucian cals Vulcan foreign; and the Poets feign him to be the chief fabricator of all Jupiters thunderbolts, &c. So Bochart Can. lib. 2. cap. 2.
§. 2. Silenus the ſame with Silo. Gen. 49.10.We now come to Silenus, ſo famous amongſt the Poets, whom they place in the order of their Gods; whoſe Names, Genealogie, and Attributes, apparently prove him to have been, by a monſtrous Satanick imitation, of ſacred origination. 1. As for his Greek name, which is variouſly written either foreign, or foreign, or foreign, or foreign Bochart (Can. lib. 1. cap. 18. fol. 482.) makes it to be an evident derivative from the Hebrew foreign Silo, the Meſſias's name Gen. 49.10. for from foreign Silo comes foreign Silan, whence foreign Silenus.
2. Neither does Silenus agree with Silo, the Jewiſh Meſſias, in Name only, but alſo in Genealogie, according to that of Diodorus lib. 3. foreign, 'The firſt that ruled at Nyſa was Silenus; whoſe Genealogie is unknown by all, by reaſon of his antiquitie.
Nyſa where Silenus reigned the ſame with Sina, or Niſſi.1. As for Nyſa, where Silenus reigned, it ſeems either the ſame with Mount Sina (by the tranſpoſition of S. and N.) the place where God delivered the law to Moſes, who therefore was ſaid to reign there, as Voſſius; or elſe Nyſa is the ſame with the place where Moſes, Exod. 17.15. built an Altar, and called the name of it Jehovah Niſsi. as C. 5. §. 3. Whence Nyſa according to Bochart, as before. And that which makes this more evident is, that this Nyſa, where Silenus reigned, is the ſame with that of Bacchus, who is called foreign the God of Nyſa from that of Moſes, Exod. 17.15. Jehovah Niſſi. For Bacchus and Silenus are made by the Poets to be inſeparable companions as C. 3. §. 3.
Silenus's Genealogie, as Silo's unknown. Heb. 7.3.2. As for Silenus's Genealogie, Diodorus alſo tels us, that it was unknown to all by reaſon of its Antiquitie or Eternitie: which anſwers to the Hebrews account of their Meſſias, Hebr. 7.3. without father, without mother, having neither beginning of daies, &c. the character of Melchiſedek, the type of Chriſt.
Silenus and Silo agrees in offices. Gen. 49.10.3. There is yet a more exact Parallel betwixt Silenus and the Hebrew Silo or Shiloh, as to Attributes, and Offices: for 1. Of Silo 'tis ſaid Gen. 49.10. and to him ſhall be foreign the Doctrine of the people, or the Congregation of the people, to be endoctrinated. Thus Silenus is alſo made by the Poets to be the greateſt Doctor of his Age: for he is called foreign Bacchus's Praeceptor, i.e. according to Voſſius's account, Bacchus was Moſes, and Silenus was Silo or Chriſt, who inſtructed Moſes on Mount Sina or Nyſa, the place where Bacchus and Silenus were ſaid to be. Silenus the great Doctor; as Silo is ſtiled.Again Tertullian, de Anima cap. 2. makes Silenus to be a Phrygian, who being brought by the Paſtors to Midas the King, he lent him his great Aſſes ears. Voſſius (de Idololat. lib. 1. cap. 21.) thus deciphers this fable. It is no wonder that Midas is ſaid to lend Silenus his Aſſes ears; becauſe he was the moſt intelligent of his Age both in nature and Antiquitie. The import is; that Midas liſtened greatly to him as his Inſtructor. I ſuppoſe Silenus is ſaid to be a Phrygian, becauſe the Phrygians were ſome of the firſt great Mythologiſts, who traduced fables into Greece, particularly this of Silenus, from the Phenicians and Hebrews.
Silenus's riding on an Aſſe, from Silo's Gen. 49.11.2. Another Attribute given to Silenus is foreign carried for the moſt part on an Aſſe: and hence Silenus had a particular remarque for riding on an Aſſe: which Bochart refers to that prophecie of Silo Gen. 49.11. binding his Aſses colt to the choice Vine. 3. The Mythologiſts fable Silenus, camrade of Bacchus, to be imployed in treading out the Grapes. This Bochart refers to Gen. 49.11. he waſhed his garments in wine, and his cloths in the blood of Grapes, which is explicated Eſa. 5. of ſuch as tread out the grapes.
Silenus's being filled with wine, from Gen 49.12.4. They characterize Silenus, as one that was alwaies drunk; as 'tis ſuppoſed from what followes Gen. 49.12. His eyes ſhall be red with wine: which Solomon makes the character of one overcome with wine, Prov. 23.29,30. to whom rednes of eyes, &c. Silenus's meat Cows milk, from Gen. 49.12.5. They aſcribe to Silenus for his meat, Cows Milk: which Bochart makes to be traduced from Gen. 49.12. and his teeth white with Milk. Whence he concludes thus: The Devil could have imagined nothing more abominable whereby to profane the moſt holy miſteries of our Religion, and to expoſe it to the cavils of moſt wicked men, &c.
6. That Silenus had his original traduction from Silo the Jewiſh Meſsias will farther appear from that of Pauſanius Eliacon. 2. foreign. The monument of Silenus remains in the Countrey of the Hebrews, i.e. all the Traditions of Silenus came from the Hebrews, whoſe Meſsias he was. Silenus's parallel with Balaam.I know, that Sandfordus de Deſcenſu Chriſti l. 1. §. 21. ſuppoſeth Balaam to be Silenus. Nothing, ſaith he, hinders, but that Balaam ſhould be Silenus; namely, he who was ſo famous for his Aſse, and Prophecie. The Ancients fable, that Bacchus gave a reward to a certain Aſſe that he ſhould ſpeak with human voice, with which the Giants, which were Bacchus's enemies, were terrified. Whence came theſe things but from the ſacred Scriptures? Numb. 22.28. Num. 22.28.the Lord opened the mouth of the Aſſe, &c. which being divulged far and near, we need not doubt but that the Moabites were terrified thereat. So Stillingfleet, Origin. S. Book. 3. cap. 5. ſect. 11. makes this whole fable of Silenus to be taken from the ſtorie of Balaam, to whom he ſeems parallel; in that both were noted for their skill in Divination; both taken by the water, Numb. 22.5. Num. 22.5.both noted for riding on an Aſſe, &c. Though tis poſſible, that many Branches of Silenus's ſtorie may be referred to that of Balaam, yet I ſhould rather refer the main of it to Silo, Gen. 49.10. according to that of Bochart (Can. lib. 1. cap. 18. fol. 482.) The firſt of Bacchus's companions is Silenus, whoſe fable took its original from the prophecie of Silo, Gen. 49.10. in a monſtrous manner detorted &c. This may be farther evinced by what follows, of Pan, which ſome make the ſame with Silenus.
§. 3. The Theogonie of Pan, and his parallel with the Jewiſh Meſſias.That Pan, whom the Poets feign to be the God of Shepherds, was parallel to, and, as tis preſumed, originally traduced from the Jewiſh Meſsias, ſtiled the Shepherd of Iſrael, may be evinced from their parallel Names, Attributes, and Offices. 1. As for the origination of Pan, Bochart (Can. lib. 1. cap. 18. fol. 483.) groundedly draws it from the Heb. foreign Pan, which …ignifies ſuch an one as is ſtruck, or ſtrikes with aſtoniſhing fears, and stupifying terrors, as Pſal. 88.16. and the reaſon of this notation is conſiderable: for Pan being ſuppoſed to be one of Bacchus's Commanders, is ſaid to have ſent aſtoniſhing fears on all their enemies; whence that proverbial ſpeech, of Pannick fears. This ſeems to allude to the ſtorie of Iſrael's being conducted in the wilderneſſe by Chriſt, the Shepherd of Iſrael, who caſt Pannick fears on all their Enemies: according to that confeſſion of Rahab, Joſh. 2.9,24.Joſhua 2.9. Your terror is fallen upon us, &c. ſo v. 24. The inhabitants of the countrey do faint becauſe of us. The like Joſhua 5.1. Joſh. 5.1.Their heart melted, neither was their ſpirit in them any more, becauſe of the children of Iſrael. Pan the ſame with Silenus.2. Pan is called alſo by the Latines, Sylvanus: which ſome derive from Sylvis; but other, on more probable conjecture, make it the ſame with the Greek Silenus, or Silas: and ſo in Scripture the ſame perſon, who is called Sylvanus, 1 Theſ. 1.1. is ſtiled Silas, Act. 17.4. as Grotius, and Deodati. Now Silas is the ſame with Silenus, from foreign Silo, or foreign Silan. Pan the ſame with Faunus.3. That which makes this farther evident, is the identitie betwixt Pan and Faunus; which Bochart Can. lib. 1. cap. 18. aſſerts in theſe words. Faunus, amongſt the Latines, is the ſame God, and of the ſame original with Pan: for foreign with ſome ſounds Fun. Thence Ovid, in Phaedra;
—Fauni que Bicornes
Numine contactas attonuere—
And Bochart (Can. lib. 1. cap. 33.) affirmes, that many make Faunus to be the ſame God with Sylvanus, and both the ſame with Pan: and then he addes, And truely, Evander Arcas was the firſt that brought the worſhip of Faunus into Latium, out of Arcadia, where Pan was worſhipped. Satyrus the ſame with Pan and Silenus.4. Yea Voſsius de Idololatr. lib. 1. cap. 8. ſeems to make Satyrus the ſame with Pan, Faunus, and Silenus: and the main difference he makes between them is onelyonly this; That whereas Pan, Faunus, Silenus, and Satyrus, are all wood Deities, the name Satyrus is more general, and uſually attributed to the younger; whereas that of Silenus was given to the more ancient. That which makes for this affirmation is, that Pan, Faunus, Satyrus, and Silenus are all reckoned as companions of Bacchus in his expedition. Bochart (Can. lib: 1. cap. 18. fol. 483.) derives Satyr from foreign Sair, which amongſt the Hebrews ſignifies both a Goat and Devil; (as Maimonides) becauſe the Devil oft preſents himſelf in the forme of a Goat &c. But
2. To paſſe from names to the thing it ſelf. Pan is ſaid to be an Egyptian God, who came up with Bacchus to fight againſt the Giants. So Diodorus Sic. Bibl. 1. Unto this God Pan the natives not onelyonly erect foreign, Images in every Temple; but alſo they have a citie in Thebais, which they call foreign, [i.e. Cham's citie,] but interpret it, foreign, the citie of Pan. By which it is evident, that Pan was an Egyptian God, and, as we may preſume, the ſame with the Hebrew Meſſias, who conducted Moſes (the Egyptian Bacchus) and the Iſraelites out of Egypt, unto Canaan, ſtriking terrors into the Cananites, as before. Pan a fable of the Meſſias.That Pan, the God of Shepherds, and thoſe many fabulous Attributes and Offices given unto him, were originally borrowed from the Jewiſh Meſsias, held forth in the old Teſtament under the Embleme of a Shepherd, is proved at large by Jackſon, in his diſcourſe of the Divine Autoritie of ſacred Scripture, fol. 31. where he cites a relation out of Plutarch, touching the mourning of the Demoniack Spirits, for the death of their great God Pan, and the ceaſing of all their Oracles thereupon: which was truely and onelyonly verified in Chriſt, whoſe death put a period to all Heathen Oracles, as both ſacred and pagan ſtories relate. Pan Abel.But to finiſh this Genealogie of Pan, Bochart (in the Preface to his Phaleg fol. 2.) reduceth his original to Abel. The Greeks (ſaies he) when they write of the firſt Inventors of things, ſubſtitute Pan the Arcadian unto Abel, the Prince of Paſtors, &c. Pan Iſrael.Sandford, de deſcenſu Chriſti l. 1. §. 19. ſuppoſeth Pan to be the ſame with the Patriarch Iſrael, or Jacob. Iſrael Patriarcha verus forte Pan Gentilium. Park. ex Sandf. Pan Cham.His words are theſe: for Joſeph is that old Oſyris, nouriſhed by Pan, whom I conceive to be Iſrael. Dickinſon, Delph, Phoenciz. cap. 4. makes Pan the ſame with Cham: which he indeavors to prove from that of Diodor. Sicul. l. 1. where the ſame citie in Egypt, which is called foreign, i.e. the citie of Cham, is interpreted by the Natives, the citie of Pan. We need not exclude either of theſe Parallels with Pan; becauſe we find that the Mythologiſts were, according to their different humors, very difforme and different in the application of their Fables. Only, I ſuppoſe, the great Pan, ſo much idolized by the Poets as the God of Shepherds, refers chiefly to the Jewiſh Meſſias, the great Shepherd of Iſrael, as before.
§. 4. Prometheus his Theogonie and parallel with Noah.We now proceed to Prometheus, and his Genealogie, Names, and Attributes, with their parallel in ſacred ſtorie and perſons. There is ſome difference among Philologiſts about the Traduction of Prometheus; ſome reducing him to Noah, others to Magog, Japhet's ſon: which controverſie may be, with much eaſe, reconciled, by taking in both reductions. For its certain that the old Mythologiſts were no way uniforme or conforme in the application of thoſe fables, they gleaned up in the Oriental parts. Therefore to begin with thoſe who make Prometheus the ſame with Noah: as Voſsius de Idololatr: lib. 1. cap. 18. pag. 141. The Patriarch Noah (ſaies he) is adumbrated to us, not onelyonly in Saturne, but alſo in Prometheus, whoſe Feaſt is called at Athens foreign, in which there is a conteſt of Lamps; alſo an Altar in the Academie, on which the Lamps are wont to be kindled in this Conteſt; as tis atteſted by Harpocration, &c. Thus Voſsius. This Rite, conſecrated to Prometheus, I preſume, had its original Idea from the Lamps which burned in the Temple at Ieruſalem, and from the fire on the Altar: whence alſo that fable of Prometheus's ſtealing fire from Heaven: (which may allude to Elijah's praying for fire, which deſcended from Heaven, &c.) But as to the parallel betwixt Prometheus and Noah, take theſe particulars. 1. As under Noah, ſo alſo under Prometheus, the great Floud was ſuppoſed to happen. So Diodorus, lib. 1. foreign &c. They ſay that Nilus having broken down its bounds, overwhelmed a great part of Egypt, eſpecially that part where Prometheus reigned, which deſtroyed the greateſt part of men in his Territorie. Whereas ſome may object, that this is meant onelyonly of a particular Deluge in Egypt, under Prometheus &c. Tis replied, that as the Grecians attributed the general Floud to Deucalion, ſo the Egyptians attributed the ſame to Prometheus, or, as Euſebius, to Ogyges; whereas all theſe fabulous Deluges, were but broken Traditions of the real univerſal Deluge under Noah. And particularly, that this under Prometheus was the ſame with that of Noah, Voſſius endeavors to prove from the notation of the name: for (ſaies he) foreign ſignifies one who is ſo wiſe, as to foreſee evil; whereas on the contrary, foreign is one, who is too late, or after-wiſe. which agrees to Noah, who being divinely taught, foreſaw the floud, and ſo preſerved himſelf and his. 2. Prometheus is ſaid to rebuild and reſtore human kind after the floud: which exactly anſwers to Noah, the father of Man-kind, &c. 3. Herodot: lib. 4. tels us, that Prometheus's wife was called Aſia. And indeed, Noah's wife was no other than Aſia, or Aſiatica, an Aſiatick. But whereas it may be objected, that Prometheus is made to be the ſon of Iapetus, and therefore cannot be Noah, but muſt be his Grandchild; Voſsius replies, that tis no wonder, if in Ages ſo remote, poſteritie miſcalled the Father and the ſon, and ſo confounded one with t'other.
2. Prometheuss's parallel with Magog.2. Bochart, to avoid this contradiction, makes Prometheus to be Magog the ſon of Iapetus, or Japhet. So Bochart Phaleg lib. 1. cap. 2. fol. 11. alſo lib. 3. cap. 13. where he proves, that Prometheus is the ſame with Magog. 1. In that he is ſtiled the ſon of Iapetus; as Magog was the ſon of Japhet. 2. From the eating of Prometheus's heart; which fable ſprang from the name foreign Magog; which, being applied to the heart, implies its conſumtion, or waſting away. 3. Prometheus is ſaid to have his ſeat, and to lie in Caucaſus; becauſe Magog, and his poſteritie ſeated themſelves there. 4. They fable, that fire and metals were invented by Prometheus, (as formerly by Vulcan:) becauſe there are many ſubterraneous fires and metals in theſe places. Stillingfleet; Orig. S. book 3. cap. 5. §. 9. &c. follows Bochart herein.
§. 5. Neptune the ſame with Japhet.From Prometheus we paſſe to Neptune; which is indeed a name rather appellative and common, than proper. For as in ancient times, eſpecially before the Trojan wars, they ſtiled all illuſtrious Kings, Jupiter, and all renowned Captains, Mars, or Hercules; ſo alſo they called every Inſular Prince by the name of Neptune: whence multitudes partook of one and the ſame name; which made their characters and ſtories the more fabulous and ambiguous: yet are we not without evident ideas and notices of their Traduction, originally, from ſome ſacred perſon or ſtorie, as has been already demonſtrated by a large enumeration of particulars; which will farther appear by the genealogie and ſtor… of Neptune, who according to the general conſent of the …, was originally Japhet the ſon of Noah. For look … memorie of Noah was preſerved in Saturne; Unde etiam Japetus niſi à Japhet. Sandf. Deſc. l. 1. §. 22.and of Shem (whoſe poſteritie poſſeſſed the ſeptentrional and oriental Aſia) in Pluto; and alſo of Cham (whoſe progenie ſeated in the Meridional, Aſia, & Africa) in Jupiter Hammon: ſo alſo the memorie and ſtorie of Japhet was continued in Neptune, as Philologiſts generally accord, and that one theſe rational conjectures: The parallel 'twixt Japhet and Neptune.1. From the very name Neptune; which Bochart derives from foreign Niphtha, which belongs to Niphal, or the Paſſive Conjugation of foreign Patha to enlarge; whence foreign Japhet, according to the alluſion of Noah Gen. 9.27. Gen. 9.27.foreign Japht Elohim lejaphet, i.e. God ſhall enlarge Japhet. foreign of the ſame origination with Japhet.Proportionable whereto Neptune was called by the Greeks foreign; which Grammarians in vain attempt to deduce from the Greek tongue; ſeeing, as Herodotus in Euterpe aſſures us; the name foreign, was at firſt uſed by none, but the Libyans or Africans, who alwaies honored this God. Namely foreign or foreign is the ſame with the Punick foreign Peſitan; which ſignifies Expanſe or broad; from foreign Peſat to dilate, or expand. Whence it appears, that foreign and Japhet are Synonymous; and both derived from Radix's, ſignifying latitude: which well ſuits with Neptune's Character; who is ſtiled foreign latè imperans and latiſonans; as alſo foreign one that has a large breaſt, &c. See more of this Bochart, Phaleg. lib. 3. cap. 1.2. From the Genealogie of Neptune; whom the Mythologiſts make to be Saturnes ſon; as Japhet was ſon to Noah, who paſſed for Saturne.
Neptune the God of the Sea, from …phets poſſeſ… … Iſlands.3. Neptune was fabled to be the God of the Sea, and Inſtructor of Navigation; So Diodorus lib. 5. foreign. &c. The Cretenſes ſay, that amongſt other Gods borne of Saturne and Rhea, Neptune firſt began to mannage the Affairs … the Sea, and to inſtruct for Navigation; he having obtain… this prefecture from Saturne, whence it came to paſſe, that in af… time the common Vogue ſo far obtained, that whatever ever was done at Sea, was ſaid to have been in the power of Neptune, and therefore the Mariners ſacrificed unto him. Thus Diodorus. All which ſeems to have been taken up from the real ſtorie of Japhet, & his Poſteritie, their poſſeſſing the Ilands in the midland Sea, Greece, &c. So Bochart Phaleg lib. 1. cap. 2. Japhet (ſaies he) paſſed for Neptune the God of the Sea; becauſe his portion was in the Ilands and Peninſules. In the Ilands are Britannie, Ireland, Thule, Crete, Sicilie, Sardinia, Corſica, Baleares, &c. In the peninſules are Spain, Italie, Greece, Aſia minor, &c. So Lactantius de falſa Relig. l. 1. c. 11. All the maritime places, with the Ilands, belonged unto Neptune, &c. This ſuits with Plato's origination of Neptunes Greek name; who (in his Cratylus) deriveth foreign, from his giving drink, i.e. the Sea and Water unto all: which argues thus much, that they looked on Neptune as the God of the Sea, and that in alluſion to Japhets poſſeſſing the maritime parts of Europe, &c.
4. Neptune was alſo called foreign Equeſtris: which is thus explicated by Diodorus lib. 5. where having ſpoken of Neptune as God of the Sea, he addes. foreign. They adde alſo this of Neptune, that he was the firſt that tamed horſes; and that the Science of Horſemanſhip was firſt delivered by him; whence he was ſtiled foreign a good horſeman. This alſo Voſſius applies to Japhet: (Voſſius de Idolol lib. 1. cap. 15. pag. 118.) his words are theſe: Japhet had for his portion the Mediterranean Ilands, and the European continent: wherefore his poſteritie had need of a twofold Science, 1. Of Nautick, to direct them in their Navigation, 2. Of Horſemanſhip to conduct themſelves in thoſe rude and wild countries, thorow which they were to paſſe into the Northerne and Weſterne parts of Europe. This I conjecture was the cauſe why Neptune, whom I interpret Japhet, was made to be the God of Nautick Science and ſea Affairs, as alſo of Horſemanſhip, &c. But touching the Parallel 'twixt Japhet and Neptune, ſee more Bochart Phaleg. lib. 3. cap. 1.
§. 6. Janus's Theogonie and Pa…allel 1. With Noah.As for the Theogonie of Janus and his parallel; if we conſider him hiſtorically, and according to the Mythologie of the Poets, ſo he refers to the ſtorie of Noah, or Javan. That which inclines ſome to make him Parallel with Noah, is 1. The cognation of his Name, with the Hebrew…" jain wine; whereof Noah was the firſt Inventor, according to Voſſius. Again, 2. Janus was pictured with a double forhead; becauſe he ſaw a double world, that before and after the Floud: as Noah. 3. As the beginning and propagation of mankind, after the Floud, was from Noah; ſo alſo they aſcribe the beginnings of all things unto Janus: whence the entrance to an houſe is called by the Romans, Janua; and the entrance to the year Januarie. Whence ſome make the name Xiſythrus, given by the Aſſyrians to Noah, (as in the ſtorie of the Floud Book. 3. chap. 6. §. 4.) to ſignifie an entrance or door, from foreign ziz a poſt or threſhold of a door; as Voſsius: 4. Latium, where Janus's ſeat was, (whence part of old Rome was called Janicule) was called Oenotria. Now foreign comes from foreign Wine. Thus much for Janus's parallel with Noah. 2. With Javan.Others refer the origination (both name and perſon) of Janus to Javan the ſon of Japhet, the parent of the Europeans. For 1. foreign Javan is much the ſame with Janus. 2. Thence that of Horat. l. 1.3. Japeti Genus. So Voſſ. Idol. l. 2. c. 16. Janus's name taken hiſtorically is the contract of Javan.
§. 7. Of Aeolus his Origination.To Janus we might ſubjoin Aeolus, the God of the winds and King of the Aeoliar Ilands, with notices of his Traduction from the Phenicians and Hebrews. But we ſhall touch only on his name, which ſeems to be a good key or Index to decipher his fabulous Office. This fable of Aeolus, the God of the winds, is ſuppoſed to have been firſt brought into Greece by Homer; who had it from the Phenicians; with whom foreign aol (as the Greek foreign) ſignifies a ſtorme or tempeſt: which the Chaldee Paraphraſe more fully expreſſeth by foreign alol: and the King Aeolus is thought, by the Phenicians, to be the King foreign aolin of Tempeſts: as Bochart Can lib. 1. cap. 33. fol. 658.
§. 8. Grecian Goddeſſes of Phenician and Hebrew extract.Having diſcourſed, at large, touching the chief of the Grecian Gods, and their Traduction from the ſacred Oracles; we ſhall briefly touch on ſundry of their Goddeſſes, and their derivation from the ſame ſacred fountain, 1. Rhea from Gen. 29.20.1. Noah is called Gen. 29.20. foreign a husband of the earth, i.e. a husband man. Whence the Mythologiſts made Saturne, i.e. Noah, the husband of Rhea, i.e. the Earth. Some derive Rea, by an eaſy anagrammatiſme, from Era. So Sandford Deſcens. l. 1. §. 26. The Greeks refer Era. (Heb. foreign eres.) i.e. the Earth, unto the number of their Gods: by what ceremonie? Namely according to the old Grammarian rule, changing Era into Rea. After the ſame manner Aer began to be Hera: for this origination foreign we have from Plato. I ſhould rather derive foreign from the Chaldee foreign Hera, Libera, which was Juno her name; whence alſo foreign Cora, or Hora, and Cerea as before, C. 2. §. 1. & C. 5. §. 1. &c.
2. Minerva.2. As for Minerva; Voſsius (de Idololatr. lib. 1. cap. 17.) makes her to be the ſame with Naamah, Tubalcains ſiſter, Gen. 4.22. Her name foreign Stephanus makes to be Phenician; foreign: which Bochart derives from foreign to move war; whence the Oncean Gates at Thebes. The fable of Minerva her being borne out of Jupiters head, they generally refer to the generation of Chriſt, the Divine wiſdome.
3. Ceres.3. Ceres is by Bochart ſubſtituted, and made parallel to Adam, or Cain, the firſt tillers of ground. 4. Niobe.4. Niobe is by ſome made the ſame with Lots wife, who was turned into a pillar of Salt, i.e. of Sulphureous, bitumenous, and ſalty matter; wherein ſhe was partaker of Sodoms judgement, which overtook her: whence the fable of Niobe, her being turned into a pillar of ſtone, &c. 5. Sirenes.5. As for the Sirenes, (which according to the fable were in number three, partly Virgins, partly Birds, whereof one ſung with voice, the other by pipe; and tother by Harpe) Bochart (Can. lib. 1. cap. 28.) makes the name to be purely Phenician, or Hebrew; in which tongue foreign Sir, ſignifies a ſong, (whence Solomon's Song of ſongs,) thence foreign Siren, a ſinging monſter, &c. 6. As for Juno, & Jana, from foreign, thence alſo Diana, Aſtarte, Venus, &c. we have fully handled them before, chap. 2.
§. 9. Thus much for the Theogonie of the Grecian and Roman Gods, and Goddeſses, which will receive farther evidence from what follows touching the Genealogie of the Phenician and Egyptian Gods. For that the former were but the product of the later, is evident. Thus Sandford de deſcenſu l. 1. §. 6. We may not fetch the names of the Gods from the Grecians, but from the Phenicians or Egyptians. It remains therefore that we treat of the Apotheoſis of the Barbarian names, which among thoſe Ancients had not one and the ſame origination. For either ſome thing was coined out of forrein letters, the name being relinquiſht: or the name, together with the thing, was traduced unto ſome myſteries of Religion. This again was accompliſht two manner of waies; either when a forrein Name, (ſo far as the nature of the Tongue would admit it) the right order of the Letters being relinquiſht, was referred unto the Gods; or elſe the Letters being tranſpoſed or changed, a new name was compoſed out of the old; which thence, according to the ſame laws of Tongues, was inveſted with the Rite of ſome Deitie. Thus all thoſe appellations of the Gods, which Greece borrowed from the Barbarians, may be digeſted into 3 ranks. 1. Either they flow from the ſole explication of Nature; as from Abaddon ſprang Apollon; or if you will rather, according to the ſacred Phraſeologie, Apolluon: or 2. from the pronunciation of the name; thus from Japhet was made Iapetos: or laſtly from an Enallaxis of the Letters; according to which forme it is as clear as the light, that from Adamah firſt ſprang Hadam, and hence Hadan. Thus Sandford of the origination of the Grecian Gods from the Egyptian, Phenician, or Hebrew names. See more of this Chap. 7. §. 12.