The Court of the Gentiles, Discourse · Part 1 · Book 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. European Languages, eſpecially the Greek and Latin, from the Hebrew.
The Greek Tongue its original from the Hebrew. The Grecians received their Letters, and Literature immediately from Cadmus, but originally from the Phenicians and Hebrews. Arguments which prove the Traduction of the Greek Letters from the Hebrew or Samaritan, by the Phenicians. Inſtances out of Plato to make good the ſame. foreign darknes from foreign ereb night Gen. 1.5. foreign from foreign. foreign from foreign &c. The Latin immediately from the Greek, but originally from the Hebrew. The proof hereof by inſtances, eſpecially from thoſe verſes of Virgil, Tityre tu patulae &c. the other European Languages originally from the Hebrew. Several old Gallick, Britannick, and Saxon names of Gods of Hebrew origination.
§. 1. The Greek tongue its original from the Hebrew.VVE now proceed to the Grecian Language; to demonſtrate its Traduction from the Hebrew originally, though immediately from the Phenician. There is ſome difference amongſt the Learned about the immediate Parent of the Greek Tongue. The Italian Kircher makes the Greek to be originally traduced from the old Egyptian Language. But this is ſufficiently refuted by learned Bochart Phaleg: lib. 1. c. 15. where he ſhews, that this perſuaſion, of the Egyptian Tongue, its being the old Matrice of the Greek, is but a dream of Kirchers; which may be eaſily refuted from the ancient names of places in Egypt: as alſo from Herodotus, and Plutarch, and Horus, and Iamblichus, with others; wherein you may find a long ſeries of Egyptian words, which ſavor not more of Greciſme, than of the Illyrick, or German Language &c. Stillingfleet makes the Greek Tongue to be derived, not from the Phenicians, but from the old Pelaſgi: ſo Stillingfleet Orgin. S. Book 3. ch. 4. §. 11. The ground of the Affinity between the Jews and Lacedemonians was from the Pelaſgi, whoſe chief ſeat was in Arcadia, to which adjoyneth Laconia. Beſides the Spartans were a part of the Dorians, who ſprang from the Pelaſgi, and theſe from Phaleg, the ſon of Heber, from whom Abraham and the Jews came, Gen. 11.17,20. — The Hellens were not the firſt Inhabitants of Greece, but the Pelaſgi; who ſpread themſelves over Greece, and, being deſcended from Phaleg, brought with them the Hebrew Language into Greece: whence an account may be given of many Hebrew words in the Greek Language; which came not from the Phenicians as Bochartus, but the old Pelaſgi. So again Sect. 14. Having evidenced (ſaies he) that the firſt Planters of Greece were the Pelaſgi; and theſe derived from Peleg, it will be eaſily ſuppoſed, that the Language they brought with them, was the ſame with that uſed in the family whence Phaleg came, as to the ſubſtance of it, namely the Hebrew, which appears by many Hebrew words in the Greek, and the remainders of the Eaſterne Languages in the Ilands of Greece, both which came, not from Cadmus and the Phenicians, as Bochartus thinks, but from the old Pelaſgi. This learned man here fully grants our concluſion; that the Greek had its Derivation from the Hebrew; though he diſlikes the medium of conveyance by the Phenicians. But yet (under ſubmiſſion to the Learned) I ſee not any Demonſtrative Arguments againſt Bocharts Aſsertion. For grant, that the old Pelaſgi were the firſt poſseſsors of Greece; yet 'tis generally confeſſed that the chiefeſt parts of Greece were afterwards poſſeſſed by the Phenicians, and peopled by their Colonies; ſo that the Greek Tongue & Alphabet, may be juſtly ſaid, to owe its original perfection to Cadmus, and other Phenicians: as we have before Chap. 7. §. 7. proved. foreign Plutarch.We have alſo demonſtrated, chap. 10. §. 4. that there was no uſe of Letters more ancient than the Moſaick Inſtitution, according to that of Eupolemus in Clemens Alexandrinus foreign. lib. 1. They ſay that Moſes was the firſt wiſe man, and that he firſt delivered Grammar, or Letters to the Jews, and from the Jews the Phenicians received them, as the Grecians from the Phenicians. That the Phenicians had the knowledge and uſe of Letters before the Grecians, is plain from that of Lucan,
Phoenices primi, famae ſi credimus, auſi
Manſuram rudibus vocem ſignare figuris.
§ 2. The Grecians received their Literature immediately from Cadmus.That the Grecians had their Letters and Literature immediately from the Phenicians, but originally from the Hebrews, is confirmed by the Autority of the moſt learned; ſo Lud. Vives on Auguſt de civit. Dei l, 18. c. 39. It is (ſaies he) the common opinion both of Jews and Chriſtians, that the Hebrew Letters had Moſes for their Inſtitutor: which Eupolemus and Artapanus, with other Heathen Authors aſſert, Inde foreign & foreign Laert.who make Moſes the firſt Inventor of Letters, which he delivered over to the Jews, from whom their neighbours the Phenicians received them, and the Grecians by Cadmus from the Phenicians &c. Herodotus lib. 5. cap. 58. ſpeaks thus: foreign &c. But the Phenicians, who came with Cadmus, as they brought other Learning with them into Greece, ſo alſo Letters, which the Greeks had not before. So Philoſtratus lib. 2. de vitis Sophiſtarum foreign Letters came from the Phenicians. And Diodorus lib. 5. tels us, that the Phenicians received theſe Letters from the Syrians, whereby we can underſtand no other but the Hebrews: as before chap. 4. §. 2. and c. 10. §. 4. So Euſebius de praepar. Evang. lib. 10. The firſt who delivered Letters was Cadmus; whence they called them the Phenician Letters. There are ſome who affirm, that the Syrians firſt found out Letters; but by the Syrians is meant the Hebrews. So Bochart Canaan lib. 1. cap. 20. proves at large, that Cadmus, and thoſe Phenician Colonies that came with him, brought Letters into Greece. And indeed the Greek Letters themſelves, carry in them ſufficient foreign or notices of their Phenician and Hebrew origination: Arguments to prove the Greek Letters to be of Phenician Origination.for 1. If we regard the very figure; the Greek Letters, eſpecially ſuch as are more antient, (whereof we have ſome characters given us by Jo: Scaliger in his notes on Euſebius) are ſo exactly anſwerable to the old Phenician Letters, (now called the Samaritan, as Bochart,) that there is no one but will grant, the former had their original from the later. 2. Many of the names in the Greek Alphabet are Phenician or Hebrew: as foreign, which is the ſame with foreign Aleph; and foreign the ſame with foreign Beth; foreign Gimel the ſame with foreign; and foreign Daleth the ſame with foreign, &c. Neither was this origination of the Greek Alphabet from the Hebrew hidden to the Greeks, who, according to Varro, acknowledge theſe names were not of Greek, but Barbarian i.e. Phenician or Hebrew Extract. 3. The Greeks, in their Letters, obſerve the Phenician order; which that it was moſt ancient appears by the Acroſtick verſes of David and Jeremiah &c. 4. The power both in one and to 'ther is very much the ſame. Tis true, Cadmus brought but 16 letters into Greece, whereunto Palamedes, or Simonides, or Epicharmus added 4, and Pythagoras one more: yet this hinders not the former Aſſertion: for the Arabick and Ethiopick Tongues have their proper Letters, which yet hinders not, but that they are Hebrew Dialects.
§. 3. We find a learned Digreſsion touching the ſameneſſe of the Grecian Letters with the Phenician, in Ioſeph Scaliger, his Animadverſions on Euſebius's Chronicon, fol. 110. &c. (Edit. Amſtelod. 1658.) where he gives us the parallel 'twixt the Greek and Phenician Letters; and then addes, fol. 111. You have an Exemplar of the Phenician Letters, together with the different Figures of the Greek; by comparing of which, you may of your ſelf collect, that the Greek Letters ſprang from the Phenician; ſeeing they have one and the ſame Order and Forme with the Phenician; which in times paſt all the Cananites and Hebrews uſed; as alſo the Samaritans now uſe the ſame: neither were there any other in uſe, from the time of Moſes, to the deſtruction of the Temple. For thoſe Letters, which the Jews now uſe in their ſacred Books, and other writings, are novitious, and of late original; being but depravations of the Syriack, and theſe from the Samaritan. (Then he addes) having given an Exemplar of the Phenician from the Samaritan, Cananitiſh, or Moſaick Alphabet, every one may plainly ſee, that not only the Ionick, but alſo the Latin Letters are drawn according to, and from the Phenician; and that it is true, what Pliny writes, that the ancient Ionian Letters were the ſame with the Latin; which Ionian Letters he alſo cals Aſſyrian. For the Iones received their Letters from the Phenicians, which, as in all things elſe it happens, by long uſe and Progreſſe of time, declined from their primitive forme; yet ſo as their origine may be diſcovered. Therefore Herodotus ſaies, that the ancient Ionick Letters were moſt like to the Phenician; and that he ſaw ſome monuments of them in Aſia — The Greeks called their ancient elements foreign, Phenician, becauſe they were given them by Cadmus from the Phenicians. They alſo called them foreign Cadmeian Letters, as it is manifeſt out of Herodotus and Timon. &c.
§. 4. Bochart alſo (Canaan lib. 1. cap. 20.) undertakes to demonſtrate to us, how the Greeks, by inverting the Poſition or ſitus of the Phenician Letters, brought their Letters to that Forme they now have. The Greeks (ſaies he) inverted the ſitus of the Phenician Letters, (after they began to alter the Mode of writing towards the right hand.) Thus of the Phenician Beth was made the Greek Β, and of Gimel, Γ &c. For after they began to write from left to right, it was neceſſary alſo, together with the mode of writing, to change the Situs of the Letters. This mutation was made by the conduct of Nature: for as Julius Scaliger (de cauſis linguae Latin. lib. 1. cap. 46) rightly obſerves; the natural motion is towards the right hand. Yet the Hebrew, or Phenician mode of writing towards the left, was not unknown to the Grecians: for the moſt ancient of them imitated the ſame for the moſt part. So Solons Laws are ſaid to have been written from right to left, after the Hebrew mode: Thus Bochart fol. 494. The like alſo, Owen Theolog. lib. 4. Digreſs. 1. There is no mention (ſaies he) of any Letters amongſt the Gentiles before the Age of Cadmus. The Phenicians, of whom Cadmus was, are ſaid to receive the uſe of Letters from the Syrians. So Diodorus lib. 5. That the Hebrews are called Syrians none can be ignorant. That the Phenicians received not the Figures, nor the Number, but the uſe of the Letters from the Syrians, is evident from what we have mentioned of Cadmus. As for the wonted mode of writing amongſt the Syrians towards the left, the Grecians had ſome fame thereof, which they called the Taepocon; though the uſe thereof be not ſo apparent amongſt them. Thus this learned man; and though he differs ſomewhat from Bochart in theſe points, yet they both agree, with the ancient, herein: namely, that the Grecians received, by Cadmus, their Letters from the Phenicians; who had theirs from the Syrians or Hebrews, according to that of Eupolemus mentioned in Clem: Alexandr. foreign. lib. 1. as before.
§. 5. This alſo is demonſtrated by our learned Jackſon, of the Divine Autority of the Scriptures fol. 57. where he ſpeaks thus: The Greek Alphabet hath been taken from the Hebrew, as 'tis evident to ſuch as will compare both. The Grecians themſelves acknowledge, they had their very Letters from the Phenicians; who were next neighbors to Judaea — And as both the firſt Elements, and ſundry primitive words of the Greek and Hebrew ſcarce differ one from another as 3 from 4: ſo are the principal or firſt Heads of the Grecian invention derived, for the moſt part from the Hebrews; although by ſucceſſive artificial imitation, their variety grow greater, and their reſemblance of Divine Truth leſſe. Thus Jackſon. To which we may adde that of Grotius de veritate Relig. Chriſt. pag. 17. whereunto (ſaies he) accedes the undoubted Antiquity of Moſes's writings, with which no other writing may contend. Whereof this is a ſufficient Argument, that the Grecians, whence all Learning was diffuſed amongſt the Nations, confeſſe that they received their Letters elſe where; which Letters of theirs have the ſame ancient Order, name, and faſhion or draught, with thoſe of the Syriack or Hebrew. As the ancient Attick Laws (whence the Roman Laws were alſo afterward derived) had their original from Moſes's Laws. I ſhall conclude this Argument from Autority, with that of the learned Hammond, in his Annotations on Mat: 15.22. [a Woman of Canaan.] This Woman of Canaan (ſaies he) is, Mark 7.37. called a Syrophenician — That which is ſaid by the Heathens of the original of Letters and Literature by Cadmus from the Phenicians, confirmeth the ſame; by the Phenicians meaning the Hebrews; from whom (accorunto Clemens's obſervation, that foreign) the Grecians ſtole all they had. Thus Hammond. As for Cadmus, who is generally ſuppoſed to have been the firſt that tranſported Letters into Greece, we have (cap. 6. §. 1. &c.) proved out of Bochart and others, that he was deſcended from thoſe foreign Cadmonites, mentioned by Moſes Gen. 15.19. the ſame with the Hivites, who were called Cadmonim i.e. orientals, Joſh. 11.3. Jud. 3.3. becauſe they occupied mount Hermon, which is the moſt oriental part of all Canaan. Hence alſo Cadmus's Wife was ſtiled Harmonia, from mount Hermon, whence ſhe came: and, becauſe foreign Hivite ſignifies alſo a Serpent, they were alſo ſaid to be turned into Serpents. All which I have been confirmed in, by learned Bochart upon perſonal Conference, as well as by reading his account hereof laid down in his Canaan lib. 1. cap. 19. So Bochart in his Phaleg. lib. 1. c. 15. tels us expreſly, that as Letters and Sciences were derived from the Hebrews to the Phenicians, ſo from the Phenicians to the Greeks.
§. 6. A full proof of the derivation of the Greek from the Hebrew by inſtances out of Plato &c.But to give a more Artificial, and Phyſical Demonſtration of the Traduction of the Greek Language, as well as Letters, from the Phenician and Hebrew Tongue. Plato, in his Cratylus, aſſures us, that they, the Grecians, received their Names and Language from certain Barbarians, more ancient than themſelves &c. And, to make his Poſition good, he cites many words, which, he preſumes, were of this Barbarian Origination. Now theſe words he cites are evidently of Hebrew Extract; which gives us an irreſiſtible evidence, that by the Barbarian Tongue he meant the Hebrew. I ſhall inſtance in a few particulars. One word mentioned by Plato, as of a Barbarian original, is foreign darknes, which is naturally and evidently derived from foreign ereb, Gen. 1.5. as we have elſewhere proved. So, in like manner, he makes foreign to be of Barbarian origination; namely from foreign. But this will more evidently appear in thoſe Trojan words he there cites, and their Affinity or ſamenes, as to ſubſtance, with the Hebrew, as Serranus has well obſerved. So foreign, the name of a River, owes its original to foreign he heareth, by reaſon of the noiſe of the water. And foreign ſeems derived from foreign to wonder, becauſe he was a perſon of great wonder & admiration. So foreign from foreign to bring forth fruit, becauſe he was fructificator Patriae. Yea the very name foreign ſeems borrowed from foreign Exploration, by reaſon of that known fable of Neptune and Apollo their ſearching Troy, when it was built by Laomedon. To theſe mention'd by Plato, we might adde many more Greek words, which are moſt apparently of Hebrew and Phenician origination. As foreign wiſe men, from foreign Sophim, ſpeculators, or Seers; which is a ſtile the Hebrews gave to their wiſe men, as we have elſewhere obſerved. So foreign Heaven, from foreign Or, or Ur, Light. foreign an Earnest, from foreign, which ſignifies the ſame in the Phenician tongue, as Grotius on 2 Cor. 1.21. Thus foreign from foreign vice: and foreign from foreign El, God: as foreign from foreign Cadmon, Gen. 15.19. foreign Malchus, (Porphyries name) from foreign a King. So foreign a Chimney, or Hearth, from foreign Hearths, where they kept their ſacred fires, mentioned Lev. 26.30. Lev. 26.30.So likewiſe foreign an Ode, from foreign I will praiſe, and foreign from foreign; and foreign from foreign, as Grot. on 2 Cor. 12.9. 'T would be endleſſe to proceed, as far as we might, in ſuch derivations of Greek words from the Phenician and Hebrew. He that will, may ſee more of this in Crineſius, de confuſione linguarum, cap. 10. pag. 83. Bochart Can. lib. 2. cap. 1. to the 6.
§. 7. The Latin immediately from the Greek, but originally from the Hebrew.As the Greek Tongue had its origination from the Hebrew, and Phenician; ſo in like manner the Latin from the Greek. That the Latin, as well as the Greek Letters, had their origination from the Phenician or Hebrew, is proved at large by learned Joſeph Scaliger, in his Animadverſions on Euſebius's Chronicon, fol. 111. &c: Edit. 1658. Thus Grotius, de ſatiſfactione Chriſti cap. 8. pag. 164. The whole of the ancient Latin (ſaies he) was but a depravation of the Greek. So again Grotius Epiſt. ad Gallos (Epiſt. 58. pag. 146.) The Latin Tongue (ſaies he) had its original from the Greek, as this from the Syriack, or the Hebrew, which is the ſame, &c. And learned Bochart is ſo confident of this Traduction of the Latin from the Greek, as that, once in a conference with him, he undertook to ſhew me, how, in thoſe two verſes of Virgil,
Tityre, tu patulae recubans ſub tegmine fagi,
Sylveſtrem tenui Muſam meditaris avena.
Each word had its derivation from the Greek: as Tityrus from foreign, tu from foreign, patulus from foreign, &c. I ſhall inſtance but in a few Latin words, which had their origination immediately from the Greek, but originally from the Hebrew. So Aſtrum from foreign, as this from foreign Aſter. Caminus, a Chimney, from foreign, and this from foreign Chaminim. Lev. 26.30. Oda, from foreign, as this from foreign Ode. Arra from foreign, and this from foreign arrabon. Sicera from foreign, and this from foreign Secar. A foreign vide, tur fluxiſſe Graecum …al. Glaſſ. Gram. l. 3. …rac…. 8. Can. 1.So from the Hebrew foreign, or foreign, or foreign, the Greek foreign, and the Latin, vae, ſeem to be traduc'd: as from foreign ah and aha: and from foreign, and nae: from foreign Gamel, foreign, and hence Camelus: from foreign Tor, foreign, and hence Taurus: from foreign Sac, foreign, ſaccus: as Glaſſius Grammat. S. lib. 4. Tract. 3. Obſer. 5. Thus from foreign El, foreign, and Sol: as from foreign Iah Chus, foreign, Iacchus: ſo Voſſius de Idol. lib. 2. cap. 16. From foreign Jajin, wine, foreign, and hence (o being expunged) vinum: as Voſs. de Idol: l. 1. cap. 18. Alſo from foreign Mom, vice, foreign, and Momus: from foreign Keren, and horn, foreign, and Cornu. Mede clavis Apocalyp. pag. 108. makes Acheron, a river in hell, to be derived from Accaron, or Ekron; 1 Sam. 5.11. Acheron, the river of hell, (ſaies he) as they heard from the Grecians, in ſound differs not from Accaron, or Ekron, the city of the Philiſtins, 1 Sam. 5.11. where Beelzebub was God, and thence ſtiled Accaroneus. From Accaron alſo comes Charon, the Boatman of Styx, (whom Voſsius makes the ſame with the Infernal Mercury) and Acheron. The Grecians by Acheron underſtood Hell, ſo alſo the Latins; whence that of the Poet, — Acheronta movebo. He that will, may find more on this Head, of the Traduction of the Latin from the Greek immediately, but originally from the Hebrew; in Beckman de origine linguae Latinae: Alſo in Ger. Voſſius his late book de origine ling. Latinae. Crineſius de confuſ. linguarum cap. 8. pag. 83. Johan. Buxtorf. Philolog. Diſſertat. 2. Brerewoods Inquiries touching the Diverſitie of Languages chap. 7. pag. 52.
§. 8. Other Weſtern Languages from the Hebrew.As for the other European Languages, the Italian, Spaniſh, French, German, Engliſh, &c. its evident, that they are, as to their preſent conſtitution, made up, for the moſt part, of the Latin, and ſo originally from the Hebrew, as has been proved in the former §. Quod argumento eſſe debuiſſet, Hebraeorum voces in omnes omnium linguas ſe diffudiſſe. Sandford De Deſcenſu. lib. 1. §. 17I ſhall onelyonly cull out ſome of the old Gallick and Britannick (which, as Camden and Bochart prove, are for ſubſtance the ſame) Tongue, with ſome Saxon and Engliſh words, which ſeem evidently to derive their origination from the Phenician or Hebrew. Firſt the very name Britannie, is, by Bochart, made parallel unto, and derived from the Phenician foreign Barat anak, a land of Tin, or Led. Whence the Welch Brith (which ſignifies diverſe colors) ſeems to receive its Derivation; and hence alſo (as a curious Cambrobritan informed me) the more curious Welch Criticks derive Britain. Thus Shivers, from foreign Shibber, he brake; and nod, from foreign, to nod: as alſo Mud, from the Phenician foreign Mod or Mud, which ſignifies ſlime; whence in Philo Byblius, the firſt Chaos is called foreign mud or ſlime. I ſhall conclude this Diſcourſe of Weſtern Languages with ſome account of the old Gallick, Britannick, and Saxon Gods, with the Traduction of their Names from the Phenician or Hebrew Language. Jupiter was ſtiled in the old Gallick Tongue Taramis; in the Britannick, (as in the Cambrick or Welch to this day) taram or taran; in the old Saxon and Engliſh, Thur, (whence Thurſday for Dies Jovis,) and all theſe from the Phenician foreign tarem, whereof the radix is foreign to thunder, as hereafter, Book 2. chap. 1. §. 7. Again, Mercury was ſtiled in the old Gallick, Teutates, (and I preſume the ſame in the Britannick,) as in the German, Tuiſto, or Teuto, from the Phenician, Taautus, whom the Egyptians ſtiled Thoyth, or Theuth: (as alſo the Engliſh and German Man, or Men, according to Voſsius, came from the Egyptian, Menas) of which ſee what follows B. 2. C. 4. §. 3. So Heſus, another Gallick God, whereby, it is preſumed, they underſtood Mars, received its origination from the Hebrew foreign hizzuz, potent, or ſtrong, which is an Attribute given to the true God, Pſal. 24.8. foreign Jehovah Hizzuz, the Lord ſtrong, of which ſee more B. 2. c. 5. of Mars. Farther; Apollo was ſtiled among the old Gauls, Belenus, (Herodian reads it foreign,) which ſeems evidently a Derivative from the Phenician foreign baal, or beel, whence Belus, as B. 2. C. 4. §. 1. Again Hercules paſſed among the old Gauls under the name of Ogmius, as Lucian in Hercul. foreign: The Celticall Hercules, in their vernacule Tongue, Ogmius: which Bochart derives from the Hebr. foreign ſtrangers, as B. 2. c. 5. Laſtly, the Britains (who, as Tacitus, and Caeſar write, had the ſame ſacreds with the Gauls) worſhipped a certain Goddeſſe called Adraſte, which Bochart makes to be the ſame with the Phenician Aſtarte; whence alſo the Saxon Goddeſſe Aeſtar, or Eaſter, which they ſacrificed unto in the monethmonth of April, as hereafter Book 2. ch. 2. §. 6. As for the ſeveral names of Dignities and Offices among the old Gauls and Britains, viz. Brennus, Mar, Rix, Patera, Coena, &c. with their origination from the Hebrew, ſee what precedes chap. 9. §. 6.