The Court of the Gentiles, Discourse · Part 1 · Book 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of Phenician Expeditions into Spain, and Africa.
The Phenicians Navigation into Spain and Africa under Hercules. Conjectures, from Euſebius, that the Phenicians were in Africa about Moſes's time. The Phenicians poſſeſsed in Spain, Gadir, Malaca, Audera, and the Baleares. The ſeveral names of Spain, Iberia, Tarſhiſh Ezek. 27.12. and Elyſian fields of Phenician, or Hebrew origination. Phenician Colonies in Africa. The name Africa Phenician from foreign. Carthage received its name and people from the Phenicians. The Carthaginians call themſelves▪ Cananites. Their Magiſtrates called Suffetes from foreign, the name of the Hebrew Judges. Utica and Tangier peopled by Phenician Colonies.
§. 1. The Phenicians Navigations.THe Head of our deſigne is to prove the Traduction of human Literature from the Jewiſh Church. The Medium we have inſiſted on, is the Phenicians Correſpndence with the Jews; with their Motives and Advantages for the tranſporting Jewiſh Traditions, and Myſteries into Greece, and other parts. To ſtrengthen this Medium, we ſhall endeavour to ſhew, how theſe Phenicians tranſplanted Colonies, or viſited, at leaſt, the chiefeſt places in Europe, and Africa; eſpecially ſuch as border on the Midland Sea; beſides ſome parts in Aſia: which gave them all the Advantages, that could be expected, to propagate the Hebrew Language, and Traditions. In which undertaking we ſhall follow the learned Bochart (foreign) who in his Geographia Sacra, has given us an incomparable Demonſtration hereof: which he alſo mentions in his late elaborate piece, De Animalibus Sacris parte 1a. Praef: His words are theſe: Some years ſince, ſaies he, we treated of the firſt inhabitants of the Earth, chiefly out of the writings of Moſes, who in one chapter of Geneſis, has more, and more certain account of this Argument, than all the Grecian or Roman Monuments, that are extant. To theſe we ſubjoyned the ancient Navigations of the Phenicians, who, ſome centuries of years before Jaſon, and the Argonauts began to diffuſe themſelves throughout the whole of the Midland Sea &c.
§. 2. The Phenicians expedition under Hercules.The firſt great Expedition the Phenicians made, was under Hercules, whom, ſome make to be contemporary with Moſes, but others upon ſurer grounds place him in Joſhua's time: ſo learned Bochart (Phaleg. lib. 3. cap. 7.) The Phenicians (ſaies he) ſailed, as it is thought, ſo far as the Gades in Spain, under Hercules the Tyrian Commander, whom ſome make contemporary with Moſes, but I rather think 'twas in that age wherein the Jews having poſſeſſed Canaan, drove out the old inhabitants, the Cananites; whereof one part tranſported themſelves into Baeotia in Greece; the other into Spain and Africa. This truly appears from the two pillars anciently to be ſeen at Tangiers with this Phenician inſcription. We are they that fled fom the face of Joſhua the Robber, the ſon of Naue. As Procopius lib. 2. Vandalicorum. 'Tis true, the Poets attribute this Expedition to their Grecian Hercules: but this Fable of theirs, is ſufficiently confuted by the Temple at Gades; wherein Hercules is worſhipped according to the Phenician, not the Grecian Rites. So Appianus in his Ibericis: The Temple of Hercules, which is at his Pillars, was built, as it ſeems to me, by the Phenicians. For he is worſhipped at this very day with Phenician Rites. And their God, is not to them a Theban, but Tyrian. Thence Diodorus writes, that the Phenicians built this Temple, and in it inſtituted foreign Splendid Sacrifices which were adminiſtred after the Phenician Rites.
§. 3. Conjectures from Euſebius, that Phenicians were in Africa in Moſes's time.This was done, as is ſuppoſed, in Joſhua's time; yet Bochart in his Preface to Canaan tels us, that there is more than light ſuſpicion that the Phenicians ſent forth ſome Colonies into Africa, before Joſhua's conqueſt of Canaan. For Euſebius, in his Chronicon, to the number 498, which was the 73 year of Moſes life, ſaies foreign. So Jerom. Hercules, Sirnamed Deſanaus, is reputed famous in Phenicia. Moreover, this Phenician Hercules, firnamed Diodas, or Deſanaus ſeems to be altogether the ſame with that firſt Hercules who at the number 442, is reported to have overcome Antaeus, in the utmoſt part of Libya, about Zilis and Tingis, …ow called Tangier; for there Anteus reigned. Whence it follows, that the utmoſt part of Africa, began to be frequented by the Phenicians 287 years before Carthage was built.
§. 4. Phenicians in Spain. Bochart Phaleg. lib. 3. cap. 7. & Canaan lib. 1. cap. 34.35.That the Phenicians, in their firſt Expedition under Hercules, poſſeſſed themſelves of ſeveral conſiderable townes on the Spaniſh, as well as the African Shore, Bochart proves at large, both in his Phaleg, and Canaan. Strabo (ſaies he) addes, that the Phenicians poſſeſsed many places of Spain abont Tarteſſum, and Turdetania; and built Gadir, and Malaca, and Audera, and New Carthage; and the Gymneſian Ilands being poſſeſſed by them, received the name of the Baleares. That theſe names are purely Phenician, is evident: For Gadir, is by Pliny, and Solinus interpreted an hedge. So Heſychius foreign. Now the Hebrew foreign gader, as the Syrian, and Arabian foreign gadir, ſignifies the ſame. So Malaca, in the Phenician or Hebrew foreign Malacha, ſignifies the town of ſalt meats: thence foreign. And Audera in the Phenician tongue, foreign Audar a fortreſſe. As the Inhabitants of the Gymneſian Ilands, by the Phenicians were called Baleares; which Polibius and Stephanus Byzantinus expound, and that rightly, foreign for Baleares, in the Hebrew foreign Baale harea, ſignifies, word for word, maſters of projection, he… skilful in the Art of caſting ſtones. So Bochart.
§. 5. Yea that the very names of Spain it ſelf were of Phenician, or Hebrew origination, Bochart proves. Bochart Phaleg. lib. 3. cap. 7.For foreign Spanija, coming from foreign a Conie, ſignifies the Region of Conies; The ſundry names of Spain of Phenician origination.by which Epithet, Catullus noted that part of Spain, which is called Celtiberia; but the Phenicians called the whole Region of Spain by this name, by reaſon of the multitude of Conies there. So the name Iberia is in the Phenician tongue foreign Termes or bounds, becauſe, according to the Phenicians eſtimation, the Spaniards poſſeſſed the ultimate bounds of the earth: thence they affixed on Hercules's pillars a ne plus ultra. So in like manner Tarſis, which is taken for Spain, or that part of it which was called Boetica, is derived from the Hebrew foreign. This part of Spain called Boetica (which takes in the Gades, now Cades, and Tarteſsum) was greatly frequented by the Tyrians, Ezek. 27.12.as we have it Ezek. 27.12. Tarſhiſh was thy Merchant by reaſon of the multitude of all kind of riches, with Silver, iron, tin, and led. That Spain abounded with theſe metals, which attracted the greedy Tyrians into theſe parts, and in a ſhort time furniſhed them with ſuch vaſt treaſures, ſee Bochart Phaleg. lib. 3. cap. 7. and in his Canaan lib. 1. cap. 34. In this part of Spain called Tarſis, and ſince Baetica, were ſeated the Elyſian fields, ſo ſtiled by the Phenicians from foreign to rejoice: thence Virgil calls them laeta arva. That Luſitaniae is alſo of a Phenician origination ſee Bochart Can. l. 1. c. 35.
§. 6. … Navigation and Co…ies i… Africa.As the Phenicians ſeated themſelves in Spain, eſpecially on the Maritime Coaſts, ſo likewiſe in the chiefeſt parts of Africa oppoſite thereto. This has been already in part demonſtrated out of Bochart his Phaleg: which he does more fully prove in his Canaan lib. 1. cap. 34, 35, 36. where he tels us: a that the very name Africa comes from the Syrian, and Arabian foreign or foreign an ear of corne; whence the Phenicians called it foreign Africa in the ſame ſignification; neither does the mutation want the like inſtances: and the country of Africa is called, foreign, a land fertile for ears of corne. The ſame it ſignifies in the Punick phraſe: and ſuch indeed is Africa properly ſo called, i.e. that part of Lybia which lies next Carthage, as all men know. And touching the Phenicians Navigation into Africa, nothing is more notorious in Antiquity; nothing more common in hiſtory, than that the Carthaginians were originally Phenicians: the very names Puni and Paeni import ſo much. Thus much the Carthaginians made annual commemoration of, by paying yearly Tithes to the Tyrian Hercules: of which Tertullian in his Apologie, makes mention. And ſo when Tyrus was beſieged by Alexander, the Tyrians (as Polybius obſerves) did chiefly confide foreign in their nephews the Carthaginians. Yea the Grecians affirme, that Cadmus himſelf; who was the chief conductor of the Phenician Colonies into Greece, & Founder of the Theban fortreſse (which was about Joſhua's time alſo) after many victories obtained over the Africans, built there ſeveral Cities: as Bochart Can. lib. 1. cap. 24.
§. 7. Carthage built and peopled by Phenicians.That Carthage was built, and peopled by a Phenician Colonie, is univerſally acknowledged: and the very name imports ſo much. For the original name of Carthage was Carthada, as Solinus and Stephanus Byzantinus write it, which ſignifies in the Phenician tongue, a new city, from foreign Kartha-hadath; The old name Carthada i.e. the new city.and it was ſo ſtiled by them, becauſe it was built after Utica &c. See Bochart Can lib. 1. c. 25. And that Carthage was indeed builded, and planted by the Phenicians, and Cananites, is manifeſt by the common confeſsions of the Inhabitants of thoſe parts, according to Traditions continued amongſt them even till Auſtins time: for he, upon the Epiſtle to the Romans, tels us, that if any of the common people about Hippo, or Carthage, were asked who he was, or what Country man; he preſenty replyed that he was foreign Chanani a Cananite; The Carthaginians call themſelves Cananites ſee Chap. 3. §. 2. 3. 4.and ſo Livy, lib. 34. ſaies of Annibal, that when he came to Tyre he was received of the Founders of Carthage as into his own Country. Hence ſaies Bochart Can. l. 1. c. 24. it appears that Dido did not build Carthage, but reſtored it, & added Byrſa; ſhe being dead the Kingly government was changed into a popular or Ariſtocratical; (as Livy lib. 33.) for the government of affairs was in the hands of a few Judges, The Carthaginian Magiſtrates called Suffetes from the Phenicians and Jews. Utica i.e. the old city peopled by Phenicians.whom the Roman writers call ſuffetes i.e. in the Phenician foreign, as they were called among the Jews.
§. 8. Among the African Cities, excepting Carthage, there was none more famous than Utica, according to the Greeks foreign, which in regard of Antiquity, had the Preeminence of Carthage (as before) and is thence by Learned Bochart, as to its origination, derived from the Phenician name foreign atica, which ſignifies ancient, ſo that its Antiquity, when Carthage was built (which ſignifies the new City) gave it this name. That it was built by the Phenicians, Stephanus foreign tels us, ſaying, that it was foreign a Colony of Tyrians: and Velleius Paterculus relates unto us: that the Tyrians built Utica a few years after Gades, about the time of Codrus, who was equal with Saul. See Bochart Can. lib. 1. cap. 25. Tingis or Tangier peopled by Phenicians.That Tingis (now called Tangar or Tangier) received its name from the Phenician foreign tagger, to negotiate, it being a town of much trade, alſo that it had a Colony of Phenicians, ſee Bochart Phal. l. 3. c. 7. and Can. lib. 1. cap 25.