The Court of the Gentiles, Discourse · Part 1 · Book 3 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. How Jewiſh Traditions came to be miſtaken by Pagans.
One great cauſe of the corruptions and miſtakes about Jewiſh Traditions, was Pagan Mythologie; which ſprang 1. From miſtakes about Hebrew Paronomaſies, and Idioms. Gen. 8,9. and 9.20. 2. From attributing to themſelves, what belonged to others. 3. From Equivocations. 4. Alteration of Names &c. The original grounds, that moved the Grecians, and others, to alter and diſguiſe Oriental Tradition, were 1. their enmitie to the Jews, 2. their proud aſsumings, 3. their ignorance of Jewiſh Records and Affaires.
§. 1. HAving gone through the chief parts of Philologie, with endeavors to evince their Traduction originally from the ſacred Scriptures, or the Jewiſh Church, Language, and Wiſdom; we ſhall adde, as an Epilogue, to this Treatiſe ſome general account, how theſe Scriptural Records, and Jewiſh Traditions came to be ſo greatly corrupted or miſtaken by the blind Pagans. How Jewiſh Traditions came to be ſo corrupted and miſtaken.This being cleared, will obviate that objection, which is made againſt this deſign of demonſtrating the Traduction of Pagan knowledge from the Jewiſh Church. For, ſay ſome, if the Heathens had ſuch clear Notices of the Jews, their Principles, Diſcipline, Cuſtomes, &c. how comes it to paſſe, that they make no more mention of them, yea that they ſeem rather altogether ignorant of the Jews, their doctrine, cuſtomes, and manners; as it appeareth evidently by the ſtories of Tacitus, Suetonius, Plutarch, and other Pagan Hiſtorians, who had the greateſt advantages to informe themſelves, and yet remained groſly miſtaken in the Jewiſh Affaires? For the removing this Objection, we ſhall endeavor to decipher this Pagan myſterie of Iniquitie, how theſe Jewiſh Records and Traditions came to be at firſt corrupted, or miſunderſtood; as alſo how the following Hiſtorians came to be ſo ignorant of Jewiſh Affairs, and Records.
§. 2. As for the original occaſion and ground of that corruption, which befel Jewiſh Traditions and Stories, as communicated to Pagans, we have ſpoken ſomewhat of it before, (in the cloſe to Pagan Hiſtorie, chap. 6. §. 5.) reducing it to thoſe ſeveral cauſes, namely the decreaſe of Knowledge, the increaſe of Idolatrie, the confuſion of Languages, &c. 1. Pagan Mythologie a great cauſe of thoſe many mistakes about the Jews and their Traditions.But the moſt prolifick and ſeminal root of all, was that Mythologizing humor, which poſſeſt the ancient Poets, Philoſophers, and Hiſtoriographers, eſpecially the Grecians. For the ancient Greek Poets, Orpheus, Linus, Heſiod, &c. who led the dance to this deſigne of mythologizing on Jewiſh Traditions, being perſons of great wit, learning, and dexteritie in coining Fables, made it their foreign, or whole deſigne, to disfigure all thoſe ancient Traditions, which they received from the Jewiſh Church; by clothing them in ſuch an exotick phantaſtick garbe of Greek fables, as that they ſoon loſt their Oriental Jewiſh face and habit, and ſo grew out of knowledge. Now the methods and means, by which the Greek Mythologiſts diſguiſed theſe Oriental Traditions, were theſe, or ſuch like that follow.
1. Grecian Mythologie from miſtakes about Hebrew Paronomaſies.1. One great means, by which the Grecian Mythologiſts corrupted Jewiſh Traditions, was their affected or blind miſtakes about Hebrew Paronomaſies, and Alluſions. Thus Bochart, in his Preface de animal. ſacris. I will adde (ſaies he) that we have produced many things from fabulous Hiſtorie, which depend on meer Alluſions to Hebrew words in Scripture. As what is mentioned by Abydenus, of the Birds which were ſent forth in the Floud, and returned with their feet dirty. That Iſis is ſaid to be turned into a Swallow: for Iſis does apparently allude to foreign Sis, which ſignifies a ſwallow. And Argus, is ſaid to be turned into an Hart, from foreign panting, after the manner of an Hart. And Anubis, was painted foreign, becauſe foreign ſignifies barking &c. So Bochart, Can. lib. 1. cap. 6. conjectures, that the Chimaera, which Bellerophon conquered, was no other than the people of Solymi, under their three Generals; 1. Arius, from foreign, a Lion: 2. Troſibis, from foreign, the head of a Serpent: 3. Arſalus, from foreign, a young Kid; whence they made the Chimaera to be compoſed of the forme of a Lion, a Goat, and a Serpent.
2. Miſtakes of the Hebrew Idiom.2. Another ſpermatick root, by means whereof the Jewiſh Traditions were perverted by the Greek Mythlogiſts, was their miſtaking the Hebrew Idioms, wherein theſe ancient Traditions were originally conveyed. Gen. 10.8,9.So Gen. 10.8,9. Nimrod is ſtiled mighty, foreign, which alſo ſignifies a Giant: whence thoſe who were imployed under Nimrod, to build the Tower of Babel, Gen. 9.20.were ſtiled by the Poets, Giants, &c. So Gen. 9.20. Noah is ſtiled by Moſes foreign, which; according to the Hebrew Idiom, ſignifies a Husbandman: but the Mythologiſts, underſtanding it in a proper ſenſe, render it foreign, the husband of the Earth: whence they make Saturne, who was Noah, to be the husband of Rhea, i.e. the Earth.
3. From attributing the ſtories of ſome Oriental perſon to thoſe of their own Nation.3. Another way, whereby the Greek Mythologiſts corrupted Oriental Traditions, was, by attributing the Actions of ſome famous Oriental perſon, to one, or ſeveral of their own Nation. Hence ſprang the ſtories of Saturne from Adam, Noah, or Abraham: of Jupiter, from Cham: of Mercurie, from Canaan: of Bacchus, from Nimrod &c. as before, in our Pagan foreign.
4. From Equivocations of the Hebrew.4. Again, the Equivocation of the Oriental Languages gave no ſmall occaſion for the corruption of the ſame. For the Greek Mythologiſts, when the Hebrew words or phraſes were equivocal, omitted the ſenſe, which was plain and obvious; and aſſumed, either from Affectation, or Ignorance, that ſenſe which was more forrein and fabulous. Thus the robbing of the King of Colchus, is ſuppoſed to have been disguiſed under the name of the Golden Fleece; becauſe the Syriack foreign, ſignifies both a Fleece, and a Treaſurie. So the Buls and Dragons, which kept it, are thought to be nothing elſe but the Walls and Braſsegates: for foreign ſignifies both a Bull, and a Wall; and foreign Braſse, and a Dragon. And ſo the fable of the Braſſe Bull, which foretold Calamities, in the mountain Atabyrius, is ſuppoſed to ariſe from the Equivocation of the Phenician or Hebrew foreign, which may ſignifie Doctor, Augur, or Bo… ex aere: as Stillingfleet Origin. S. book 3. ch. 5. §. 5.
5. By altering words and names.5. The Mythologiſts corrupted Jewiſh Traditions, by altering words, and Names, and putting others in theiir place. Thus for foreign Cham, they put foreign, which is of like import &c. But this may ſuffice touching the corruption of Jewiſh and Scripture Traditions by Mythologiſts.
§. 3. The Motives that inclined Mythologiſts thus to alter Oriental Traditions.We come to the original Reaſons, and Motives, which induced the Pagans, eſpecially the Grecians, thus to corrupt and adulterate Scripture, and Jewiſh Traditions; ſo that little of their original Idea, beautie, and ſimplicitie was ſeen or underſtood by their poſteritie. 1 The Pagans enmitie againſt the Jews.And we ſhall begin with that odium, and inveterate enmitie, which the Heathens generally were poſſeſt withall, againſt the Jews; who were ſo generally maligned and hated by all Nations, as that none durſt make any honorable mention of them; much leſſe impoſe their Principles, Myſteries, and Inſtitutes on the world, without altering and disfiguring the ſame, thereby to concele their origine and parentage. This has been well obſerved by Serranus, in his Preface to Plato, in theſe words. That Plato drew theſe Symbols from the Jewiſh Learning, all learned Antiquitie of Chriſtian Doctors hath judged: but that he did induſtriouſly abſtain from naming the Iews, becauſe their name was odious amongſt the Nations &c. Thus alſo Sr Walter Raleigh (in his Hiſtorie of the World, part. 1. book 1. chap. 6. §. 7.) affirmes, that the wiſer of the ancient Heathens, viz. Pythagoras, Plato &c. had their opinions of God from the Iews; though they durſt not diſcover them &c. Hence Plato fathers thoſe Traditions, which were traduced originally from the Jews, on the ancient Barbarians, who lived neer the Gods &c. which muſt be underſtood of the Jews, as Clemens Alexandrinus, with other of the Fathers. Plato alſo makes frequent mention foreign, of a Syrian and Phenician fable; which was no other than ſome Iewiſh Tradition, as we have elſewhere proved.
The Grecians aſcribing to themſelves the origine of many Jewiſh Traditions.2. Another motive, that inclined the Grecians to diſguiſe and adulterate Oriental Jewiſh Traditions, was their proud Affectation or vain humor of aſcribing unto themſelves the origine of thoſe Traditions, which they did really traduce from the Iewiſh Church. And herein they followed the footſteps of the Egyptians and Phenicians, who abounded in the ſame proud humor of aſſuming to themſelves the honor and praiſe of thoſe ancient Records and Traditions, which were indeed conveyed to them from the Jews. Mimicè Philoſophi affectant veritatem, & affectando corrumpunt, ut qui gloriam captant. Tertul. Apol. c. 46.Thus the Egyptian Prieſt, in his conference with Solon, boaſts, that all ancient Records and Wiſdom belonged to them, as before chap. 6. §. 1. Now to make this fond pretenſion good, both Grecians, Phenicians, and Egyptians, all concur in this great deſigne of disfiguring and adulterating Jewiſh Traditions, thereby to make them ſeem to be their own.
§. 4. The ignorance of the Pagans, touching Jewiſh Records and myſteries.But the great prolifick principle of theſe Mythologick corruptions, and grand miſtakes about Jewiſh Traditions, was the native ignorance, joyned with a preſumptuous curioſitie, and inquiſition, which poſſeſſed the minds of thoſe blind Heathens, eſpecially the Grecians, as to Jewiſh myſteries and affairs. 1. The Jewiſh Myſteries and Inſtitutes being ſo ſupernatural, and remote, and yet the Grecian curioſitie ſo preſuming, and inquiſitive: this gave a main influence to thoſe many fabulous narrations, and figments thereabouts. So Cunaeus, de Repub. Hebr. lib. 3. cap. 4. Tis no wonder (ſaies he) that thoſe Writers, who looked not into ſacred Volumes, do report ſuch falſe things of the Jews. God hated the profane ſtock of the Gentiles, and condemned it to darknes; neither did he ſuffer them to underſtand the Affairs of that ſacred people, even in thoſe things which are common. There are extant in Joſephus, the words of Demetrius; who, upon the admiration of Ptolomie, that no Hiſtorian or Poet makes mention of Moſes's Law, refers the cauſe hereof unto the magnitude of the Affair, which the narrowneſſe of their breaſts could not comprehend. To this he addes, that Theopompus, and Theodectes underwent Divine puniſhment, for that they were ſollicitouſly inquiſitive into theſe things: for the former was deprived of his mind, the latter of his Eye-ſight. And if there were any amongſt thoſe Heathen writers, who writ any thing of theſe Jewiſh Affairs, the Truth was many waies weakned by them.
2. As for the Civil affairs of the Jews, and God's providential diſpenſations towards them, they were likewiſe ſo myſteririous and contradictorie to the rules of human Policie, as that tis no wonder if the blind Heathens could make no better judgment and narration of them. For what myſteries, and wonders of Providence were there in God's diſpenſations towards the Jews! their thriving in Captivitie, their often recoveries from ſo many Overthrows and Captivities, their continuing a Nation united and diſtinct from others, notwithſtanding ſo many breaches; finally, their Decaies and Increaſes were ſo extraordinarie, as that they could not be meaſured by rules of Policie, or Politick Obſervations. Hence was it, that Tacitus, how exact ſoever in this kind, was here greatly miſtaken in his Account of the Jewiſh Affairs their original, and Policie: of which ſee Jackſon, vol. 1. on the Autoritie of the Scripture. fol. 77. Thus we have ſhewn, how it came to paſſe, that Pagan writers were ſo ignorant of Jewiſh Traditions and Affairs, notwithſtanding their correſpondence with them.
FINIS.
End of the text · Theophilus Gale, The Court of the Gentiles (1660)