ed a peltilence which they.ocy facrificing to the fly-hunting ems not improbable, that fome ure of this kind, or a general of his power of driving away the places they frequented, the reafon why the god of called Beelzebub *. For it nary with the Heathens, to ods by the name of thofe inwhich they were believed to

Elei myiagron deum, mufcarum mulentiam afferente; quæ protinus inuam litatum eft ei deo. Plin. Nat. . 28. § 40.

7 the Greek Fathers thought, that was worshipped under the form of a -. Young (on Idolatry, vol. ii. p. 91,

that it was cuftomary with the represent their gods by fome creare facred to them. But the fuppofed s god over that noxious infect, the me the most probable reafon of the zebub.

cribed by the Greeks to Jupiter, as well as to Hercules. Now, in as much as Beelzebub is a title of honour, and such as might be, and certainly was, applied to the god of Ekron by his worshippers, it can hardly be doubted, but that it was in use amongst the Philistines, as well as amongst the Jews'. Whatever opi

1 Sic Hercules dictus ironlóvos, interemptor vermiculorum vites infeftantium, qui Græcis es. Item xwwwπεús, culicum depulfor Oeteis cultus. Lomierus de vet. Gent. Luftrationibus, p. 23. Vide etiam Bochart. Hierozoic. par. II. lib. iv. c. 9. Oper. vol. iii. p. 500, & par. I. lib. i. c. 5. Oper. vol. ii. p. 36 & Selden. de Dis Syr. Syntag. ii. c. 6. p. 228. ed Amftel. 1680.

n

Mulaypos, mufcarum venator.

Απομυίω Διὶ θύεσιν Ἠλεῖοι, Ῥωμαῖοι δέ Απομυίω Hgan, Clem. Alexandrinus in Protreptico.

P Bochart fays, Itaque nomen Beelzebub tam apud Philiftæos, quam apud Ifraelitas in ufu fuiffe reor. And Selden (ubi fupra, p. 227.)

8

nion

ter had formed of the moral the prince of demons, yet, Ed not call him Beelzebub by rifion, notwithstanding the annefs of this term, the lord'of. the Jews had learned of the o regard a power of driving noxious infects as a divine endeavouring to perfuade = the temple of Jerufalem, many facrifices were offered never had a fly upon it; ■ rather than deriding, what s fabled concerning fome of s, into which, (according to us, and others) no fly could

"bub, but Beelzebul, which fignifies the lord of <6 a dunghill; and therefore that this name could "not have been used by the Heathens, but muft

have been given by the Jews in derifion :" I answer, 1. That many learned men suppose, that the final b was fometimes changed into 1 in the ancient languages. Bochart (Hieroz. par. II. lib. iv. c. 9. p. 501.) and Grotius (on Mat. x. 25.) have given inftances of fuch changes. On this fuppofition, the Greek word will agree with the Hebrew, 2 Kings i. 2. 2. If Beelzebul be used as a different name from Beelzebub, there will nevertheless be no reafon to fuppofe that it was given by the Jews, or that it was expreffive of contempt. When the Jews reproached the Hea-. then gods as dung, they use a different word,

1, 2 Kings xxi. 21. Ezek. vi. 4. If Zebul be derived from Zebel, Stercus, it correfponds to κοπρὸς in the Orphic verfes, Ζεῦ κύδισε, μέγισε Θεῶν, εἰλύμενε κόπρω, Jupiter ! moft illuftrious, the greatest of the gods, wrapt in dang. What Clemens Alexandrinus says of the Stoics, is agreeable to the doctrine of Orpheus, and to that of the Pagans in general, διὰ πάσης ατιμελάτης, τὸ θεῖον δίηκειν λέγοντας.

то

ed. Oxon. The Hebrew word

ὕλης, καὶ διὰ τῆς

Cohort. p. 58.

zebul, pro

under

the devil, if by the devil be llen angel? Can this be proved mport of the name? There is affinity between Beelzebub either in found or meaning. Jews accustomed to call the e name of Beelzebub? The y appears from their ancient which he is called AfmoIs is a great objection against hypothefis. The difficulty confeffed by Bochart, Selchers t. But these learned

n habitation, and (as Stockius obd to the heavens, the manfion of agrees with the title of Beelfamen he lord of heaven, which the Ekro- Phenicians gave to their fupreme her therefore Beelzebub and Beelat names, or the fame name with ations, they defcribe the perfon ens regarded as their chief deity. and Bochart in the places referred