1 Medes and Babylonians, and pre- Melo in a fragment, preserved also by Eusebius, has the following declaration. "They say, that, after the deluge, the man, who was preserved, went from Armenia with his sons. Being driven out of his place of residence by his own countrymen, or domestics, he passed over the intermediate country, and came to the mountainous parts of Syria, at that time a desert." Stephanus Byzant. says, "The deluge of Deucalion having come, all men perished. The earth being dried again, Jupiter commanded Prometheus to form images of clay; which being finished he summoned the winds to breathe on them all, and thus make them living beings." Diodorus Siculus says, "In the deluge, which happened in the time of Deucalion, most of mankind were destroyed." Lucian, in his book de Dea Syra, has the following passage concerning an ancient temple in Hierapolis. "Most persons say, that this temple was built by Deucalion: viz. that Deucalion, in whose time there was a general deluge. I have heard, in Greece, what the Greeks relate concerning this Deucalion. The story is this. "The present race of men is All that not the original one. race perished. The men, who are now, are of a second race, which sprang from Deucalion; and have increased to an incredible multitude. Of the original race these things are related: that, waxing proud, they perpetrated wicked deeds: for they neither kept their oaths; nor received strangers; nor regarded suppliants. For these things a most dreadful calamity came upon them. A flood of water burst out of the earth; and excessive rains came from heaven. rivers overflowed their bounds; and the sea overspread the land, so that all places were covered with water; and all men perished. Deucalion alone was left, to be the founder of a second race, on account of his prudence and piety. The "He put his women and children into a great ark, (λapvana;) and entered into it himself. When he had done this, the swine, horses, lions, serpents, and all other creatures feeding on the face of the earth, came, two of each; which he received to himself. These animals were all harmless, because a peaceful, friendly, disposition was sent up on them from GOD; and they all sailed together in the ark, so long as the water was upon the earth.' These are the things, which the Greeks say of Deucalion. "Concerning the things, which afterward took place, a wonderful story is told by the people of Hierapolis: viz. that in their country, the earth parted asunder, and swallowed up the flood of waters; and, on the very place of this rupture, altars, and a temple of Juno, were erected by Deucalion. I saw the rupture of the earth myself. It was directly under the temple, and very small. Whether it was formerly greater, and has been lessened by time, I know not. This I know; that, when I saw it, it was very small. As a me-, morial, and a proof, of this story, they have this custom. Twice in a year water is brought from the sea to this temple; and not only the priests, but all Syria and Arabia, and even from the Euphrates men go to the sea; and all bring water thence, and pour it out in the temple. The water runs down into the rupture; and, though small, it receives an immense quantity of water. At the same time they say, that this rite was instituted by Deucalion, as a memorial of the deluge, and of his deliverance. Such is the ancient tradition concerning this temple." Alexander Polyhistor says, that "Otiartes being dead, Xisuthrus, his son, reigned 18 years; which they call Saros. In his time, they say, there was a great deluge. Xisuthrus was preserved; Saturn himself premonishing him of what was to take place, and directing him to build an ark, and to sail in it, together with birds, beasts, and reptiles." The substance of the account, given by Berosus, concerning the Deluge, is as follows. In the time of Xi8uthrus happened the Deluge. Kronus appeared to him in a vision, and informed him, that on the 15th day of the month Dasius there would be a flood, by which mankind would be destroyed. He then ordered Xisuthrus to build a vessel; to take into it his friends and relations with him; and to commit himself to the deep. Xisuthrus obeyed; and, having taken on board every thing necessary to sustain life, took in also all kinds of animals, that walk or fly. Having asked whither he was to go, he was answered "to the GoDs." Upon which he offered up a prayer for the good of mankind. The vessel was five stadia in length, and two in breadth. Into this he put his wife, children, and friends, and every thing, which he had prepared. After the flood had been sometime upon the earth, and was somewhat abated, Xisu thrus sent some birds out of the vessel; which, not finding any food, nor any place to rest their feet, returned to him again. After some days he sent some birds forth a second time; which returned to him, having their feet stained with mud. He made the experiment the third time; when the birds returned no more. Concluding from this fact that the waters had left the surface of the ground dry, he made an opening in the vessel; and looking out, found, that the vessel 1812. Mosaic Account of the Deluge authentic. was driven to the side of a mountain. He then quitted it, attended by his wife, children, and the pilot. Xisuthrus immediately paid his adorations to the earth; and, having built an altar, offered sacrifices to the Gods. Then Xisuthrus, and those who came with him out of the vessel, disappeared; and were deeply lamented by those who were in it. They heard his voice in the air, informing them, that on account of his piety he was translated to live with the GoDs, together with his wife, children, and pilot. Having heard these words, they offered sacrifices to the GoDs; and taking a circuit, came into Babylonia. The place, where these things happened, was Armenia. The remains of the vessel are now to be seen on one of the Corcyraan mountains Diodorus Siculus says, "the E- sal." Pliny says, it reached to Italy. Varro calls the time between the first man and the deluge ignotum; that between the deluge and the first Olympiad, fabulosum; and that between the first Olympiad and his own time historicum." The Ocean was made the father of all things by the Greeks, and other Heathen Nations, because the deluge preceded all things known by them. The Waterer, or Aquarius, in he reigned, so great a flood of that there was a deluge on the Porphyry says, the Sun was The ancient coins of Eryx On a coin struck at Apamea, in Phrygia, on the river Marsyas, anciently named Ki6wtos, or the Ark, is delineated an ark, with two persons looking; out of it. Over it is a dove sitting; and under that another fluttering, and holding in its mouth a a branch. Upon the side of the ark, underneath the persons who are in it, is the word, NME: Noah. Before the ark is a man, Both apfollowing a woman. ark, and to have arrived on the pear to have just quitted the dry land. Falconerius says, that he had met with three of these coins: the first, in the collection of the duke of Tuscany; the second, in that of the Cardinal Ottoboni; the third, the property of Augustino Chigi, nephew of Pope Alexander VII. The Celtic nations, who spread first over the Lesser Asia, and afterwards over all the southern parts of Europe, and over Great Britain and Ireland, universally believed the existente of the deluge. Bruce informs us, that the black people, who inhabit the mountains of Habesh, bordering the southwestern side of the Red Sea, live, during the dry season, in the vallies beneath them; and, during the rainy season, retire to these mountains, where they live in caves, dug in the solid rocks. They declare, that they descended from Cush, the father of Nimrod; and say, that their ancestors made these caves, after the deluge, from an apprehension, that the earth might be overflowed again. Many Spanish writers, particularly Acosta and Herrera, declare, that traditions existed concerning the deluge, of the preservation of animals, and of the raven, and dove, sent forth out of the ark, in the island of Cuba, and in the provinces of Mechoacan and Nicaragua, in New Spain, Among the traditionary testimonies of this event, still remaining, is a historical Merican picture. In this picture is an ark, containing a number of persons. Several other persons are exhibited as having left it, and as walking out through the water, in which it swims, towards the shore. The Mohekaneews, who inhabited this country from the Potowmac to the St. Lawrence, and, except the country of the Iroquois, from the Atlantic near, and probably quite, to the Pacific, had a very ancient tradition, that their country was once drowned, together with all its inhabitants, except one Powaw and his wife. The tribes of this nation, who lived in the eastern part of New England, supposed these two persons, foreseeing the flood, to have fled to the White Mountains, and there to have been preserved. From them, the tradition says, the country was repeopled. Universally, wherever tradition goes back to ancient times, it records the existence of the deluge. I will add one more testimony, and conclude this part of my subject. In the first Purana of the Hindoos it is declared that Menu or Nuh (Noah,) was informed by Heri, the preserver of the universe, that there would be in seven days a deluge, by which the world would be destroyed; and that a large vessel should be previously sent to him by Heri. He was directed to take all medic inal herbs, and all seeds, and then accompanied by seven saints, encircled by pairs of all brute ani mals, to enter the spacious ark, where he was to continue safe from the flood until it should abate; and was promised protection, and preservation, by Heri. At the time appointed, the sea, overwhelming its shores, deluged the whole earth; and was augmented by showers from immense clouds. The vessel approached at the appointed time; and Menu having conformed to the directions of Heri, entered it, with the seven saints, (the chiefs of the Brahmins,) and together with them was preserved. The third class of traditions, which I shall recite, will immediately respect Noah himself. This patriarch is remembered under many names. Among them his own is retained by several nations of the East. It is a remark of Grotius, that Sisithrus, Xisuthrus, Deucalion, Ogyges, and Noah, all signify the same thing, in different languages. Philo Judeus says, that the Greeks call that person Deuce. 1812. That Saturn was Noah, is taught by Bochart, Bryant, Jones, and others; and with the strongest appearance of probability, for the following reasons. 1st. He and his wife Rhea were children of Oceanus; or born of the Ocean. a husband 2dly. He was man, and the first that taught and was thence agriculture; called by the Latins, "Sator," i.e. the planter, or sower. 3dly. He was the original planter of vines. 4thly. The coins, struck to his honor, had on the reverse a ship. 5thly. He was esteemed the author of time. In more explicit language, time was supposed to commence at his birth. 6thly. He lived to a very great age. 7thly. He was styled king of the world; particularly of the former world. See the 63d epigram of Martial. 8thly. In his reign there was 11thly. To these three he is said to have 12thly. He is said to have ruined all things: which were, however, restored with vast increase: i. e. all things were in his time ruined and restored. 13thly. He is said to have been guilty of drunkenness. 14thly. He was styled the Father of Gods and men; and sometimes, of mortal men only. The Heathen Gods were men, and descendants of Noah. 15thly. As a man, and a ruler, he was eminently just. 16thly. In his time, styled the Phoroneus is another name of 1st. Phoroneys was styled the 3dly. He was said to have 4thly. To have been the first, lived in the time of the deluge. who built an altar; 5thly. The first, who collected men together; 6thly. The first, who gave laws, and distributed justice; 7thly. The person, who distributed mankind, by families over the earth; and 8thly. The first king upon earth. Accordingly Syncellus declares, that there is nothing in the Gre cian history of the world before the time of Phoroneus. There are, in many nations, various traditions concerning Woah, These traditions preserve, and under different names, or titles. agree in, many real particulars of his history. For example, they represent him as preserved in an ark; as being in a state of darkness, or distress; (a fact which seems to have left a very deep impression on his early descendants;) as, allegorically in a state |