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for the reception of the Patriarch's family, and for the repeopling of the world. The soil of the country was very fruitful, and especially of that part where the Patriarch first made his descent. Some have objected to the Mosaic account of the dove and olive, and will not allow that the ark could have rested in Armenia, because travellers of late have discovered no olives in that

country they therefore infer, that there never were any trees of this sort in that region. In like manner, there may be in these days no balsam at Jericho, nor date trees in Babylonia: but it does not follow, that there were none of old. We must not therefore set aside antient histories faithfully transmitted, because the same occurrences do not happen at this day. But the inference is not only trifling, but false. Strabo was a native of Asia Minor; and he speaks of the fertility of Armenia, and especially of the region Gogarene, which he particularly mentions as productive of the olive. 1ο Ειθ ̓ ἡ Γωγαρηνη Πασα γαρ ή χώρα αυτή καρποις τε και τοις ήμεροις δενδροις, και He had τοις αειθαλεσι πληθυει" φερει δε και Ελαιαν, been speaking of various parts of Armenia, and then adds, After these succeeds Gogarene. All

15 Tournefort. letter 7th.

16 L. 11. p. 800..

this country abounds with fruits and trees for the use of man, and with those also which are evergreen. It likewise produces the OLIVE. I have mentioned that Arene was one name of the ark; and many places were so denominated in memorial of it. It is to be observed, that there is scarcely any eastern name which begins with a vowel, or common aspirate, but is at times to be found expressed with a guttural. The city Ur was called Cur, Cour, and Chora: Aza was rendered Gaza: Ham, Cham; Hanes, Chanes: Hala, Habor, and Haran; Chala, Chabor, and Charan. So Arene, an ark or ship, was expressed " Carene: from whence came the Carina of the Romans. The term Go-Carene (гw-Fagnvn) signifies literally the place or region of the ark. I do not, however, imagine, that this was precisely the spot where the descent was first made, though the name was given in memorial of that event; a circumstance common to many other places. I make no doubt but that the region of the Minya, at the foot of Mount Arad, or Ar

18

17 Many places are to be found in Media, Susiana, and Armenia, named Carene and Carina. See Cluver. Geog.

18 Gogarene was beyond the Cyrus, and a northern province. See Strabo, Stephanus, and others. It was at too great distance from Ararat, which was upon the river Araxes.

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Arat, was the district where the Patriarch and his family first resided.

It was upon the river 19 Araxes, and one of the mediterranean provinces of Armenia. It was called " Ararat and Araratia, from the mountain, and seems to have been a fine

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country, productive of every thing necessary for life. The whole of Armenia appears to have been "fruitful; and we have the attestation of Strabo, that it produced the olive. It seems, for the most part, to have been of a very high situation. One province was styled, on this account, Armenia Alta. It bordered upon Araratia westward; and the account given of it by Moses Chorenensis is remarkable. 23 Armenia Alta inter omnes regiones revera altissima est; quippe quæ ad quatuor cœli partes fluvios emittit. Habet præterea montes tres, feras plurimas, aves utiles,

19 The Araxes is properly the river of Arach, or Aracha, which signifies the river of the ark.

20 Isaiah. c. 37. v. 38. and 2 Kings. c. 19. v. 37. Ararat, regio Armeniæ. Hieron. in Isaiam. Araratia, in medio regionum (Armenia) loco. Moses Chorenensis. Geog. p. 361.

"Habet Araratia montes camposque, atque omnem fœcunditatem. Idem. p. 361.

22

Habet Armenia rerum ubertatem. Id. p. 358. Strabo says of Armenia, πολλοι αύλωνες, οι μεν μεσως, οι δε σφοδρα, ευδαίμονες, καθαπερ το Αράξηνον πεδίον. 1. 11. p. 800.

23 Geog. p. 358.

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thermas, salinas, atque aliarum rerum ubertatem, et urbem Carinam. Armenia Alta is one of the highest regions in the world; for it sends out rivers in contrary directions towards the four cardinal points in the heavens. It has three mountains, and • abounds with wild animals, and species of fowl for food, also with hot baths, and mines of salt, and with other things of utility; and the chief city is called Carina. The region styled Araratia was also very high, though it had fine plains and valleys between the mountains. A country of this nature and situation must, after the flood, have been soonest dried, and consequently the soonest habitable. And it seems also, in an eminent degree, to have contained every requisite for habitation. The mountain still has the name of Ararat, which it has retained through all ages; and the province beneath is at this day peculiarly styled 25 Ar-Meni. This name seems by the natives to have been originally limited to the

region of

Some of the principal cities in Armenia were Carina, Arca, Comana, Ararathia, Cucousus. See Hierocles Euvendnuos. p. 703. These names are very remarkable.

25 Ermenia of D'Anville. See his curious map of Armenia, entitled, Carte generale de la Georgie et de l'Armenie, desinée a Petersbourg, en 1738, d'apres les Cartes, Memoires, et Observations des Gens du Pays, &c. publiée en 1766.

26 It was the same as Ararat, which was extended in the same

the ark; but writers in aftertimes have spoken of it with a greater latitude, and extended it to a large country. It was of great repute, and its chief city very ample, before it was ruined by the Tartars. The learned Roger Bacon mentions, that it once had eighty churches: 27 Fuerunt in eâ civitate octoginta ecclesiæ Hermenorum.

The mountain was also called 28 Masis, and likewise Thamanim and Shamanim, the purport of which is remarkable. I have before taken notice of the sacred Ogdoas in Egypt, which was held in great veneration. It consisted of eight" personages described in a boat, who were esteemed the most antient gods of the country. This number was held sacred, and esteemed mysterious by other nations. It is observable, that the Chinese have somewhat more than two hundred principal elementary characters; and out of these all other representations are formed, by which, in writing, they express their ideas. By these combinations, the characteristic is, in some

manner. But Jerome says, Ararat non est tota Armenia. 1. 14. in Esaiam.

27 Rogeri Baconi Pars major de Aquilonaribus Mundi partibus. See Purchas. vol. 3. p. 55.

c. 48.

28 See Cartwright's Travels. p. 30. and William de Rubruquis. Μασιον όρος εν Αρμενια. Strabo. 1. 11. p. 772. 29 See vol. iii..of this work, p. 63.

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