the sea of darkness, in order to explore what it might contain. Another name for Tartarus, to which the poets condemned the Titans and Giants, was Erebus. This, like ζοφος, was a term of twofold meaning. For Ereb, y, signified both the west, and also darkness; and this served to confirm the notion, that the Titans were consigned to the regions of night. But gloomy as the country is described, and horrid, we may be assured, from the authorities of 34 Diodorus and Pliny, that it was quite the reverse; and we have reason to think, that it was much resorted to; and that the natives for a long time kept up a correspondence with other branches of their family. Homer affords some authority for this opinion, in a passage where he represents Jupiter as accosting Juno, who is greatly displeased.

35 σεθεν δ' εγω εκ αλεγίζω

Χωομένης, εδ' είχε τα νείατα πειραθ' ίκηαι
Γαιης και ποντοιο, ἱν Ιαπετοστε Κρονοστε

Ἡμενοι, ετ' αυγής Ὑπερίονος Ηελίοιο

Τερποντ', ετ' ανέμοισι, βαθύς δε τε Ταρταρος αμφις.

I shall not, says Jupiter, regard your resentment;

34 Χώραν ευδαίμονα νεμομενοι (Ατλαντες). 1. 3. p. 189.

35 Iliad. . v. 477.

Ρ.

not though you should desert me, and betake yourself to the extremities of the earth, to the boundaries of sea and land; velata weigara, to the lower limits, where Iapetus and Cronus reside; who never enjoy the light of the sun, nor are refreshed with cooling breezes; but are seated in the depths of Tartarus. In the Ion of Euripides, Creüsa, being in great distress, wishes that she could fly away to the people of the western world, which she alludes to as a place of security.

O! that I could be wafted through the yielding air,

Far, very far, from Hellas,

To the inhabitants of the Hesperian regions
So great is my load of grief.

From the words of Jupiter above, who tells Juno, that she may retire to the regions in the west; and from these of Creüsa, who longs to betake herself to the same parts, we may infer, that in

the first ages it was not uncommon for people in distress to retire to these settlements. Probably famine, sickness, and oppression, as well as the inroads of a powerful enemy, might oblige the Iönim to migrate. And however the Atlantic Titanians may have been like the Cimmerians, described as a people devoted to darkness, yet we find them otherwise represented, by Creüsa, who styles them Ασερας Εσπεριες, the stars of the western world. They were so denominated from being the offspring of the original Iönim, or Peleiadæ, of Babylonia; in memory of whom there was a constellation formed in the heavens. These Peleiadæ are generally supposed to have been the daughters of Atlas, and by their names the stars in this constellation are distinguished. Diodorus Siculus has given us a list of them, and adds, that from them the most celebrated " heroes were descended. The Helladians were particularly of this family; and their religion and Gods were of Titanian 38 original.

37 Diodor. Sic. l. 3. p. 194.

38

Ουρανο και Γης εισιν οι περι Κρονον, και οι άλλοι Τιτάνες" εκ των Τιτάνων οι ὑτεροι Θεοί. Scholia in Pind. Nem. Od. 6. v. 1.

Τιτηνες-Ημετέρων προγόνοι πατερων. Orphic. Hymn. 36. Pindar says, that the Titans were at last freed from their bondage. Λυσε δε Ζευς άφθιτος Τιτάνας. Pyth. Od. 4. v. 518.

GENESIS. CHAP. X.

V. 8. And Cush begat Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth.

10. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calne, in the land of Shinar.

11. Out of that land went forth Assur, and builded Nineveh; and the city Rehoboth, and Calah:

12. And Rezen between Nineveh and Calah; the same is a great city.

IN the course of my arguments I have followed the common interpretation of the passage above about Assur, and Nineve in verse the eleventh. And I think we may be assured, both from the context, and from the subsequent history of the city and country, that this is the true meaning of the sacred writer. I mention this because the learned Bochart does not allow that Nineve was founded by Assur. He gives a different interpretation to the 39 passage, going contrary to all

39 Gen. c. 10. v. 11.

the versions which have preceded. Instead of out of this land went Assur, and builded Nineve, he renders it, out of this land he (Nimrod) went into Assur, or Assyria, and built the cities mentioned. 4° He adds, habeo persuasissimum Assur hic hominis nomen non esse, sed loci:-adeoque verba Hebræa ita reddenda: Egressus est in Assyriam. I am persuaded, that the term Assur is not in this place the name of a man; but of a place. The words therefore in the original are to be thus interpreted. He (Nimrod) went out of this land into Assyria. In this opinion he has been followed by others, who have been too easily prejudiced against the common acceptation of the passage.

As the authority of Bochart must necessarily be of great weight, I have subjoined his arguments, that the reader may judge of their validity.

1. His first objection to the common version is this. He thinks, that there is an impropriety in having the name of Assur, the son of Shem, introduced where the sacred text is taken up with the genealogy of the sons of Ham.

2. It is contrary to order, that the operations of Assur should be mentioned v. 11. and his birth not till afterwards at v. 22.

40

Geog. Sacra. 1. 4. c. 12. p. 229. He is followed in this opinion by Le Clerc.