in Scripture under the names of Sheba and Havilah; but CHAP. III. these were probably so denominated, not from the two SECT. III. sons of Joktan that were of the same names, but from others; particularly from two sons of Cush, one of the sons of Ham; to whose descendants (there being nothing certain concerning Lud, the remaining son of Sem, but that he did not seat himself in the country of Lesser Asia, called Lydia) I now hasten.

SECT. IV.

Of the first Plantations of the Descendants of Ham. HAM, as has been observed, was the youngest of the

1.

Ham,

three sons of Noah; and consequently his offspring made Land of the youngest branch of Noah's posterity; which may pri- which. marily be distinguished into four nations, according to the number of the immediate sons of Ham named by Moses, viz. Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. As to the name of Ham himself, we find Egypt twice or thrice denoted by the name of the land of Ham in the book of Psalms; whence it seems probable that Ham went thither himself, and there settled with his son Mizraim.

2.

Ham, pro

And it is scarce to be doubted, but the person denoted by the Greeks under the name of Jupiter Ammon (in ho- bably denour of whom there was a temple erected in the parts of noted by Jupiter Libya adjoining to Egypt, much celebrated for its ora- Ammon. cles) was no other than Ham. For the derivation of the name Ammon from "Auμos, Ammus, signifying in Greek sand, is to be ascribed only to the ignorance of the latter Greeks as to the true and primitive original of it; whereupon, according to their usual custom in other like instances, they deduced it from a word of their own, denoting the sandiness of the country thereabout. To proceed now to the sons of Ham.

It is well known that the nation of Canaan settled itself in the country so often mentioned in Scripture under

H 2

3.

Of the nation of Ca

naan.

PART I. the name of the land of Canaan; which God in process of time gave to the seed of Abraham, the Israelites. A more particular knowledge both of this nation in general, and also of the respective situation of its several families, will conduce much to the better understanding of great part of the sacred History; and therefore I shall make this the subject of a whole distinct Chapter, when I shall come to speak of Abraham's going to sojourn in the land of Canaan.

4.

of Cush,

where seated.

The nation of Cush is likewise frequently mentioned in The nation Scripture; from which it is clear, that its first settlement was in the country adjoining to his brother Canaan on the south, that is, in Arabia. It is true indeed, that the word Cush, when put in Scripture for a country or people, is rendered Ethiopia, or Ethiopians; but then this can be truly understood only of the Asiatic Ethiopia, or Arabia, not of the African, and especially as to the first settlement of Cush.

5.

denoted in

Arabia.

That by Cush is denoted in Scripture Arabia, is evident By Cush is from these places. In Numb. xii. 1. we read that MiScripture, riam and Aaron spake against Moses, because of the Cushite woman whom he had married. But it is certain from Exod. ii. 15-21. that Moses's wife was a Midianitish woman; and it is confessed, that Midian, or Madian, was a city and country in Arabia, on the shore of the Red Sea. So that from hence it appears, that Moses's wife was an Arabian, and consequently that the Hebrew word Cushite is not rightly rendered Ethiopian; unless it be understood of Ethiopia in Asia or Arabia, not of Ethiopia in Afric. Pertinent hereunto is Habbak. iii. 7. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. Where Cushan and Midian are used as equivalent terms, or else as a general and particular, Midian being in strictness only one part of the country of Cush. Further, that by Cush in Scripture is not understood Ethiopia in Afric, may be inferred from these passages: in Ezek. xxix. 10. God by his Prophet speaks thus: I will make the land of Egypt desolate, from the lower of

SECT IV.

Syene even unto the border of Cush. It is manifest, that CHAP. III. here, by the tower of Syene and the border of Cush, are denoted the two extremities of Egypt. Now all, that have any knowledge of old geography, know that Syene was the boundary of Egypt southwards towards Ethiopia in Afric. Therefore Cush, as being the opposite boundary of Egypt, cannot possibly be the African Ethiopia, or Ethiopia commonly so called; but thereby may be well understood Arabia, as bounding that part of Egypt which is most remote from Ethiopia, that is, its north part. Again, we read 2 Kings xix. 9. that whilst Sennacherib King of Assyria was besieging Libnah in the tribe of Judah, Tirhakah King of Cush was marching with an army against him. In like manner we read, 2 Chron. xiv. 9. that Zerah the Cushite came with a great army against Asa King of Judah. Now this cannot be tolerably understood in either place of the King of Ethiopia commonly so called, as lying at too great a distance from Judea, and having the country of Egypt to pass through, before he could bring his army into Judea. But it may be well understood of the King of Arabia, as being the neighbouring country. What has been offered does, I think, sufficiently evince that the nation of Cush did first settle in Arabia; and the word is generally to be so understood in Scripture.

6.

In what

to be the

pians in

It is very probable, that in process of time some of the Cushites might pass over the Red Sea into the adjoining sense Cush parts of Afric, and so plant colonies in Ethiopia com- may be said monly so called; and in this sense Cush may be said to be father of the father of these Ethiopians. But whether the word the EthioCush is ever taken in this acceptation by the sacred wri- Afric. ters, is not certain: those places of Scripture which are by some expounded of this Ethiopia (viz. Isai. xviii. 1. Zeph. iii. 10. and 2 Chron. xii. 3.) are by other learned men expounded of Arabia.

7.

The de

I proceed now to the descendants of Cush mentioned by Moses, which are these, Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: to which Moses subjoins of Cush

H 3

mentioned by Moses.