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Α

NEW SYSTEM;

OR, AN

ANALYSIS

OF

ANTIENT MYTHOLOGY.

OF THE

MIGRATION

AND DISPERSION OF NATIONS.

εν

Εγω δε περι πολλες τον αληθη λόγον τιμέμενος και το ακρι δες ανιχνεύσαι δια σπεδης πρόθεμην, ενθεν ὁρμηθεις τη προ ταύτης προτάξει ύλας εκπορίζων έμαυτῷ, χρονων αναγραφας συνελεξα παντοίας. Georgius Monachus, P. 66.

IN the Mosaic history we have an account of the antediluvian world being destroyed by a deluge, the family of one man excepted, which was providentially preserved. The manner of their preservation I have described; and have shewn,

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that the ark rested upon Mount Ararat, in a province of Armenia. This was the region in which mankind first began to multiply, and from whence they afterwards proceeded to their different places of allotment. It will therefore be necessary to give some account of this country; as from such an inquiry we shall find innumerable evidences still arise in confirmation of the primæval history: and there will be also many proofs obtained, in confirmation of my opinion, concerning the migration of mankind.

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Armenia lay to the north of Aramea, or Mesopotamia: and one might be led to think, from the similarity of terms, that Armenia and Aramea were the same name. This, however, was not the Aramea was the land of Aram: but Armenia, which was separated from it by Mount Taurus, was denominated from Ar-Men, and HarMen, the mountain where the ark rested. It was a branch of the abovementioned Taurus: and was distinguished by several appellations, each of which was significant, and afforded some evidence to the history of the deluge. It was called Ararat, Baris, Barit, Luban, which last signified Mons Lunaris, or the Mountain of Selene.

2

It

* Strabo. 1. 11. p. 792. 798.

2 See vol. iii. of this work, p. 318.

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had also the name of Har-Min, and Har-Men,. which was precisely of the same signification. The people who lived round it were called Minni and Miny; and the region had the name of Armenia from the mountain, which was the great object of reverence in this country. The name is to be found in the prophet Jeremiah, where he is calling together various foreign powers, to make an invasion upon Babylon. Set up a standard in the land; blow the trumpet among the nations; prepare the nations against her. Call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat Minni, and Ashchenaz. By Ararat-Minni is signified the region about Mount Ararat, which was possessed by the Minya. The passage is by the Chaldee Paraphrast very justly rendered, Armini, the same as Armenia. From hence the learned Bochart infers with good reason, that the name of Armenia was taken from this Ararat of the Minni, called Ar-Mini. Videtur Armeniæ vox conflata esse ex -, Har Mini, id est Mons Mini, sive Montana Miniadis. Something similar is to be found in Amos: where the same mountain is mentioned under the name of

4

-,

Har

* Jeremiah. c. 51. v. 27. Suscitate super eam gentes; annunciate adversus illam regibus Ararath Menni. Vulgate.

* Geog. Sacra. 1. 1. c. 3. p. 20.

5 C. 4. v. 3.

.Munah, or Mountain of the Moon. Jerome takes notice of this passage, and mentions how differently it has been rendered by expositors; a circumstance which must happen when writers are of different countries and of different times. Hieronymus et projiciemini inquit in locis Armeniæ, quæ vocantur Armoną. Denique Symmachus ita interpretatus est, et projiciemini in Armeniâ: pro quibus LXX montem Remman, Aquila montein Armona, Theodotio montein Mona. 7 Bochart, who quotes this passage, at the close asks, What if Mini, Minyas, and Monah, should after all prove to be the same name, only differently expressed? We may safely answer, that they are; and that they relate to the same history. Even the Remman of the LXX is a transposition of the true name; and a mistake for Ar-Man, the same as Ar-Mini in the Chaldaic Paraphrase, as Ar-Mona of Aquila, Ar-Muna of Amos, and the Mountain Mona of Theodotion. They all signify Mons Lunus, and relate to the

"Hieron. et Theodoretus. See Bochart. Geog. Sacra. 1. 1. c. S. p. 20.

** Bochart supra. p. 20. Θεοδώρητος, απορρίφησεσθε εις το όρος το Αρμαία, &c. Ο δε Σύμμαχος το Αρμανα Αρμενίαν ήρμήνευσεν· Ὁ δι Θεοδοτίων ύψηλον όρος. Ibid.

This is manifest from the Vulgate, in which it is rendered Et projiciemini in Ar-mon.

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