CHRISTIANS BY THE SEPTUAGINT VERSION. 11

them in conformity with the notions which were prevalent in their time among their countrymen. The authority of this version having been recognised in the early Christian Church,—so far, indeed, that it was even believed, by many, to be actually inspired,—it may be perfectly understood how the erroneous system of Geography established among the Jews should have been followed during the first ages by the Christians also: but it is strange, even almost beyond conception, how an error which (as must be admitted,) was so easy of detection, should have maintained its ground until the present time; and this too, not merely among those who, in the simplicity of their hearts, have been satisfied to receive the Scriptural history as it had been presented to them, but among those also who, professing to interpret the statements of Revelation by the (to them infallible) light of human reason, independently of all authority whether human or Divine, have afforded the most complete proof of the imperfection and fallibility of that reason, and at the same time of their blind deference to human tradi

cations of the Jews. Whenever a revision of our authorized Translation of the Bible shall be determined upon, I would suggest that the names of countries should be left as in the original Text; and also that those of objects of natural history and of science in general, should not be attempted to be translated, in cases in which the least doubt remains as to their true meaning. Our Translators have thus done right in not varying the names of the Gopher and Shittim woods :-respecting the signification of the former of these terms see the Appendix to this Volume.

12 THE SCRIPTURAL HISTORY TO BE INTERPRETED

tion, by allowing themselves to be so grossly and so entirely misled.

The unavoidable result of the facts here reviewed, has been that instead of clear and satisfactory knowledge on a class of subjects which, in interest to mankind at large from their importance as Scripture evidences, hold only a second rank to the preceptive and doctrinal parts of the Bible, we find only the greatest contrariety of opinion. Agreeing, as all who have considered the subject seem to feel themselves bound to do, in the general notions of Sacred Geography promulgated by the Jewish translators of the Septuagint version, and perpetuated in the Christian world upon their authority, -or rather, in fact, having no suspicion of their untruth, still no two travellers or Biblical commentators view particular objects in precisely the same light. Hypotheses are proposed to remove existing difficulties, which by the next writer are shown to contain greater difficulties than the opinions which they are intended to supersede; whilst, on the other hand, certain data, which, had they been properly examined, would immediately have been seen to be founded entirely in error, and to be in fact the causes of all this difficulty and confusion, are at once and altogether taken for granted.

In proposing the system of Geography which is contained in the following sheets, I fully expect that, like all those by which it has been preceded, it will be met by many objections, and that it may even

UPON ITS OWN INTERNAL EVIDENCE ALONE. 13

be shown to contain many errors; but, whatever may be the amount of truth which it may ultimately be found to possess, I feel confident that it will be recognised as at least a first approximation to the establishment of Scriptural Geography upon that basis upon which alone it can remain immutably fixed,—that is, the evidence of the Scriptures themselves.

Nor is this the only result which I venture to anticipate for by thus freeing the Sacred Writings from the false construction which has during ages been put upon them, (in consequence of attributing to heathen sources of early history the great and undue importance which they have hitherto received,) and by reading and interpreting the Scriptural History upon its own internal evidence alone, we shall, by direct deduction from the enunciations of the Sacred Volume, be led to conclusions upon subjects usually considered as exclusively within the department of Profane History, which will be found to be totally at variance with the received opinions respecting them; and, what is of yet greater importance, we shall, indisputably, be enabled to attain a far more intimate knowledge and correct understanding of those earlier portions of the Universal History of the world, for the development of which the Hebrew Scriptures must be our sole authority and our unerring guide.

CHAPTER II.

The consideration of the antediluvian world and of the Flood unnecessary to the subject of the present work.-Situation of the mountains of Ararat;—References in Scripture to the position of the country of Ararat;-Correctly placed in Armenia.-Critical examination of the expression from the east'.-The objection to the situation of Ararat on account of the supposed position of Babel considered:-Present state of the neighbourhood of Babylon;-Country formed by the alluvium of the Euphrates and Tigris;-The Persian Gulf formerly extended further northward;-Rapid advance of the land;-Proofs from Herodotus, Nearchus and Pliny:-Conclusion that Babylon and Babel are not identical.-The sites of the Babel of Nimrod and of the Tower of Babel also different.-Application of the name of Shinar at different periods.-Particular locality of the mountains of Ararat considered:-Objections to Agridagh:-Presumed conduct of Noah after the Flood;-Opinion expressed as to the interference of the Almighty;-Conclusion that Noah would act like others under similar circumstances and would follow the course of a river :-Armenia composed of two plains of inclination, those of the Euphrates and the Araxes:-Ararat necessarily in the former.-Conclusion as to the real situation of the mountains of Ararat.

IN treating of the Geography of Sacred History, it is unnecessary to inquire into the state of the world antecedently to the Flood. Many have been the hypotheses respecting the situation of the Garden of Eden, but without even an approximation to a satisfactory result; nor, under the existing erroneous notions of Scriptural Geography, is this

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.

14.

at all surprising. However, if the names of the countries mentioned in the Book of Genesis in connexion with Eden, be, as I conceive they are, those of countries existing and known under those names when that book was composed, and if their correct situation be discoverable, it would seem that the locality of the habitation of our first parents may yet, at least approximately, be ascertained'.

Neither is it intended, in the present Work, to enter into any disquisitions concerning the human race previously to the Flood. One thing is certain from the evidence of Scripture,—and it is all that need be adverted to for the purpose now before us, -which is, that the wickedness of mankind had attained a height so enormous as to call down upon them the wrath of God, and to cause their destruction, so that "Noah only remained alive, and they "that were with him in the ark"."

The consideration of the Flood itself is equally irrelevant to our present objects. We may at once proceed, therefore, to consider what is stated to have taken place when God had remembered Noah, and when, the waters of the Flood having by His Almighty power assuaged, "the ark rested.... upon the mountains of Ararat4.”

1 See the Appendix to the present Volume for the consideration of the probable site of the Garden of Eden.

2 Gen. vii. 23.

3 In the Appendix reasons will be given for the opinion that the Flood was produced by means of the rain from heaven' alone. + Gen. viii. 4.