SECT. II.

in the tract wherein he settled upon the first division of the CHAP. III. earth. For though these in Asia are frequently styled Mysi, yet it is plain from ancient writers, that the same people both in Asia and Europe are promiscuously called Mysi or Mæsi.

58.

Confirm

ation of the

From what has been said it may appear not improbable, that Tiras and Madai, the immediate sons of Japhet, as well as Elishah and Dodan, the grandsons of Japhet by foregoing Javan, did each of them at the first seat themselves in the hypothesis. Lesser Asia, contrary to what seems to be commonly thought. And that they not only did so, but also seated themselves in those very tracts we have assigned them, may further appear by this consideration; that the said tracts respectively assigned to them in the Lesser Asia do very well agree, that is, do lie exactly opposite to those tracts in Europe, whither their colonies respectively removed in process of time, as they wanted room. For as it is natural to suppose that the colonies of each removed into the parts that lay nearest to them yet unpossessed, that is, directly westward, (for all the other three sides were already possessed,) so our hypothesis does exactly agree to what is thus natural to be supposed. For supposing Tiras to have been at the first seated in the country about Troy, the part of Europe that lay opposite to him was Thrace, parted from him only by the narrow passage of the Hellespont. In like manner, the country in Europe opposite to Mæsia in the Lesser Asia is Æmathia, or Macedonia. So the upper part of Greece, more properly so called, is that tract of Europe which lies opposite to Æolis and Iouia in the Lesser Asia. And lastly, the lower or southern part of Greece is that part of Europe which lies opposite to Doris in the Lesser Asia.

And thus I have gone through the original plantations or settlements of the seven nations of the branch of Japhet, and of their respective families mentioned by Moses. And not only so, but I have also taken notice of their respective colonies, as far forth as seems serviceable to the reader.

59.

Conclusion

of Sect. II.

1.

The several

Shem.

SECT. III.

Of the first Plantations or original Settlements of the Descendants of Shem, or Sem.

I SHALL proceed next to the first plantations of the sons

nations of of Shem, and their families; forasmuch as they lie next in a geographical order, bordering on the nation and families of Gomer, to the east and south. Now we find five immediate sons (or sons properly so called) of Shem mentioned by Moses, namely, Elam, and. Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. Of these, Moses acquaints us with the sons only of Arphaxad and Aram.

2.

The nation

I shall begin with the settlement of Aram, as being the of Aram, first nation of the branch of Shem, adjoining to the nations where seat- of the branch of Japhet already spoken of. For the por

ed.

3. Padan-A

tion that fell to the nation of Aram lay in the countries called by the Greeks Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Syria. It is probable, that Armenia took its present name from Aram. Mesopotamia, as it was so called by the Greeks from its situation between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, so it was called by the Hebrews Aram-Naharaim, i. e. Aram of or between the two rivers.

And whereas one part of this country, viz. that lying ram, what, next to Armenia, was very fruitful, and the other to the and where. south, very barren, and so of the like soil with Arabia Deserta, to which it adjoined, and under which it was by some writers comprehended; hence the upper and northern part of Mesopotamia is that, which in Scripture is distinguished by the peculiar name of Padan-Aram, and in Hosea xii. 13. by the name of Sedan-Aram: both which names are of a like importance, and denote as much as fruitful or cultivated Aram.

4.

Aram and

Though the Hebrew word Aram be frequently rendered Syria, how Syria, yet it must not be thought that they are words exfar one an- actly equivalent. The word Syria may indeed be someother. times used in old authors, to denote not only Syria com

swers to the

SECT. III.

monly so called, but also Mesopotamia. And hence it is CHAP. III. that Jacob, called in the Hebrew an Aramite, is agreeably enough said in our Version to be a Syrian; namely, either as being descended of Syrians or Mesopotamians, or else as dwelling many years in the country of Syria. For by Syria (Hos. xii. 12.) must be understood Mesopotamia, as is evident from the words immediately following, wherein it is said, that Israel served for a wife, and for a wife kept sheep; which was done in Mesopotamia. But then as to the country commonly called Syria, the name of Aram appertained only to part of that, namely, to so much of it as fell to the nation of Aram; that is, the northern and eastern parts thereof. For as to Phoenicia and Palestine, though they are esteemed as parts of Syria, yet did they not belong to Aram, but fell to the lot of Canaan. From the Hebrew name Aram, the old Greeks seem to have denoted the inhabitants of the parts that fell to Aram, by the name "Apio, Arimi; which therefore we meet with in old Homer, Iliad ii. ver. 783. The name Syri, or Syria, is not to be found in that ancient author, as being probably of a latter date, derived namely from Sor or Tyre, which is likewise never mentioned by Homer, as being likely not then grown famous, if built.

5.

The situa

ram.

Proceed we now to find out the first settlements of the families of the nation of Aram, which are reckoned four, tion of Uz according to the number of Aram's immediate sons men- son of Ationed by Moses, viz. Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. As for Uz, he is by a great agreement of the ancients said to be the builder of the city Damascus: whence it may be reasonably supposed, that the land of Uz mentioned in Scripture did denote the country about Damascus, so as to comprehend a good part of Arabia Deserta, and to extend itself to Arabia Petræa. And in this latitude both what is said in Scripture concerning Job's living in the land of Ux, as also of Edom's being in the land of Uz, is applicable enough to the country so denominated from Uz, the son of Aram, at the first plantations; and there is no need of making two other distinct lands of Uz, called