Egypt, that Rinocolura was the very name by which this City went among the Egyptians.

But if any one would rather defire to fee Examples fetch'd from the Holy Scriptures, he may obferve how the Seventy Interpreters turn the Proper Names of the Bible into Greek, Gen. II. 9. Διὰ τὸτο ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς Σύγχυσις (Babel) ὅτι ἐκεῖ συνέχει κύρια χείλη Tansus. Therefore the name of it was called πάσης Confufion (Babel or Babylon) because there the Lord confounded the Lips of the whole Earth. See likewife Gen. 31.47, & 32. 20,

32.20,

Nay what is highly remarkable, Mofes has deriv'd the Original of his own Name from an Hebrew word, and has introduced the Daughter of Pharaoh speaking Hebrew, who without quer ftion expreft her felf in the Egyptian Tongue, Exod. 2. 10. The Child grew up, and his Nurfe brought him to the Daughter of Pharaoh, who called his name Mofche; because, faid fhe, I drew him out of the Water, Mithithihou. And the reafon of it is plain, for fince Mofes faw he could eafily imitate the Egyptian Origination in the Hebrew Tongue, he made no Scruple to bring in this Princefs, expreffing her felf after that manner. But in the Egyptian Tongue he is called Mou, that is, taken out of the Water; for with the Old Egyptians Mo fignified Wa ter, and of taken out. Thus in the New Teftament, he that was called by the Syrians Chipha or Chepha, was called Пéregs, Peter, by the Greeks; and fo that Paronomafia, which our

a

Saviour

Saviour used in the Hebrew or Syro-Chaldaic was conveniently enough tranflated into the Greek Tongue, Matt. 16. 17.

However I would by no means be thought, to affirm, that the Name of Adam, and fuchlike, were changed: For it might fo happen, that both the Primitives and Derivatives of the first Language were often preferved in the Hebrew: But we must not conclude from thence, that therefore Adam fpoke pure Hebrew. There are fome Names, which with equal Felicity may be deduced out of the Chaldee; as for inftance, the Name Hhavah, for Hhai fignifies Living, no lefs in Chaldee than it does in Hebrew. Nay, there are fome Names which cannot Analogically be derived from the Hebrew Roots, although Mofes deduces them from thofe Roots, which if we should urge, as the Rabbins do, to fupport the contrary Opinion, we should from thence conclude, that the Hebrew Tongue has no Affinity with the Language of the Antedilu vians. Thus Gen. 2. 1. And fhe brought forth Cain, and faid, I have got (Kanithi) a man of the Lord. The Name Kajin, according to the common Rules, ought to be deduced from Koun, which fignifies to Lament in Pihel; as Kajits the Summer, from Kouts; Taiid, Hunting, from Tfoud; and feveral more of the like nature. From the Root Kanab we should more properly deduce Kanovi. Now, as we have observed, if we were minded to copy after the Rabbins, and follow their Conduct, we might

lay,

fay, That from hence 'tis evident, that the Hebrew Tongue is not the firft, fince Mofes was not able to exprefs in it the Etymology of the word Kain. We might gather the fame from Genefis Chap. 5. v. 29. where the Father of Noah calls the Name of his Son Noahh, Saying, be will Comfort us, Jenahhamenou, for if we are to derive the Name of this Reftorer of Mankind from Nahham, we ought to have called him Nobbem, that is to fay, a Comforter, not Noahh, which can be deduced from nothing elfe but Noahh quievit. So that if a few happy Etymologies will prove the Antediluvian Language to have been the fame with the Hebrew, furely thofe of a different Nature will demonftrate the contrary. But fince both these Propofitions cannot be true, what remains, but that we should own that the Hebrew Language is not indeed the first, but the Off-fpring of it as are likewife the Chaldee and Arabick, and that fome Remainders of it are still preserved in these three Dialects. True it is, that the Original of the Name of Tubal Cain, which is neither to be traced out of Hebrew nor Chaldee, is plainly found in the Arabick, as we have fhewn at the third (b) Chapter v. 22. Befides

;

(b) 'Tis worth Obfervation, fays our Author here, that the two words, of which this name is compounded, fignifie in the Arabian Laminam æris, aut ferri; but as far as we can find by the Holy Writ, which is our only refort in this cafe, they are wholly unknown to the Hebrew Tongue; though, as it appears by the Context, there is no queftion to be made, but this is the true fignification of them.

the

the Etymology of the word Babel is more happily deduced from the Chaldee word Bilbel confudit, than from the Hebrew Balal, which fignifies the fame; for there is a greater Affi nity between Babel and Bilbel, than between Babel and Balal.

But to deliver my Sentiments freely, concerning the Antediluvian and fome other ancient Names, many of them were not so much given them as Names at their Birth to diftinguish them from other Men, as they are to be looked upon as Sirnames, afterwards bestowed upon them for fome particular Event or Accident that befel them. And from hence it came to pass, as we have already fhewn, that these Names were changed by the Hebrews, as 'tis certain fome of them were changed by the Arabians. The firft begotten Son of Adam was Cain, as Mofes tells us, a Tiller of the Ground, which furnish'd the Arabians with an occafion to reckon the Lord knows who, one Habdel bharits, that is to fay, the Servant of a Tiller, among the Sons of Adam; which rather fignifies Cain's manner of Living, than another Son of our first Parents, as fome People imagin'd. Concerning which Confult, Schickard in the Proœmium to his Catalogue of the Perfian Kings. His other Son was called Hebel, that is, a fading thing that soon disappears, becaufe he was kill'd by his Brother in his Youth. We know indeed that fome Expofitors have conjectur'd, that from a Prophetical Spirit this

Name

Name was given him at his Birth by his Parents; but a bare fimple Conjecture can never amount to a Demonftration. A Perfon of fingular Piety, and confequently inftructed in all the Knowledge of Divine Matters, which thofe Times were capable of, is called Hhanoch from the Verb Hhanach, that is, docuit, inftituit, whence the Participle Hhanouch, doctus, learned. For this reafon the fame Man is called by the Arabians Idris, which fignifies learned; for daras with the Hebrews and Arabians, is accuratè

fubtiliter indagavit. His Son was called in After-ages Methoufchelahh, i. e. After his Death a breaking out, to wit, of Waters, happened. After the Flood Peleg, that is, Divifion the Son of Heber, in whofe days the Earth was divided, Chap. 1o. v. 25. We have alfo obferved on the (c) Tenth Chapter v. 8. that Nimrod was no very honourable Title for him to whom it was given. Perhaps we might difcover feveral others of the like kind, if we had a fuller and larger Hiftory of thofe Times. But thefe we

(c) Monfieur le Clerk here obferves, that Nimrod is derived from the Hebrew Radix Marad, to Rebel, from whence the Arabick word Maridon is derived, which fignifies Obftinate, Proud, or Infolent. And fuch fort of a Man he muft needs be, continues our Author, who firft diffolved the Paternal Government, and affected a Superiority over his Brethren. I can never perfwade my felf, that this Name was given him as foon as he was born, no more than several other Names were given to others, which have a relation to their Dipofition, or the Inventions they found out. They rather feem to be their Cognomina or Sirnames, of which their Pofterity had fome remembrance, when their Names were utterly forgotten.