oms. The words, of which it is composed, are very short, and admit of very little flexion, as may be seen on reference to any Hebrew grammar or lexicon. The names of persons and places are descriptive of their nature, situation, accidental circumstances, &c. The names of brutes, express their nature, and properties, more significantly, and more accurately, than any other known language in the world. The names also of various ancient nations, are of Hebrew origin, being derived from the sons or grandsons of Shem, Ham and Japhet: as, the Assyrians from Ashur; the Elamites from Elam; the Aramæans from Aram; the Lydians from Lud; the Cimbrians or Cimmerians, from Gomer; the Medians from Madai, the son of Japhet; the Ionians from Javan, &c. (Dr. Sharp on the Origin of Languages.) Further, the names given to the heathen deities, suggest an additional proof of the antiquity and originality of the Hebrew language: Thus, Japetus is derived from Japhet; Jove, from Jehovah; Vulcan, from Tubal-Cain, who first discovered the use of iron and brass, &c. &c.

.

Further, the most powerful proof of the antiquity and priority of the Hebrew language, in my opinion, are the traces of it, which are to be found in very many other ancient languages, and which have been noticed by several learned men. These vestiges are particularly conspicuous in the Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, Persian, Phœnician, and other languages spoken by the people who dwelt nearest to Babylon, where the first division of languages took place. Lastly, the very letters of the Hebrew alphabet were formed from a supposed resemblance which they bore to those objects most familiar to people in a state of nature; which circumstance constitutes another very great proof of the priority of this, to all

other languages. See Stewart's Hebrew Grammar. Antiquity. Hindoo.

HELL. A term applied in the Scriptures to two very distinct places: to one, the common receptacle of the dead, or the grave; to the other, the future abode of the enemies of God. In the septuagint the original word translated hell, signifies a place of darkness, not so much from the nature of the place, as from the condition of the inhabitants: thus, graves or receptacles for the dead, although generally dark, as in vaults or tombs, yet there may be light in them, but the permanent inhabitants of them (the dead) being unable to see, the place has received the name of hell or darkness. We can now easily see the propriety of the abobe of the damned being called hell, from its resemblance (to darkness) to the grave. Light, and life, are frequently used in the Scriptures to signify righteousness and happiness; just so, darkness, and death, are as frequently used to signify wickedness, and punishment. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all: consequently Heaven, where the Throne of God, His more immediate presence, and his glory, are, needs not the light of the sun; but the abode of the damned, where there is a total absence of these things, may well be called the place of darkness! In the New Testament a different word is used to denote this place: there the word is derived from a place of death, destruction and misery, near unto Jerusalem, and consequently well known to all Jews: in which children were cruelly sacrificed to Moloch, (the idol of the Ammonites,) which signifies king or governor, and represented the sun or fire which those people worshiped! A very substantial reason for making it the emblem of hell, in which the children of men are, by their wicked hearts, cruelly

sacrificed to their idol-the god of this world-even Satanı who is called the god of fire.

The very first time the word hell is used in the Scriptures, is in Deut. xxxii. 22, where evidently it signifies the abode of the damned; for, in the original, it is emphatically called, the infernal hell: in our translation it reads thus, "A fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell." Now suppose this hell is only the grave, what is the meaning of the passage? God's anger shall burn unto the lowest grave? Absurd: men may be punished by being sent into the grave; but that they are to be punished in the grave, is quite a new theory! And declaring that God's anger should reach to one grave a little lower than another, could possibly accomplish any purpose, is left for the solution of those who are wise above that which is written. Now for the literal translation of the passage, (septuagint) "For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn as (in) the infernal hell." Here we perceive the evident object of God, namely, to point out to the Jews the nature and degree, of his anger. If we wanted one more passage from the Bible to prove, that the word hell is sometimes used in the Old Testament, to signify the place of the damned, he need not go beyond Psalm ix. 17, where it is writen, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the Nations that forget God." If we read this as referring to the grave, we not only make the sacred author write downright nonsense; but render null and void, the very marrow of the declaration, viz: a warning to the wicked! But what ends the question in this passage is, that the original word translated turned, ought to be translated "re-turned." Returned into the graves is nonsense; but returned into the abode of the damned is not only com

mon sense, but strictly consonant with the whole tenor of Scripture.

HEROD, "The Great," as he was called, had no right to this title, except from the magnitude of his vices. He was born in the year of the world 3932, about 72 years before Christ. Herod became the family name: hence, we read of Herod Philip, and Herod Antipas, (the sons of Herod the Great,) and Herod Agrippa, (the grandson of Herod the Great.) Many Infidels, being ignorant of this fact, have attempted to show that the Scriptures and profane history, contradict each other, because sometimes the Scriptures call them by their surnames, and sometimes by the family name of Herod! For instance, in Luke iii. 19, Herod the tetrarch, is said to have been reproved by John the Baptist, for Herodias, his brother PHILIP's wife; whereas, profane history calls this brother, by the family name "HEROD." Both are correct: for his name was HEROD PHILIP! "A little learning is a dangerous thing." What a system. infidelity must be, when its votaries are driven to seek such subterfuges, for its very existence! See Appendix. B.

HIDE. In Gen. iii. 8, 9, it is written," Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God"--" and the Lord God" (that is the angel of the Lord) called unto Adam, and said unto him, "where art thou?" The idea that man could hide himself from God is as absurd, as it is contrary to the whole tenor of Scripture. See Communications.

HINDOO. The oldest Hindoo book cannot exceed 1300 years: the Surya Siddhanta, the most ancient astro

216 HIVITES. HOLY OF HOLIES. HOREB. HULDAH.

nomical treatise the Hindoos have, and which they pretend is 2,164,899 years old, was actually written about the year A. D. 1068: hence, only 778 years old! (Asiatic Res. vol. viii. p. 222.) See Antiquity.

HIVITES and JEBUSITES.

It is written in Josh.

xi. 19, "There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites, the inbabitants of Gibeon; all other they took in battle." Whereas in Josh.

xv. 63, it is written that, "as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jérusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah unto this day." There is no contradiction whatever between these two statements: for be it observed, that although Jerusalem had been taken, and its king vanquished by Joshua, together with the land surrounding it, (Joshua x. 5. 23. 42,) the fortress, or strong hold of Zion, continued in the hands of the Jebusites. And the Israelites not being able immediately to people all the cities they had taken, the Jebusites recovered possession of the city, whence the children of Judah had expelled them, after the death of Joshua. (Judges, i. 8.) But the fortress of Mount Zion, remained in their hands until the reign of David. (Horne.)

HOLY OF HOLIES. See Ark.

HOREB. See Sinai.

HULDAH, the prophetess, is consulted by Hilkiah the priest, and others who are sent to her by Josiah the king. 2 Chron. xxxiv. 21. 28. "And she answered them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell ye the man who sent you to me, Thus saith the Lord," Behold