NOTES ON THE FIRST PART OF THE HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. Chap. III. Sect. ii. Sect. 12. ONCE more, the prophet Feremiah, foretelling the taking of Babylon by Cyrus the Great, has this expression, ch. li. ver. 27. Call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat and Minni, &c.] I cannot omit obferving, that it is not altogether improbable, that the name Armenia might be made up of Ararat and Minni, or Menni, as it is written by fome. And it is plain, that the Syriac interpreter of Jeremy did take Menni to denote Armenia; as alfo did the Chaldee paraphraft Jonathan. Chap. III. Sect. ii. Sect. 46. I must now speak fomething of the colonies of Magog.] I look upon this to be a proper place to take notice, that although the Swedish hiftorians may with fome probability esteem themselves to be colonies of Magog, yet it seems very abfurd for them to go about to fhew the world, that the kingdom of Sweden is the most ancient kingdom in Europe, and that this country was was after the deluge fooner ftored with inhabitants than the other parts of Europe. Foraímuch as it is not likely, that the firft planters of Europe should settle themselves in the more northern and unfruitful parts of it, before they had stored or filled the more fouthern and fruitful countries of it. Chap. III. Sect. iv. Sect. 24. That the Caphtorim were fituated near to the Cafluhim, &c.] I am not ignorant that fome learned men, particularly Bochart, contend, that the Caphtorim were feated in Cappadocia, and prove this by feveral inftances out of Oriental writers, by whom the Cappadocians are denoted by the word Caphtorims. But then this does not prove that Cappadocia was first planted after the flood by the Caphtorims, which is what we are speaking of here. All that is proved by the citations out of the said Oriental books, is only thus much, viz. that a colony of the Caphtorim did in process of time poffefs themselves of Cappadocia, having fubdued the defcendants of Japhet; juft as another colony of the Caphtorims did possess themselves of that tract of Canaan, which is called in Scripture by the name of the land of the Philistines, having subdued the first planters of that tract, the defcendants of Ca naan. Chap. V. Sect. 3. Being thus occafionally trained up to the art of war, &c.] I cannot forbear obferving here, that, agreeably to what is here supposed, concerning the manner how Nimrod came to be a good warrior, the great philofopher and general Xenophon does particularly advise, that young men fhould not flight hunte ing, because hereby they might become fitter for the foldiery. See his KuvYyέTI. or Tract of Hunting, chap. ii. fect. 1. Oxford edition, 8°. Chap. Chap. VIII. Sect. 4. And it feems very probable, that there was a remarkable oak. in or near this plain of Moreh.] Indeed, upon further confideration, I think it most probable to suppose, with the learned Mr. Mede, that the Hebrew word, which we translate here an oak, does rather denote a grove or plantation of oaks. For, as the faid learned perfon obferves, here God appeared first unto Abraham upon his coming into the land of Canaan, and made him a promise of giving the said land unto his feed: whereupon Abraham built an altar there unto the Lord. On which account, this place was held in great esteem ever after by the defcendants of Abraham; infomuch that Joshua judged this the most proper place to affemble the Ifraelites together, in order to renew their covenant with God a little before his death, as we read Josh. xxiv. and also we are informed ver. 26. of the fame chapter, that, after the folemn renewing of the covenant, Joshua took a great stone, and set it up there (under an oak, rather) in or by the oak-grove, that was by the fanctuary of the Lord. From which last claufe Mr. Mede very judiciously infers, that, fince this was never the fettled place of the ark, it therefore follows, that here was a Profeucha, or oratory, i. e. a place of prayer, in those early times; it being made choice of for fuch religious worship on account of God's appearing here first to Abraham in the land of Canaan, and of Abraham's here building the first altar to God, after his coming into Canaan. That here was a grove of oaks, not only a fingle oak, is further probable, from what we read, Gen. xxi. 33. And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord. Where we learn that Abraham did plant a grove about the place he had fet apart for a Profeucha; and that probably in refemblance of the grove near Sichem, where God first ap peared to him after his coming into Canaan. See note on fect. 42. Chap Chap. VIII. Sect. 31. Where by Gilgal is not to be understood the place near the river Jordan, &c.] This is faid in conformity to the opinion more generally received, which I intended to have enlarged upon, when I came to the geography of the book of Jofhua. But being come to the defcribing fuch places as are mentioned in the faid book of Jofhua, upon more mature confideration, I perceived reason not to defend the generally received opinion, forafmuch as by Gilgal might be well understood the place commonly fo called in Scripture, for the reason alledged, Part II. chap. iv. sect. 47. Chap. VIII. Sect. 42. It is remarkable in holy Scripture for Abraham's entertaining there three angels under an oak.] It is very probable, from what has been before obferved on fect. 4. of this chapter, concerning the oak in the plain of Moreh near Sichem, that this oak in the plain of Mamre near Hebron was also a grove of oaks, rather than a fingle oak. As for the fingle oak, which is here observed to be had in great veneration in the time of Conftantine the Great, it is fcarcely to be imagined, that it was one of the oaks that was growing there in the days of Abraham, but of a much later growth. Chap. VIII. Sect. 47. And firft to begin with the two bounds here affigned, (viz. of the extent of dominion promised to the feed of Abraham) from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.] This promise was actually fulfilled in the days of David and Solomon; concerning which latter we are exprefsly told, 1 Kings iv. 21. that he reigned over all kingdoms, from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border |