that in some years more than 500 come from Europe, while not more than 50 go away. Upon the Arabic language Dr. S. appears to be well qualified to give information; and his remarks on the different dialects, and the changes of modern times are such as would be peculiarly interesting to the Oriental scholar. A catalogue of words as used by the inhabitants of Syria and of Egypt is given, so as to afford an opportunity of comparing the two idioms. We conclude these remarks by recommending this simple but comprehensive work to every lover of antiquity, and every student of the Scriptures.

W

THE

Populousness of the Antidiluvian World

CONSIDERED.

BY

REV. LUTHER HALSEY,

PROFESSOR IN THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY.

Communicated for the Biblical Repertory.

www.www.

563

The Populousness of the Antediluvian World consideredbeing the substance of a Paper read before the Lit. and Phil. Soc. of N. J., in March 1827.

From our fathers, the stream of truth descends to us, mingled with their errors. From a source so sacred, truth and error are imbibed with equal reverence and faith, till the inconvenience of error is perceived, and then we begin to scrutinize our draughts. This, I think, is necessary, in reference to the common opinion, "that the antediluvian world was more populous than the preWhile we invite your attention to the examination of this opinion, we would not pretend to demonstration; yet we trust our remarks will not be absolutely hypothetical, while they will be found to have an important bearing on certain difficulties in natural and moral sci

sent."

ence.

Of the currency of the opinion, which attributes to the antediluvian world a population so immense, one may judge, when it is referred to as a thing of course by such authors as Whiston (Theory of the Earth), Cockburn (Treatise on the Deluge), the writers of the "Universal History"-Dr. George Benson (Paraphrase on 6 Epistles, Dissertat. 1, p. 165)-Editor of the New Cyclopædia-Saurin (Discours historiques, &c., tom. 1), Shuckford (Connexions of Sacred and Prof. History), and Bp. Clayton (Vindication Hist. of O. and N. Test., part 2). The last not only adopts the opinion, but even founds on it an argument for the necessity of the Deluge, the earth that then was, being "overstocked," (p. 75). The list of those who hold this notion might be greatly extended.

There have not indeed been wanting those who have supposed these notions too extravagant. Of these we might mention Bp. Stilling fleet (Origines Sacræ. lib. 3, cap. 4.) Worthington (Scripture Theory of the Earth, p. 213), and a few others. But they have been few.

Among those who hold the prodigious po pulousness of the antediluvian world, calculations have been made, differing a little from each other, but all arriving at an ag gregate far greater than the number of the present inhabitants of the earth, and in some instances, more than the present world could well sustain. All the calculations are made on the supposition that mankind would then double themselves in about 40 or 50 years. After suitable allowances are made for casualties, &c., the resulting number of persons alive at the time of the deluge, is more than thirteen billions or millions of millions! -This air of mathematical certainty is given to the opinion, by taking for granted that the succession of progeny was at about the same rate as now, and that population now doubling itself in 360 or 370 years, as the lives of the antediluvians were 10 times longer than ours, they would double in a period ten times shorter.

It must be manifest that the opinion to which we demur, is entirely hypothetical, there being in the Mosaic record not one hint to justify the assumption. Besides, to help it through with its arithmetic, we must grant it, not only similarity of laws in reference to the periods of births, but also, at least similarity of extent as to the habitable surface of the former and present worlds. We shall not stop, at present, to be satisfied, whether nature was then as tranquil and as kind as now, and as seldom involved incorrigible miscreants in calamity? Whether there were then no climacterics in human life, before which a larger portion of the human