nity, who were "artificers in brass and iron." At the same period, and in the same family, we read of a remarkable proficiency in the science of music, and the terms used are probably generic, ɔ (kinnor), meaning all stringed instruments, and any (oogar) all wind instruments. Encylop. Metropol. Div. iv. or Antediluv. p. 657.

Verses 23, 24.-Here is supposed to be the fragment of a traditional poem, perpetuating the name and crime of the first Polygamist. To remove the apprehensions of his wives (for he had violated the divine institution of marriage), Lamech expostulates with them, contrasting the offences of polygamy and murder. Lowth's Sac. Poet. vol. i. p. 88-93 and notes.

Verse 26.--Seth calls his son, that was born to him in those times, wax (sorrowful,) because bix (az hoothal) "then began profaneness in calling upon, &c." Noah, in 2 Pet. II. 5. seems to be called the eighth, in reference to these times, namely, the eighth in succession from Enosh, in whose times the world began to be profane. Lightfoot, p. 3.

GEN. V. 1.-May this Antediluvian “book” be regarded as the fragment of another historical document? Or is the D (sepher) to be considered as importing a Genealogy? With this history may be read, 1 Chron. I. 1-4. Poole's Synopsis, i col. 68.

Verse 4-20.-The Sept. add a 100 years to the age of Adam, and also of six of the other patriarchs: before their sons here mentioned were born, and deducting them from the subsequent part of their lives, making the sum total the same. Thus the space between the Creation and Deluge is made 700 years more than in our account; and by a similar addition, with other variations, the space between the Deluge and the birth of Abraham is made almost 900 years more. Scott's Comment. &c.

Verse 24.-The translation of Enoch to heaven, in the presence of his dismayed and confounded enemies, is beautifully amplified by Mr. Montgomery, in his admired Poem.-" The World before the Flood:"

GEN. VI. 2.-The 787 * (benay haëlohim) are read by Aq. o VIOL TWY DEWY : and Sym. vio durasvovτwy: similarly by Onk. the Tharg. Sam. vers. and both Arab.; which seems most rational and best supported by the context. Boothroyd, Howel, Geddes, &c.

Verse 14-16.-In reference to the size and sufficient capacity of the Ark, &c. the elaborate illustration of Dr. Wilkins may be read, in his Essay towards a real character, &c. Part ii. ch. 5. pp. 162–168. And Calmet's Bib. Encyclop. on “Ark.” This erection affords the most unequivocal proof of the state of Antediluvian science. Whether the term y (tzohar) trauslated "window," do not refer to some luminus or transparent substance, the learned are by no means agreed. Encyclop. Metrop. Div. iv. or Antediluv. p. 657.

20 Scripture Manual; from the Creation to the Deluge.

CHAPTER VI.

THE UNIVERSAL DELUGE.

Sect. 1. Conséquences of Rain, for Gen. VII, 10—18.
forty days and forty
nights.

About

2.

the

3.

2000

Year

of the

The depth and duration of
the Flood.

Waters assuaging, Noah pre-
pares to leave the Ark.

4. Noah comes out of the Ark:
offers sacrifices, and is di-
vinely blessed.

5. The covenant established
with Noah.

World.

B. C.

Accord

ing to

19-24.

(PERIOD THE SECOND in our next.)

8-17. Josephus,

3146: to

GEN. VII. 11.-On the two causes of the Flood, a discharge of water from the entrails of the earth; and a continuation of rain from the atmosphere: the reader may find a truly philosophical and satisfactory disquisition in Script. Illustr. &c. pp. 19-22; and "Deluge" in Calmet's Bib. Ency.

Verse 24.-The duration of the Flood, from going in to coming out, was 12 months, 10 days, or 370 days. Winder's Hist. &c. i. p. 73.

GEN. VIII. 11.-As to the traditionary confirmations of this fact, in the pagan world, consult the Mythology of the erudite Bryant.

GEN. VIII. 22.-As a portion of Sacred Geography, the Seasons here mentioned are worthy of notice. And, we are informed by the Rabbinical writers, that as agriculture constituted the principal employment of the Jews, so they adopted the same division of seasons, with reference to their rural work. These divisions also exist among the Arabs to this day. Horne's Introd. iii. 29.

GEN. IX. 4.-The practice of eating blood in Abyssinia, as first asserted by Bruce, is noticed and confirmed by other testimonies in Burder's Orient. Customs, i. pp. 5-7, 2nd ed. 1807. Fragments to Calmet, iii. No. 47.

Verse 6.-According to Geddes we should read: "Whosoever among men shall shed human blood his own blood shall be shed, &c." Alluding to the custom of retaliation so awfully prevalent, and not to punishment inflicted by the magistrate. Yet is this verse employed to vindicate the revolting practice of capital punishments, in European and in Christian countries!

Verse 14.-This may be rendered: "And when I bring a cloud over the earth, and the bow is seen in the cloud, I will also remember my covenant." Therefore God took a phenomenon before appearing, and appropriated it to this particular use and purpose. Doddridge, vol. v. p. 125.

Verse 25-27-Here are three equal divisions of verses, concluding with an indignant repetition of one of the preceding lines. See this poetic structure and rendering in Lowth's Sac. Poet. &c. i. p. 94.

Verse 29.-Some interesting particulars relative to the Oriental or Indian history of Noah were collected by the late indefatigable Editor of Calmet: for which, among others, see Fragments iii, No. 19 and 20.

Scripture Encyclopædia.*

PART II.

COSMOGRAPHY.

השמים והארץ וכל צבאם.

THE term, Cosmography, is well known to import-a description of the universe: and therefore would here comprise all the particulars in Scripture, relating to this extended subject.

Arrangement. It is naturally divisible into three general arrangements-Astrography, or a representation of the heavens-Meteorology, treating of the atmosphere-and Geography, as embracing the terraqueous globe. The prescribed limits of the present undertaking demand, as usual, a compression of remark and illustration.

5.]-In the Hebrew language ban (tevel) is commonly given, as denoting the universe; and in passages like Job xxxiv. 13; Psal. xxiv. 1; and Nah. i. 5., it may have this comprehension of meaning but, most generally, it is applied to the mixed† globe of earth and water.

:

Kooμos.-The Greeks have employed the term xooμos for this purpose, as designating the admirable regularity and beauty which characterise the frame of universal creation.

World. The term world is also used figuratively in the Sacred Writings :—as for its inhabitants, in Isaiah xxxiv. 1; Luke ii. 1; and John i. 10: and likewise very frequently to express the opposite character of virtue and godliness, as in Psal. xvii. 14; John xv. 19; James, i. 27.

Cosmogonies.-The Creation of the world, as recorded in Scripture, contains the very best evidences of its veracity; and is infinitely superior to whatever has been produced by all the Pagan writers on the subject. The striking contrast between the unadorned simplicity of the one, and the allegorical turgidity of the others, accurately distinguishes the inspired narrative from the distorted tradition. This remark applies particularly to the Chaldean,

* Continued from Vol. i. page 456.

Leigh and Parkhurst: but Stockius is disposed, with "celeb. Dr. D. Danz," to put it "inter nomina nuda.”

The celebrated Pliny (whose "Histor. Natural." is doubtless an invaluable cosmography, the general outlines of which, by a judicious management might form a most useful publication in modern times!) thus interestingly remarks "Quem xooμor Græci, nomine ornamenti appellavere, eum nos a perfecta absolutaque elegantia, mundum."-Lib. ii. p. 147. vol. i. Brotier, 1779.

eclipses is very doubtful; but they always speak of them in terms which intimate that they considered them as wonders, and as effects of the power and wrath of God. (Isa. xiii. 10; Ezek. xxxii. 7, 8; Joel ii. 10; and iii. 15.) But there does not appear any direct mention of an eclipse.

Joshua, etc. The circumstance of the sun and moon standing still (Josh. x. 12.) if considered as miraculous, must not be pronounced as inconsistent with philosophical principles: but some able critics have offered highly rational and satisfactory elucidations. Their elaborate disquisitions would suffer by compression, and therefore the enquirer is referred to them for a private perusal. *

Sun dial of Ahaz.—The shadow on the sun-dial of Ahaz (2 Kings xx. and Isa. xxxv.), is certainly a phenomenon by no means easily comprehended; but some learned writerst seem to be of the opinion, that nothing more took place than a peculiar refraction in the atmosphere. There are apparent testimonies in confirmation of this fact, and the preceeding, in Pagan histories.+

Crucifixion of Christ.—From the established doctrine of eclipses, it is evident, that the darkness at our Saviour's crucifixion was supernatural. He suffered on the day that the passover was eaten by the Jews, on which day it was impossible that the moon's shadow could fall on the earth; for the Jews kept the passover at the time of full moon. Nor does this darkness in total eclipses of the sun last above four minutes in any place, whereas the darkness at the crucifixion, continued three hours (Matt. xxviii, 15,), and overspread at least all the land of Judæa.||

Sect 3.-Historical Particulars.

Primitive Purposes-In tracing the Scriptural history of the celestial luminaries, we are referred to the period of their creation and primitive appointment; and that evidently was, in a special degree, for Chronological purposes. The interesting and scientific statement of Gen. i. 14, 15. needs not here any farther exposition: references may be sufficient.

Idolatrous Veneration ]-Of the " worship of the heavenly host" we have numerous affecting instances recorded in the Scriptures. The sun was worshipped by the Phoenicians under the name of Baal, by the Moabites as Chemosh, the Ammonites as Moloch, and by the Israelites (though solemnly cautioned against such accursed practices, Job. xxxi. 26-28; Deut. iv. 19.), under that of Baal, and king of the host of heaven. Among the Orientals in general,

* Hale's Analys. of Chronol. vol. i. p. 290; An original and very superior exposition by Dr. A. Clarke; Hewlett's Comment. on Josh. x. 12; And the elaborate Fragm. No. 154. with plate, by the late eminent C. Taylor.

+ Lowth, Notes on Isa. chap. xxxviii. p. 244; Editor of Calmet, in fragments, Nos. 2, 102, and 263, vol. iii.

The notice by Herodotus, and Chinese Annnals, cited in the Univ. Hist. &c.; Parkhurst's Heb. Lex. p. 526.

Ferguson's Astron. p. 285: cited in Greig's Astrography, p. 78.

To the Script. Manual, supra, p. 16. note 7.

and the Hebrews in particular, the worship of the Moon was still more extensive and famous as Meni, Ashtaroth, Queen of heaven,* &c. by the Hebrews; as Astarte, Urania, by the Syrians; as Alilat, by the Arabians; as Isis, by the Egyptians; and as Diana, Venus, Juno, Minerva, &c. by the Greeks. The Stars also were idolatrously venerated. (Acts. vii. 42.)

Astrology.It is no wonder therefore that we read of Astrological+ practices; for to what extremes of absurdity and ridicule may not the devotees of a blind superstition be driven! In Chaldea, this kind of knowledge was so highly estimated, that the appellation of a Chaldean became synonymous with that of Astrologer. See the Biblical account of Astrologers in the writings of Daniel.

Vegetable influence.Yet a kind of beneficial influence is certainly intimated by Moses, in Deut. xxxiii. 14. ; in which he plainly states the good effects of the sun and moon on vegetable productions.

Devotion. How worthy of remembrance and regard are the devotional contemplations of heaven, which are so beautifully expressed in those admired poems-the eighth and nineteenth Psalms!

Astronomical History,The general History|| of Astronomical science is replete with the deepest interest to the moralist and the scholar. And though reluctance is felt at submitting this very short and cursory notice of the most sublime science, it must now be concluded, that, since the discoveries of the illustrious Newton, respecting the law of universal gravitation, an entirely new department of astronomical investigation is added; and that therefore in future, practical and physical astronomy are the twofold view to be taken of this most elevating study.

CHAP. II.-METEOROLOGY.

This branch of science treats of the Atmosphere :-the alterations that take place in the direction of its currents or winds :-of the variations in its gravity or pressure:-of the changes in its temperature-of the state of the electricity which it exhibits :-and lastly, as to the visible phenomena dependent upon these changes.§

The present Sectional classification may be regulated by the Atmosphere, the Weather, and the Seasons; under each of which there will, of course, be selected a few subordinate particulars.

In Jer. VII and xlv. translated by Blayney, "Regency of heaven," as refering, with the Versions, to all the heavenly host: but this is questioned in Fragment. No. 503, of Calmet's Bib. Encyclop. Vol. iv. p. 10.

+ A highly entertaining history of " Astrology" is given in Encyclop. Metrop. Div. iv. pp. 56-59.

Dr. Enfield's history of Philosophy, &c. i. p. 45.

Summary of Geogr. and Astron. ancient and modern, &c., by the late learned Dr. Alexander Adam of Edinburgh, pp. 11–34. 5th ed. 1816: but a still more extended review of this sublime subject is communicated by the writers of the Encyclop. Metrop. Div. ii. pp. 485–503.

See p. 495 of a very judicious and appropriate Manual for youth and persons of limited reading, the New Pocket Cylopædia by Millard.