operâque Regam fuisse ductum putaret vulgus But sure they were not the Vulgus that Pliny meant by Sunt qui tradunt but such Authors as having written the Description and History of those parts he makes use of and now and then names some of them in his Works For that Pliny had this report from the Natives of Babylonia is without all warrant and if he had yet seeing they lived upon the place and had reason to be acquainted with such passages happening in their own Country their deposition for the affirmative ought in justice to be received before the negative of any man whatsoever living in an age and place so far remote The Learned Scaliger was so fully satisfied of the truth of Pliny's relation concerning the cutting of this River by Gobares that he supposeth by an easie change of G into C it took from him also as the Author the name of Cobar and was in his opinion the very same with Cebar in Ezechiel where the captive Israelites were placed But though I cannot for some reasons subscribe to this Opinion of Scaliger yet is it far more probable then the Opinion of Junius who affirms it to be Pison for betwixt Nahar-malca and Pison there is no affinity neither in sound nor signification Nor is that surmise for it is no more of any validity at all to prove that ever this River inherited the name of Pison because after its joyning with Tigris it gives it the name of Piso-tigris for though divers Authors have spoken of Pasi-tigris yet that it should receive that name from its commixture with this River not one The testimony of Pliny quite overthrows it for he draws the original of this compound name not from Tigris commixing with any Stream of Euphrates but from the reuniting of his own divided waters for about 125 miles to the North of Seleucia he parts himself into two and having run all that space in several Chanels ubi remeavere aquae saith he Pasitigris appellatur And if we desire to know whereabout that was that which he subjoyns intimates that it was at or about Seleucia and Ctesiphon for presently he adds Atque ut diximus inter Seleuciam Ctesiphontem vectus in lacus Chaldaicos se fundit now this was near upon 60 miles above that place where Nahar-malca falls into his Chanel And indeed if Havil◠be Susiuna as Junius expounds it the name of Pison must be drawn up thus high at least or else it will not answer that which Moses testifieth of it that it compasseth the whole Land of Havila For though Ptolemy as we have said point the North-bound of Susiana at Arae Herculis yet if that be true which was observed that the ancient Assyria was equal onely with the bounds of Adiabene all that Region which lieth South thereof must be assigned to the ancient Susiana but then Nahar-malca is so far from compassing it that it washeth not much more then half part of the Western Coast thereof and that not in an entire Chanel of its own but as a small addition of a far greater River receiving it which therefore may in reason challenge the honour of this mention before it But the truth is Junius is mistaken in taking Susiana for Havila for there is no authority produced nor probable conjecture alledged to approve it save onely that there is in this Region Gold Bdellium and the Onyx-stone all which because we hope hereafter to find with better proof in the true Havila that Moses meant we remit the farther prosecution of that question to its proper place Onely here let us adde that seeing these two Rivers have appeared so exceeding doubtful Junius had no cause to accuse so many good Authors of negligence for neglecting them as approving but onely two natural Streams of Euphrates Nam Mela quidem Plinius Solinus alii negligentiùs videntur perscripsisse duos solùm Euphratis alvees propterea quòd alios Aquaeductus magis quà m naturales alveos esse putaverunt And they had good reason to think so as appeareth by that which hath been said CHAP. VI. Of the two remaining Chanels and the Fertility of the Eastern part of this Region AND are the two remaining Streams then unquestionably natural and not artificial Doubtless they have much more to say for themselves then the former yet if they be called to the trial they will not escape without some suspicion For to proceed to the third River which running through Babylon still retains the name of the main Stream Euphrates Some good Authors affirm this River also to have been cut and name us the party by whom viz. Semiramis when she built the City for whereas the Plains of Babylonia were all covered with water as Herodotus testifieth l. 1. n. 184. and then sure there were none of these Rivers Belus going about to lay the foundations of Babylon drained them as Abydenus apud Euseb Praep. Evang. l. 9. c. ult testifies Omnia inquit illa loca aquis contecta fuisse dicuntur Belus autem regionem siccâsse perhibetur Babyloniam condidisse By which draining of the waters at too great a distance as it seems the City soon found the want of it and therefore Semir amis rebuilding and enlarging it which Orosius saith she did in the 64. year from the first of Ninus among other her famous works she cut a Chanel for this River through the City Thus much Pomp. Mela affirms l. 1. c. 11. Ex operibus certè ejus insignia multa sunt duo maximè excellunt constituta Urbs mirae magnitudinis Babylon ac siccis olim regionibus Euphrates Tigris immissi Where Olivarius hath this note Euphrates Tigris olim non Chaldaeam irrigabant er at enim regio sicca nisi curâ Semiramidis adjectis fossis ambo fluvii immissi fuissent And Propertius seconds the same report with his testimony l. 3. Eleg. 10. Persarum statuit Babylona Semiramis urbē Ut solidum cocto tolleret aggere opus c. Duxit Euphraten medium quâ condidit arces Now though Semiramis were indeed ancienter then Moses albeit Herodotus makes her younger as living but five Ages before Nitocris l. 1. n. 184. and Porphyrie apud Euseb Praep. Evang. l. 10. c. 3. seems to make her his contemporary yet if this River were cut by her hand it could be no River of Paradise which was ancienter then Adam himself And I cannot persuade my self that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipse Perath Moses meant any Branch but the main Body of the great River the River Euphrates as the Scripture every where calleth it which Moses therefore forbare to describe by the Countries through which it runs because it was well enough known to the Israelites as being one of the Bounds of their Land So that now there remains but one native Stream to this River and one we must needs leave it for its ancient Chanell which may seem by best title to belong to Naharsares though
Deluge I doubt not but it might be made appear by good proof that this was that Scythia Saga in qua renatum ferunt mortale genus Cato in Frag. But the clearing of this would lead us into too large a Digression and therefore I forbear it and proceed to the prosecution of the subject in hand Seeing the Radical Letters in the Original were the same save the different pronunciation of a Vowel in all those several names of Cissii Cossaei Cuthaei and Susii we need not doubt to affirm that these were indeed the true and primitive Aethiopians whom the Inhabitants of Asia as Josephus hath told us called Chusaei And hence it appears that their Etymologie is false that have derived the name of Susiana from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the Persian Tongue they say as well as the Hebrew signifies a Lilly I will not deny but Sushan the Palace and haply Susa the City whence those Susanchites Ezra 4. 9. might take their denomination from that Root but certainly that Region whose ancient name was Cissia still continuing to a part of this Province in Ptolemy's time and the name of the Inhabitants not onely Cissii but Cossaei could have no other original of their denomination then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And hereof the Inhabitants themselves give us good assurance who even to this day call their Countrey not Susiana but Cusistan which is neither more nor less then the Country of Chus Benjamin in Itin. calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cuzestan others call it Curestan even as Chus the son of Cham is by Berosus called Cur. Dom. Mar. Niger Geog. Asiae Com. 5. Susiana Provincia sequitur quam quidam in partem Persidis ponunt nomen à Susa Urbe clariss deducens nunc à Barbaris patriâ linguâ Chus dicitur And no marvel it should take its name from him who with his posterity seated himself here very early after the Floud even before the building of Babel For if Nimrod the son of Chus when he went with his rebellious Associates into the land of Shinar to build that Tower journeyed from the East as Moses saith they did Gen. 11. 2. then in all probability the place from whence they set out was Susiana which lies next East to Babylonia Indeed Chus had a numerous posterity whence it was that his name spred so far Some of them passed into Arabia over the River Tigris which I should chuse for a more probable Bounder of the Eastern and Western Aethiopians mentioned in Homer then the Arabian Sea or Mare Rubrum though I know also that many Secular Writers have comprehended the Persian Gulf under that name Of the Western or Arabian Aethiopians many Commentators have written learnedly and if they had turned their pens to enquire after these in the East also I doubt not but they might have found out a better interpretation of many places of Scripture then ordinarily hath been given As Ex. gr where Chus and Elam are joyned together Esay 11. 11. Paras Chus and Phut Ezek. 38. 5. as formerly Paras Phut and Lud Ezek. 27. 10. For as Paras and Elam are well known to be Eastern Nations to whom the Cossaei were near neighbours so we should not alwaies need to goe into Africk and Asia minor for Phut and Lud but find them nearer at hand if we did well consider that place in Judith 2. 23. And whether any help may hence be had for the better understanding of that obscure Prophecy Esay 18. 1. I leave to better judgments to enquire But surely it was not without cause that in that parallel Prophecy Zeph. 3. 10. the Chaldee Paraphrast renders Trans flumina 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aethiopiae by E Regionibus ultra flumina 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indiae whether thereby he meant the less noted India that we have by the way touched upon or that other more famous and better known Region removed farther towards the East for even there also were Cushites or Aethiopians The Israelites in Nisebor by the River Gozan are said in bellum proficisci ad Regionem Cusch per viam deserti Benj. in Itin. And Herodotus clearly distinguishing the Eastern Aethiopians from the Western joins them with the Indians Polymn sive l. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aethiopibus quidem qui sunt ultra Aegyptum Arabibus praeerat Arsames qui verò ab ortu Solis erant Aethiopes bifarià m enim militabant ordinati erant cum Indis And not onely long after did Philostratus find Aethiopians about the River Indus but Homer long before had set them as far East as the rising of the Sun And whether the River Gihon might not anciently compass even these also I cannot certainly affirm but the confounding of this River not onely with Indus but with Ganges also by so many good Writers might seem to intimate as if they were believed anciently to have communicated in their Streams And their opinion falls not far short of this who have found the Fountain of Ganges in the Mountains of Media as Artemidorus that ancient and famous Geographer is said to have done and that of the fore-cited Benjamin if we were certain it were true might render it probable who finds a Stream of Tigris emptying it self into the Sea over against the Island Nikrokis which Constantine L' Empereur supposes to be Zeilan formerly called Nanigeris an Island once famed with an opinion of Paradise a River whereof Ganges is still held to be by the native Indians who yearly testifie that credulity by many superstitious Ceremonies But the most remarkable Testimony is the Draught of this River in that famous Tabula Itineraria antiqua lately set out by Peutinger wherein the Head of it being set much about the place where we have found it it is drawn quite through the East and falls into the Oriental Ocean having taken in by the way the River Ganges If any ask how it should come to pass then that the Course of it now should be intercepted if indeed it be wholly intercepted I answer they will cease to wonder if they consider not onely what Strabo hath related of a great Earthquake whereby a great change happened among the Rivers in those parts Geog. l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et Duris refert Rhagades quae in Media sunt nomen indè habere quòd Terrae-motibus rupta fuerit terra apud Caspias portas complurésque eversae Urbes Pagi ac Fluviorum variae inciderint mutationes but remember also what formerly hath been noted of Cyrus cutting the Stream of Gyndes into so many Chanels as might well suffice to exhaust the greatest River But I do not take upon me to maintain this nor is there any need that I should it being not much material to our purpose seeing that Course of this River which we have formerly asserted from so good authority is abundantly sufficient both to clear and justify the Geography of Moses CHAP. XII Another Division of Tigris and the
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of such a place as in every respect fully deserves the name of Eden let us take that description which Dionysius Afer hath made of this Countrey about the Lake Thonitis and the distance betwixt the Streams of Tigris and Euphrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Rhamnius Fannius the Grammarian hath translated in Latin thus Hoc tamen omne solum fluvius quod cingit uterque Indigenae populi pro re dixere Medamnem Quòd medias amnes has terras flumine cingunt Agricolis pariter pastoribus atque feracem Ubere tam laeto florenti semina cuncta Herbarúmque thoris gramina laeta virescunt Et variis rami complentur fructibus alti Gens quoque praefulget claris in laudibus illa Nam peperit multos celsâ virtute potentes Atque adeò similes Diis immortalibus illos Which Description suits so well to Adam's Paradise both in regard of the excellent Pasturage the plenty of all manner of Fruit-Trees the admirable Fertility of the Soil and the flowry Meadows that by that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hominum stirpem pulcherrimam immortalibus similem we might suppose the Poet had a mind to represent before our eyes our First Parents inhabiting this happy place while yet in their Innocency created after the image and similitude of God So that all this being laid together we may well believe Ab. Ortelius had good reason for what he did when he set the Countrey of Eden just in this place Tab. 1. Geograph Sac. CHAP. XVI A more particular Consideration of the very place of the Situation of the Garden of Eden AS for the particular place of this Countrey where the Garden of Eden or Paradise it self was seated though it might be deemed to trench too near upon Curiosity to be too inquisitive after it yet seeing Moses hath not neglected to give us some notes whereby to find out the Bounds of it we need not fear to follow such a Guide so long as we keep close to his footsteps Gen. 2. he plainly intimates that the Garden-place was betwixt the Fountain of the River and the division of its Streams for these are his words v. 10. And a River went out of Eden to water the Garden and from thence it was parted and became into four Heads If that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab indè be to be taken with its nearest reference viz. the Garden and not the more remote viz. Eden as in all reason it ought to be taken then the observation of Danaeus formerly cited is most sound and true that the River immediately after its efflux out of its Fountain watered the Garden with one entire Chanel and then having past it broke it self into these Streams Whence it followeth that seeing the first Division of its Stream was as Pliny hath told us in the Region of Arrhene the same which Ptolemy calleth Corrinaea the place of the Garden was betwixt Corra or Charan and the Fountains of Tigris in the midst whereof and upon the bank of the River stood the Tree of Life as may be gathered from Gen. 2. 9. Rev. 2. 7. and 22. 2. Just about which place when we see in Ptolemy the nitrous Lake Thospites overflowing it might not a little stumble us if we did not remember that as the Land of Sodome which before its overthrow was like the Garden of God for deliciousness Gen. 13. 10. was for the sin of the Inhabitants turned into a Sulphureous Lake so might God in like manner change the most remarkable place of the Earthly Paradise for the sin of our first Parents And this Conjecture for I esteem it no more may I hope pass with as good probability as theirs who have imagined those fiery Flashings issuing out of some Lakes about Assyria or Babylonia still to remain as testimonies of the Cherubims flaing sword turning every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life Gen. 3. ult But as this Conjecture helpeth us little so neither doth it hinder us from searching and haply finding some remaining memory of the Garden about this place And though I confess this attempt never entred into my thoughts at my first on-set upon this Question as taking it then to be a Secret beyond discovery and being ready to rest satisfied if I could but find out the true Description of the River with its Heads and the Region of Eden yet having upon farther search more seriously weighed the names which Secular Authors give this part of the Region of Eden and finding them very significant and argumentative to this purpose I did not onely receive farther satisfaction about this particular doubt but was filled with admiration also that such pregnant Testimonies should so long time have escaped the observation of so many learned pens as have travelled in this Question Three names are given by several Authors to that portion of ground which fell within the bounds of the Garden as Moses hath set them The first is that of Ptolemy who calls that Region which lay next to the East of the Fountains of Tigris by the name of Bagrandavene for so it is in the Edition of Maginus Lib. 5. Tab. 3. Ab Oriente verò fontium Tigridis Bagrandavene est and yet in the Map of the same Edition it is called Bajavandena Ortelius in his Nomenclator Ptolemaicus calls it Bagravandena D. Mar. Niger Geogr. Asiae Com. 3. calls it Bagrandana and Bagradavena And others have called it Bagradena and Bagadena Secondly Procopius usually calls the Countrey that lies about the Thospian Lake and stretches it self Eastward to the River Nymphaeus by the name of Arzane or Arxane others call it Arsea and Arsene even as the Thospian Lake is by Strabo called Arsena palus Thirdly Strabo himself calls the Countrey adjoyning to it Syspereitis or more frequently rejecting the superfluous S praefixed to the beginning of the word and serving for no other use but to obscure the true Etymology of it Hyspereitis and Hysperatis and constantly placeth it betwixt Armenia and Calachena which lay North-west of Assyria For lib. 11. recording the fable of Armenius born at Armenium near the Boebeian Lake in Thessaly and peopling this place under the conduct of Jason he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The like also he hath afterward in another place of the same Book in which he farther tells us of a Town called Cambala from whence Alexander sent Memnon to fetch great store of Gold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sunt auri metalla in Hyspiratide apud Cambala ad quae Memnonem misit Alexander allata sunt autem ab incolis Now if we had the true names of this Region set clear from all ambiguity I doubt not but we might spell out of them some broken