That Deucalion was unduly adjudged by the people of Thessaly to their country solely, may be proved from his name occurring in different parts of the world; and always accompanied with some history of the deluge. The natives of Syria laid the same claim to him. He was supposed to have founded the temple at Hierapolis; where was a chasm, through which the waters after the deluge were said to have 4 retreated. He was likewise reported to have built the temple of Jupiter at Athens; where was a cavity of the same nature, and a like tradition, that the "waters of the flood passed off through this aperture. However groundless the notions may be of the waters having retreated through these passages, yet they shew what impressions of this event were retained by the Amonians, who introduced some history of it wherever they came. As different

** Cedren. p. 11.

42 Lucian. de Deâ Syriâ. p. 883.

43 Όσον ες πηχυν το έδαφος διετηκε και λεγεσι, μετα την επομβριαν την επί Δευκαλίωνος σύμβασαν, ὑπορυήναι ταύτῃ το ύδως. Pausan.

1. 1.

p. 43.

nations succeeded one another in these parts, and time produced a mixture of generations, they varied the history, and modelled it according to their notions and traditions: yet the ground work was always true; and the event for a long time universally commemorated. Josephus, who seems to have been a person of extensive knowledge, and versed in the histories of nations, says, that this great occurrence was to be met with in the writings of all persons who treated of the first ages. He mentions Berosus of Chaldea, Hieronymus of Egypt, who wrote concerning the antiquities of Phenicia; also Mnaseas, Abydenus, Melon, and Nicolaus Damascenus, as writers by whom it was recorded: and adds, that it was taken notice of by many others.

As we proceed towards the east, we shall find the traces of this event more vivid and determinate than those of Greece; and more conformable to the accounts of Moses. Eusebius has preserved a most valuable extract to this purpose from 45 Abydenus, which was taken from the

44 How various these accounts were, even in the same place, we may learn from Lucian. Πολλοί λογοι ελεγοντο των δι μεν ἱροι, οι δε εμφανεες, οι δε καρτα μυθώδέες, και άλλοι βαρβαροι, οι μεν τοισι Έλλησι ὁμολογέοντες. De Dea Syria. p. 882.

45

Σεισιθρος-δε Κρονος προσημαίνει μεν εσεσθαι πληθος εμβρων Δεσια πεμπτη επι δέκα κελεύει δε παν, ὅτι γραμμάτων ην εχομενον εν Ηλιθ

archives of the Medes and Babylonians. This writer speaks of Noah as a king, whom he names Seisithrus; and says, that the flood began upon the fifteenth day of the month Desius: that during the prevalence of the waters Seisithrus sent out birds, that he might judge if the flood had subsided: but that the birds, not finding any resting place, returned to him again. This was repeated three times; when the birds were found to return with their feet stained with soil: by which he knew that the flood was abated. Upon this he quitted the ark; and was never more seen of men, being taken away by the gods from the earth. Abydenus concludes with a particular, in which all the eastern writers are unanimous, that the place of descent from the ark was in Armenia; and speaks of its remains being preserved for a long time. Plutarch mentions the Noachic 4 dove,

πολει τη εν Σιππαροισιν αποκρυψαι Σεισιθρος δε ταυτα επιτελεα ποιησας, ευθέως επ' Αρμενιες αναπλες, και παραυτικα μιν καταλαμβανε τα εκ θε8. Τρίτη δε ήμερα επειτα ων εκόπασε, μετηει των ορνιθών πείρην ποιεύμενος, εικε γην ιδοιεν το ὕδατος εκδυσαν. Αι δε, εκδεχομενε σφεας πελαγες αχανείς, απορεσαι όκη κατορμήσονται, παρα τον Σεισιθρον οπίσω κομίζονται και επ' αυτησιν έτεραι. Ὡς δε τῇσι τρίτησιν εντυχεῖν, απικατο γαρ δη πηλο καταπλεοι τες ταρσις, θεοι μιν εξ ανθρώπων αφανίζεσιν. Το δε πλοίον εν Αρμενιη περίαπτα ξυλων αλεξιφάρμακα τοισιν επιχωρίοισι παρείχετο. Abyden. apud Euseb. Præp. Evang. 1. 9. c. 12. See also Cyril. contra Julian. 1. 1. p. 8.

45 Οι μεν 80

μυθολογοι τῷ Δευκαλίων, φασι περιτεραν εκ λαρνακας

and its being sent out of the ark. A curious account to the present purpose is by 47 Eusebius given from Melon, who wrote a treatise against the Jews. He takes notice, among other things, of the person who survived the deluge, retreating with his sons after the calamity from Armenia: but he has mixed much extraneous matter in his narration; and supposes, that they came to the mountainous parts of Syria, instead of the plains of Shinar.

But the most particular history of the Deluge, and the nearest of any to the account given by Moses, is to be found in Lucian. He was a native of Samosata, a city of Commagene upon the Euphrates a part of the world where memorials of the Deluge were particularly preserved; and where a reference to that history is continually to be observed in the rites and worship of the country. His knowledge therefore was obtained from the Asiatic nations, among whom he was

αφιεμενήν δήλωμα γενέσθαι χειμωνος μεν εσω παλιν δυομενην, ευδίας δε TOTTάσav. Plutarch. de solert. Animal. v. 2. p. 968.

τον

41 Ο δε την συσκευην την κατα Ιεδαίων γραψας Μηλων, κατα κατακλυσμον φησιν απο της Αρμενίας απελθειν τον περιλειφθεντα ανθρωπον μετα των υιων, εκ των ιδίων εξελαυνομενον ὑπο των εγχωρίων, διανύσαντα δε την μεταξύ χώραν ελθειν εις την οξείνην της Συρίας, εσαν gno. Euseb. Præp. Evang. 1. 9. c. 19. p. 420.

born; and not from his kinsmen the Helladians, who were far inferior in the knowledge of antient times. He describes Noah under the name of

Deucalion: and 48 says, that the present race of mankind are different from those who first existed; for those of the antediluvian world were all destroyed. The present world is peopled from the sons of Deucalion; having increased to so great a number from one person. In respect to the former brood, they were men of violence, and lawless in their dealings. They regarded not oaths, nor observed the rites of hospitality, nor shewed mercy to those who sued for it. On this account they were doomed to destruction: and for this purpose there was a mighty eruption of waters from the earth, attended with heavy showers from above; so that the rivers swelled, and the sea overflowed, till the whole earth was covered with a flood, and all flesh drowned. Deucalion alone was preserved, to repeople the world. This mercy was shewn to him on account of his justice and piety. His preservation was effected in this manner: He put all his family, both his sons and their wives, into a vast ark, which he had provided: and he went into it his self. At the same time animals of every species, boars, horses, lions, serpents, whatever lived upon the face of the

43 Lucian. de Deâ Syria. v. 2. p. 882.