PART I. furname on the city forementioned, namely this, (as is observed by the learned Bochart), that the city was inclosed in the shape of an Ark by three rivers that furround it. In like manner, the fame learned person obferves, that the port of Alexandria was called Cibotus from the bay that environed it. 3. Let us now proceed to discover the true mountains of The moun- Ararat. It is then, I think, univerfally agreed by the rarat lay in learned, that the word Ararat does in the facred ScripArmenia. tures denote the country called by the Greeks, and from tains of A 4. have the extend be menia. them by other western nations, Armenia. Whence the most received opinion is this, that the mountains of Ararat amount to the fame as the mountains of Armenia, and fo lie within the country of Armenia. But fome contend, that though Ararat be taken in Some will Scripture to denote Armenia, yet the mountains of Aramountains rat may extend a beyond the country of Ararat. That of Ararat to mighty ridge of mountains, which, beginning in the yond Ar- Leffer Afia, runs as far as the Old India, (now-a-days called the East Indies), by the ancients commonly called Mount Taurus, might very well, say these, be called by Mofes the mountains of Ararat, because that was the first country of the Greater Afia, by which they paffed, and where they were of greater note than they had been formerly. Juft as fome hills with us in England are called Malvern hills, because they are highest near that village, though they extend themselves into other lordships. Hence the favourers of this opinion do not fcruple to extend the mountains of Ararat as far as to Mount Caucafus, in the confines of Tartary, Perfia, and India. 5. nions con Having laid before the reader the two opinions, which Two opi- divide the learned, as to the fituation of the mountains of cerning the Ararat themselves, I proceed now to fhew, in what part part of the of these mountains the Ark of Noah is supposed to have of Ararat, refted, according to each opinion. And from what is mountains where the Ark refted. 2 See Heylin's Cofmogr. p. 78. edit. A. D. 1665. alledged alledged on both fides as to this matter, the judicious CHAP. II. reader will be able to infer, which opinion is best grounded, and therefore preferable. Ark refted Gordiæan Mountains. As to that opinion, which takes the mountains of 6. One opiArarat to be fituated within the country of Ararat or nion is, Armenia, the followers of it (fome very few excepted) that the do agree, that the Ark of Noah rested in that part of on the the mountains of Ararat, which in Greek and Latin writers is styled the Gordiæan mountains, (or, with fome variation, the mountains of the Cordyæi, Cordueni, Carduchi, Curdi, &c.) and which lies near the fpring of the Tigris, at most not very far from it. For the proof hereof many teftimonies of the ancients might be brought, fome of which tell us, that the relicks of the Ark were in that place; and also that in the neighbourhood there was a town called Cemain or Thamana, fo called from thofe eight perfons, which came out of the Ark; for the Hebrew word for eight is fhemen; as alfo that the very place, where the faid perfons came out of the Ark, was by the Armenians diftinguished by a word importing the fame, as by a proper name. Further, it is probably fuppofed, that Noah built the Ark in the country of Eden, (of which more anon); and fince the Deluge was not only caused by rains, but also by the overflowing of the ocean, as the Scripture tells us, Gen. vii. 11. faying, that the fountains of the great deep were broken up; this overflowing, which came from the Perfian Sea, running from the fouth, and meeting the Ark, of course carried it away to the north towards the Gordiæan Mountains. And the learned and ingenious Bishop Huetius has observed, that, confidering the figure of the Ark, which made it not fo fit for speedy failing, and also its heaviness, which made it draw much water, the space of an hundred and fifty days, which was the time the Deluge lafted, was but a proportionable time for the moving of the Ark, from the place where it was made, to the Gordiæan Mountains. So that both the fituation of these mountains in respect to the course of the waters of the Deluge, and PART I. and also its distance from the place where Noah lived and built the Ark, do jointly conspire to render this hypothesis still more probable. to the other the Ark refted on Mount fines of Tartary, India. 7. Let us now fee, what place for the resting of the Ark According is affigned by thofe, who will have the mountains of opinion, Ararat to extend beyond the country of Ararat or Armenia; and that is the top of Mount Caucafus in the the top of confines of Tartary, Perfia, and India. Among the arCaucafus, guments made ufe of for this opinion, the chief both in in the con- authority and weight is acknowledged, by bfome of its defenders, to be that which is drawn from the facred Perfia, and text, Gen. xi. 2. where it is faid, that, as they went from the Eaft, they found a plain in the land of Shinaar, and they dwelt there. If then they came from the East, as the text plainly fays, it might well be, that they came from those parts of Afia on the south of Caucasus, which lie eaft of Shinaar, though fomewhat bending to the north; but it is impoffible, fay the defenders of this last opinion, that they should come from the Gordiæan Mountains in the Greater Armenia, which lie not only full north of Shinaar, but many degrees to the west. To this is added an old and conftant tradition among the inhabitants of the region near Caucafus, formerly called Margiana, that a great vineyard in this country was of Noah's planting, after that he was defcended from the adjacent mountain, according to what we read, Gen. ix. 20. 8. Such are the two opinions concerning the place, where The former Noah's Ark rested; and fuch are, at leaft, the chief aropinion feems the guments, on which each is founded. The reader fees, moft pro- that each lays claim to a tradition, as one of its fupbable; and as fuch is ports. It is then to be confidered, which tradition carries generally in it greatest evidence, as to matter of fact. Taking it for granted, that there was such a vineyard in Margiana, as is mentioned by one fide; yet this will by no means amount to an evident, or indeed any proof, that the received. See Heylin's Cosm. p. 7. Ark Ark rested in the neighbouring mountain of Caucafus, CHAP. II. because that the faid vineyard might have been planted by another befide Noah. But, fuppofing it true, that in the more early ages of the world, after the Flood, there were to be feen on the Gordiæan Mountains the remainders of a large veffel, which by the make of them might reasonably be conjectured to have been relicks of the Ark; this feems to carry in it fome good evidence, that the Ark refted there; because it cannot be well conceived, why any fuch veffel fhould have been built there, or how it fhould have come thither, if not built there, but by the waters of the Flood. Again, fince the Ark is reasonably supposed to have been built fomewhere in Eden, or the parts adjoining, (of which more by and by), it is to be confidered, whether Mount Caucafus is not at too great a diftance for fuch a veffel, as the Ark was, to be carried to, in the fpace of the flood's rifing. Further, it is to be confidered, that the waters of the Ocean, breaking in upon the land in these parts from the fouth, muft naturally carry the Ark northward; whereas the place of Mount Caucafus affigned for that, which the Ark refted on, is not only further northward, but also a great deal more eastward, than that of the Gordiæan Mountains is weftward, in respect of the place whence the Ark was carried. Further, it may be rationally conjectured, that the waters of the Cafpian Sea, as well as of the main Ocean, did at that time overflow; and therefore ran from the Cafpian Sea itself, as otherways, fo fouthwards and eastwards; and confequently by their thus running must naturally keep off the Ark from coming to Mount Caucafus, at leaft that part of it, where the Ark is faid to have refted. This will clearly appear to any one, that views the fituation of the Cafpian Sea, and the forementioned part of Mount Caucafus in the map hereunto belonging, or any other of the fame parts. But now the overflowing of the Cafpian Sea, from the north or north-eaft, meeting with the overflowing of the Ocean from the south, would VOL. I. D give PART I. give some resistance thereto, and thereby retard the motion of the Ark, and fo make it move more flowly northward than otherwise it would have done; and not only fo, but would also, as coming from the north-east, naturally turn the motion of the Ark fomewhat weftward, and fo as it were tend to direct it to the Gordiæan Mountains. So far is the westerly fituation of these mountains from being an argument against the Ark's refting thereon; whereas the fituation of Mount Caucafus near the Cafpian Sea makes it truly impoffible (without a miracle or fupernatural means; which the divine wisdom thinks not fit to make use of, where there is no neceffity,) for the Ark to have been brought thither, upon the fuppofition of the overflowing of the Cafpian Sea, which seems to be no other than what reason requires to be suppofed. Once more, if the Malvern Hills, though they extend themselves into other lordships, are so called, because they are highest near that village; then in parity of reafon it is to be fuppofed, that the mountains of Ararat, though they extend themselves to other countries befides Ararat or Armenia, yet were so called, because they were highest in Ararat or Armenia. And if fo, then it is most likely, that the Ark rested in Armenia; because it is most likely, not to say plain, from Scripture, that the Ark rested on the highest part of the mountains of Ararat. As for the objection hereto drawn from Gen. xi. 2. it will be fhewn then to be of no force, when we come to speak of the land of Shinaar. Upon the whole, therefore, the former opinion, that the Ark refted on the Gordiæan Mountains, is most probable; and, as fuch, is most generally received. 9. where the Ark was To what has been offered concerning the mountains of The place Ararat, whereon the Ark refted, it will perhaps be not unacceptable to the reader, to add somewhat concerning made, was the place or country, wherein the Ark is probably conprobably in the land of jectured to have been made by Noah; though the faid place is no where so much as mentioned in Scripture. It is then probable, that when Adam and Eve were turned Eden. out |