in the tract wherein he fettled upon the first divifion of the CHAP. III. earth. For though thefe in Afia are frequently styled SECT. II. Myfi, yet it is plain from ancient writers, that the fame people both in Afia and Europe are promifcuously called Myfi or Mæfi.

ation of the

From what has been faid it may appear not improbable, 58. that Tiras and Madai, the immediate fons of Japhet, as Confirmwell as Elithah and Dodan, the grandfons of Japhet by foregoing Javan, did each of them at the first feat themfelves in the hypothefis. Leffer Afia, contrary to what seems to be commonly

thought. And that they not only did fo, but also feated themselves in those very tracts we have affigned them, may further appear by this confideration; that the faid tracts respectively affigned to them in the Leffer Afia do very well agree, that is, do lie exactly opposite to those tracts in Europe, whither their colonies, refpectively removed in process of time, as they wanted room. For as it is natural to suppose that the colonies of each removed into the parts that lay nearest to them yet unpoffeffsed, that is, directly weftward, (for all the other three fides were already poffeffed), so our hypothefis does exactly agree to what is thus natural to be supposed. For fuppofing Tiras to have been at the first feated in the country about Troy, the part of Europe that lay oppofite to him was Thrace, parted from him only by the narrow paffage of the Hellefpont. In like manner, the country in Europe oppofite to Mæfia in the Leffer Afia is Emathia, or Macedonia. So the upper part of Greece, more properly fo called, is that tract of Europe which lies oppofite to Æolis and Ionia in the Leffer Afia. And lastly, the lower or fouthern part of Greece is that part of Europe which lies opposite to Doris in the Leffer Afia.

And thus I have gone through the original plantations or fettlements of the feven nations of the branch of Japhet, and of their respective families mentioned by Moses. And not only fo, but I have also taken notice of their refpective colonies, as far forth as feems ferviceable to the reader.

SECT.

59.

Conclution

of Sect. II.

1.

The several

nations of Shem.

2.

of Aram,

SECT. III.

Of the firft Plantations or original Settlements of the Defcendants of Shem, or Sem.

I SHALL proceed next to the first plantations of the fons

of Shem, and their families; forafmuch as they lie next in a geographical order, bordering on the nation and families of Gomer, to the east and fouth. Now we find five immediate fons (or fons properly fo called) of Shem mentioned by Mofes, namely, Elam, and Asfhur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. Of these, Mofes acquaints us with the fons only of Arphaxad and Aram.

I fhall begin with the settlement of Aram, as being the The nation firft nation of the branch of Shem, adjoining to the nations where feat- of the branch of Japhet already spoken of. For the por ed. tion that fell to the nation of Aram lay in the countries

3.

called by the Greeks Armenia, Mefopotamia, and Syria. It is probable, that Armenia took its present name from Aram. Mefopotamia, as it was fo called by the Greeks from its fituation between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, fo it was called by the Hebrews Aram-Naharaim, i. e. Aram of or between the two rivers.

And whereas one part of this country, viz. that lying Padan-A- next to Armenia, was very fruitful, and the other to the ram, what, and where. fouth, very barren, and fo of the like foil with Arabia Deferta, to which it adjoined, and under which it was by foine writers comprehended; hence the upper and northern part of Mefopotamia is that, which in Scripture is diftinguished by the peculiar name of Padan-Aram, and in Hofea xii. 13. by the name of Sedan-Aram: both which names are of a like importance, and denote as much as fruitful or cultivated Aram.

Aram and

Though the Hebrew word Aram be frequently rendered Syria, how Syria, yet it must not be thought that they are words exfar one an- actly equivalent. The word Syria may indeed be fometimes ufed in old authors, to denote not only Syria com

fwers to the other.

monly

SECT. III.

monly fo called, but alfo Mefopotamia. And hence it is CHAP. III. that Jacob, called in the Hebrew an Aramite, is agreeably enough faid in our Verfion to be a Syrian ; namely, either as being defcended of Syrians or Mefopotamians, or else as dwelling many years in the country of Syria. For by Syria (Hof. xii. 12.) must be understood Mefopotamia, as is evident from the words immediately following, wherein it is faid, that Ifrael ferved for a wife, and for a wife kept Sheep; which was done in Mefopotamia. But then as to the country commonly called Syria, the name of Aram appertained only to part of that, namely, to fo much of it as fell to the nation of Aram; that is, the northern and eaftern parts thereof. For as to Phoenicia and Palestine, though they are esteemed as parts of Syria, yet did they not belong to Aram, but fell to the lot of Canaan. From the Hebrew name Aram, the old Greeks feem to have denoted the inhabitants of the parts that fell to Aram, by the name "Apipo, Arimi; which therefore we meet with in old Homer, Iliad ii. ver. 783. The name Syri, or Syria, is not to be found in that ancient author, as being probably of a latter date, derived namely from Sor or Tyre, which is likewife never mentioned by Homer, as being likely not then grown famous, if built.

5.

Proceed we now to find out the first settlements of the families of the nation of Aram, which are reckoned four, The fituaaccording to the number of Aram's immediate fons men- fon of Ationed by Mofes, viz. Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. As ram. for Uz, he is by a great agreement of the ancients faid to be the builder of the city Damascus: whence it may be reasonably fuppofed, that the land of Uz mentioned in Scripture did denote the country about Damafcus, fo as to comprehend a good part of Arabia Deferta, and to extend itself to Arabia Petræa. And in this latitude both what is faid in Scripture concerning Job's living in the land of Ux, as alfo of Edom's being in the land of Uz, is applicable enough to the country fo denominated from Uz, the son of Aram, at the first plantations; and there is no need of making two other diftinct lands of Uz, called

fo