(a) Pliny and (b) Apuleius, speak of Jamnes and Mambres, who resisted Moses in Egypt. (c) Some Things there are in other Writings, and many Things amongst the (d) Pythagoreans, about the

Law

and their Discourse with Moses is related. Add also Numenius, Book III. concerning the Jews. Eusebius quotes his Words, Book VIII. Chap. 8. "Afterwards Jamnes and Mambres,

Egyptian Scribes, were thought to be famous for magical "Arts, about the Time that the Jews were driven out of "Egypt; for these were they who were chosen, out of the "Multitude of the Egyptians, to contend with Museus the "Leader of the Jews, a man very powerful with God by Prayers; and they seemed to be able to repel those sore "Calamities which were brought upon Egypt by Musaus." Where Moses is called Musaus, a Word very near it, as is customary with the Greeks, as others call Jesus, Jason; and Saul, Paul: Origen against Celsus refers us to the same Place of Numenius. Artapanus in the same Eusebius, Book IX. Chap. 27. calls them the Priests of Memphis, who were commanded by the King to be put to Death, if they did not do Things equal to Moses. (a) Pliny, &c.] In the forecited Place.

(b) Apuleius, &c.] In his Second Apologetic.

(c) Some Things there are, &c.] As in Strabo, Tacitus, and Theophrastus, quoted by Porphyry, in his Second Book against eating living Creatures, where he treats of Priests and BurntOfferings; and in the Fourth Book of the same Work, where he speaks of Fishes, and other living Creatures, that were forbidden to be eaten. See the Place of Hecatous, in Josephus's First Book against Appion, and in Eusebius's Preparat. Book IX. Chap. 4. You have the Law of avoiding the Customs of strange Nations, in Justin's and Tacitus's Histories of not eating Swine's Flesh, in Tacitus's Juvenal, Plutarch's Sympos. iv. and Macrobius from the Ancients. In the same Place of Plutarch, you will find mention of the Levites, and the pitching of the Tabernacle.

(d) Pythagoreans, &c.] Hermippus in the Life of Pythagoras, quoted by Josephus against Appion, Book II.

These

Things he said and did, imitating the Opinion of the Jews "and Thracians, and transferring them to himself; for truly *this Man took many Things into his own Philosophy, from "the Jewish Laws.' To abstain from Creatures that die of themselves, is put among the Precepts of Pythagoras, by Hie

Law and Rites given by Moses, (a) Strabo and Justin, out of Trogus, remarkably testify concerning the Religion and Righteousness of the ancient Jews: So that there seems to be no need of mentioning what is found, or has formerly been found of Joshua and others, agreeable to the Hebrew Books; seeing, that whoever gives credit to Moses (which it is a shame for any one to refuse) cannot but believe

rocles, and Porphyry in his Epistle to Anebo, and Ælian, Book IV. that is, out of Levil. iv. 15. Deut. xiv. 21. "Thou "shall not engrave the Figure of God on a Ring," is taken out of Pythagoras, in Malchus's or Porphyry's Exhortation to Philosophy, and in Diogenes Laërtius; and this from the Second Commandment, "Take not away that which thou didst not "place," Josephus, in his Second Book against Appion, puts amongst the Jewish Precepts, and Philostratus amongst the Pythagoreans. Jamblicus says, " A tender and fruitful Tree

ought not to be corrupted or hurt," which he had out of Deuteronomy xx. 19. The forementioned Hermippus ascribes this to Pythagoras, not to pass by a Place where an Ass was set upon his Knees: The Foundation of which is the Story in Numb. xxii. 27. Porphyry acknowledges that Plato took many Things from the Hebrews. You will see Part of them in Eusebius's Preparation. (I suspect that Hermippus, or Josephus, instead of Jews, should have said Idæans, that is, the Priest of Jupiter Idaus in Crete, whom Pythagoras envied. See Sir John Marsham's Collection of these, in his Tenth Age of the Egyptian Affairs. Le Clerc.)

(a) Strabo and Justin, &c.] Strabo in his Fourteenth Book; after the History of Moses, says, "That his Followers, for a "considerable Time, kept his Precepts, and were truly righte

ous and godly." And a little after he says that those who believed in Moses, "worshipped God, and were Lovers of "Equity. And Justin thus says, Book XXXVI. Chap. 2. "Whose Righteousness (viz. the Kings and Priests) mixed "with Religion, increased beyond Belief." Aristotle also (witness Clearchus in his Second Book of Sleep, which Josephus transcribed) gives a great Character of a Jew whom he had seen, of his Wisdom and Learning. Tacitus, among his many Falsities, says this one Truth," that the Jews worshipped "that Supreme and Eternal Being, who was immutable, and "could not perish; "that is, God (as Dion Cassius speaks, treating of the same Jews) "who is ineffable and invisible."

those

those famous Miracles done by the Hand of God; which is the principal Thing here aimed at. Now that the Miracles of late Date, such as those of (a) Elija, Elisha, and others, should not be counterfeit, there is this further Argument; that in those Times Judea was become more known, and because of the Difference of Religion was hated by the Neighbours, who could very easily confute the first Rise of a Lie. The History of Jonah's being three Days in the Whale's Belly is in (b) Lycophron and Eneus. Gazeus, only under the Name of Hercules; to advance whose Fame, every Thing that was great and noble used to be related of him, as (c) Tacitus observes. Certainly nothing but the manifest Evidence of the History could compel Julian (who was as great an enemy to the Jews as to the Christians) to confess (d) that there were some Men inspired by the Divine Spirit amongst the Jews, and (e) that Fire descended.

from

(a) Elijah, &c.] Concerning whose Prophecy Eusebius says, Prep. Book IX. Chap. 30. that Eupolemus wrote a Book. In the 39th Chapter of the same Book, Eusebius quotes a Place of his, concerning the Prophecies of Jeremiah,

(b) Lycophron, &c.] The Verses are these:

Of that three-nighted Lion, whom of old,
Triton's fierce Dog with furious Jaws devour'd,
Within whose Bowels, tearing his Liver,

He rolled, burning with Heat, though without Fire,
His Head with Drops of Sweat bedew'd all o'er.

Upon which Place Tzetses says, "because he was three Days "within the Whale." And Eneus Gazeus in Theophrastus: "According to the Story of Hercules, who was saved by a "Whale swallowing him up, when the Ship in which he sailed 86 was wrecked."

(c) Tacitus, &c.] And Serpius, as Varro and Verrius Flaccus affirm.

(d) That there were some, &c.] Book III. in Cyril. (e) That Fire descended, &c.] Julian in the Tenth Book of Cyril: "Ye refuse to bring Sacrifices to the Altar and offer

"them,

from Heaven, and consumed the Sacrifices of Moses and Elias. And here it is worthy of Observation, that there was not only very (a) severe Punishments threatened amongst the Hebrews, to any who should falsely assume the Gift of Prophecy, (b) but very many Kings, who by that Means might have procured great Authority to themselves, and many learned Men, (c) such as Esdras and others, dared not to assume this honour to themselves; (d) nay, some Ages before Christ's Time, nobody dared to do it. Much less could so many thousand People be imposed upon, in avouching a constant and public Miracle, I mean

"them, because the Fire does not descend from Heaven and consume the Sacrifices, as it did in Moses's Time: This happened once to Moses, and again long after to Elijah the "Tishbite." See what follows concerning the Fire from Heaven. Cyprian, in III. of his Testimonies, says, "That in "Sacrifices, all those that God accepted of, Fire came down "from Heaven, and consumed the Things sacrificed." Menander also, in his Phænician History, mentions that great Drought, which happened in the Time of Elias, that is, when Ithobalus reigned amongst the Tyrians. See Josephus in his Ancient History, Book VIII. Chap. 7.

(a) Severe Punishments, &c.] See Deut. xiii. 5. xviii. 20. and the following.

(b) But very many Kings, &c.] Nobody dared to do it after David.

(c) Such as Esdras, &c.] The Hebrews used to remark upon those Times," Hitherto the Prophets, now begin the Wise "Men."

(d) Nay, some Ages before Christ's Time, &c.] Therefore in the First Book of Maccabees, iv. 46. we read, that the Stones of the Altar which were defiled were laid aside, "until there "should come a Prophet to shew what should be done with "them." And in the ixth Chap. Ver. 27. of the same Book: "So was there a great Affliction in Israel, the like whereof had never been, since the Time that there were no Prophets amongst them.' The same we find in the Talmud, in the Title concerning the Council.

that

(a) that of the Oracle, (b) which shined on the
High Priest's Breast, which is so firmly believed
by all the Jews, to have remained till the de-
struction of the first Temple, that their Ances-
tors must of Necessity be well assured of the bid-
Truth of it.

thing from

Bescod (a) That of the Oracle, &c.] See Exodus xxviii. 30. Levithbed describe viii. 8. Numb. xxvii. 21. Deut. xxxiii. 8. 1 Sam. xxi. 11fte xxii. 10, 23, 25. xxii. 2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12. xxvii. 6. Ade origen of Nehem. vii. 65. and Josephus's Book III. 9. This is what ison and at meant by the Words pár haar," the consulting (an Ora"cle) where you will have an Answer as clear as Light itself." In the Son of Sirach, XXXIII. 4. For the Word Ma, clear, answers to the Hebrew Urim, and so the Seventy translate o it in the forecited Places, Numb. xxvii. 21. 1 Sam. xxviii. 6. and elsewhere dawow, making clear, as Exod. xxviii. 26. Lev. viii. 8. They also translate on Thumin, asia, Truth; the Egyptians deluge imitated this, just as Children do Men. Diodorus, Book I. relating the affairs of the Egyptians, says of the Chief Judge, hals, Frod: "That he hath Truth hanging about his Neck." And again

afterwards, “The King commands that all Things necessary

Mentions Re

feat " and fitting should be provided for the Subsistence of their consti "Judges, and that the Chief Judge should have great Plenty. "This Man carries about his Neck an Image of precious Stones, "hanging on a golden Chain, which they call Truth, and they "then begin to hear Cases, when the Chief Judge has fixed "this Image of Truth." And Elian, Book XIV. Chap. 24. of his Various History. "The Judges in old Time amongst the Egyptians, were Priests, the oldest of which was Chief Priest, "who judged every one; and he ought to be a very just Man, "and one that spared nobody. He wore an Ornament about "his Neck, made of Sapphire Stone, which was called Truth." The Babylonish Gemara, Ch. I. of the Book called Joma, says, that some things in the first Temple were wanting in the second, as the Ark with the Mercy-Seat, and the Cherubims, the Fire coming from Heaven, the Shecinah, the Holy Ghost, and the Urim and Thumim.

(b) Which shined on the High Priest's Breast, &c.] This is a Conjecture of the Rabbins, without any Foundation from Scripture. It is much more credible, that the Priest pronounced the Oracle with his Mouth. See our Observations on Exod. xxviii. 30. Numb. xxvii. 31. Le Clerc.

SECT.