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seas abounded formerly with large whales and it is well known, that they have apertures near their nostrils, through which they spout water in a large stream, and to a great height. Hence they too had the name of Bal-Ain, or Balænæ. For every thing uncommon was by the Amonians consecrated to the Deity, and denominated from his titles. This is very apparent in all the animals of Egypt.

The term Ougavos, Ouranus, related properly to the orb of the Sun; but was in aftertimes made to comprehend the whole expanse of the heavens. It is compounded of Ourain, the fountain of Orus; and shews to what it alludes, by its etymology. Many places were named Ees-ain, the reverse of Ain-ees, or Hanes: and others farther compounded Am-ees-ain, and Cam-ees-ain, rendered Amisene, and Camisene: the natural histories of which places will generally authenticate the etymology. The Amonians settled upon the Tiber: and the antient town Janiculum was originally named Camese; and the region about it Camesene undoubtedly from the fountain Camesene, called afterward Anna Perenna, whose waters ran into the sacred pool 9 Numicius: and whose priests were the Camœnæ.

96

VOL. I.

96 Macrobius. Sat. 1. 1. c. 7. p. 151.
97 Fontis stagna Numici. Virg. 1. 7. 150.

F

I am sensible, that some very learned men do not quite approve of terms being thus reversed, as I have exhibited them in Ath-ain, Bal-ain, Ourain, Cam-ain, and in other examples: and it is esteemed a deviation from the common usage in the Hebrew language; where the governing word, as it is termed, always comes first. Of this there are many instances; such as Ain-Shemesh, AinGaddi, Ain-Mishpat, Ain-Rogel, &c. also BethEl, Beth-Dagon, Beth-Aven, Beth-Oron. But, with submission, this does not affect the etymologies, which I have laid before the reader: for I do not deduce them from the Hebrew. And though there may have been of old a great similitude between that language, and those of Egypt, Cutha, and Canaan: yet they were all different tongues. There was once but one language among the sons of men 98. Upon the dispersion of mankind, this was branched out into dialects; and those again were subdivided: all which varied every age; not only in respect to one another; but each language differed from itself more and more continually.

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Egeria est, quæ præbet aquas, Dea grata Camanis. Ovid. See Plutarch. Numa.

98 It is my opinion that there are two events recorded by Moses, Gen. c. 10. throughout; and Gen. c. 11. v. 8. 9. One was a regular migration of mankind in general to the countries allotted to them: the other was a dispersion which related to some particulars. Of this hereafter I shall treat at large.

It is therefore impossible to reduce the whole of these to the mode, and standard of any one. Besides, the terms, of which I suppose these names to be formed, are not properly in regimine; but are used adjectively, as is common almost in every language. We meet in the Grecian writings with * Έλληνα гратан, Ελλαδα διάλεκτον, εσβεσεν Ελλαδα φωνην. Also νασοκ Σικελαν, γυναικα μαζον, Πέρσην τράτου, να την δρομον, Σκύθην οιμον. Why may we not suppose, that the same usage prevailed in Cutha, and in Egypt? And this practice was not entirely for reign to the Hebrews. We read indeed of Beersheba, Beer-lahoiroi, &c. but we also read of 100 Baalath-Beer, exactly similar to the instances which I have produced. We meet in the sacred writings with Beth-El, and Beth-Dagon: but we sometimes find the governing word postponed, as in Elizabeth, or temple of Eliza. naanitish' name, the same as Elisa,

It was a Ca

Eleusa, Elasa

99 Nator Einar. Theocritus. Idyll. 1. v. 124.

Γυναίκα τε θήσατο μαζον.

Σκύθην ες οίμον, αβατον εις ερημιαν.

Homer. Il. Ω. v. 58.

Æschyl. Prometh. v. 2.

To give instances in our own language would be needless.

100 Joshua. c. 19. v. 8. Baalath-Beer, the well or spring of Baal-Ath.

'The Jews often took foreign names; of which we have instances in Onias, Hyrcanus, Barptolemæus, &c.

Solinus, c. 25. mentions an altar found in North-Britain, in

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2

of Greece and other countries. It was a compound of El-Ees, and related to the God of light, as I have before shewn. It was made a feminine in aftertimes: and was a name assumed by women of the country styled Phenicia, as well as by those of Carthage. Hence Dido has this as a secondary appellation; and mention is made by the Poet of Dii morientis Eliza, though it was properly the name of a Deity. It may be said, that these names are foreign to the Hebrews, though sometimes adopted by them and I readily grant it; for it is the whole, that I contend for. All, that I want to have allowed, is, that different nations in their several tongues had different modes of collocation and expression: because I think it as unreasonable to determine the usage of the Egyptians and antient Chaldeans by the method of the

scribed to Ulysses: but Goropius Becanus very truly supposes it to have been dedicated to the Goddess Elissa, or Eliza.

Ab Elissâ Tyriâ, quam quidam Dido autumant. Paterculus. 1. 1.

Velleius

Elisa, quamdiu Carthago invicta fuit, pro Deâ culta est. Justin. 1. 18. c. 6.

The worship of Elisa was carried to Carthage from Canaan and Syria in these parts she was first worshipped; and her temple. from that worship was called Eliza Beth.

2

Sarbeth or Sarabeth is of the same analogy, being put for Beth-Sar or Sara, oinos nugis, or xvpann; as a feminine, answering to the house of our Lady. Απο ορός Σαραβαθα. Epiphanius de vitis Prophetar. p. 248. See Relandi Palæstina. p. 984.

Hebrews, as it would be to reduce the Hebrew to the mode and standard of Egypt. What in Joshua, c. 19. v. 8. is Baaleth, is, 1 Kings, c. 16. v. 31. Eth-baal: so that even in the sacred writings we find terms of this sort transposed. But in respect to foreign names, especially of places, there are numberless instances similar to those, which I have produced. They occur in all histories of countries both antient and modern. We read of Pharbeth, and Phainobeth in Egypt: of Themiskir, and Tigranocerta, which signifies Ti

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3 Damascus is called by the natives Damasec, and Damakir. The latter signifies the town of Dama or Adama : by which is not meant Adam, the father of mankind; but Ad Ham, the Lord Ham, the father of the Amonians. Abulfeda styles Damascus, Damakir, p. 15. Sec or Shec is a prince. Damasec signifies principis Ad-Amæ (Civitas). From a notion however of Adama signifying Adam, a story prevailed that he was buried at Damascus. This is so far useful, as to shew that Damasec was an abbreviation of Adamasec, and Damakir of Adama-kir.

Also Kupeonapra, the city of Kuros, the Sun. Stephanus Byzant. Manakarta, Aadoxagтa, Zadgaxapтa. See Bochart. notæ in Steph. Byzantinum. p. 823.

Vologesakerta. Plin. 1. 6. p. 332.

There was No-Amon in Egypt, and Amon-No. Guebr-abad. Hyde. p. 363. Ghavrabad. p. 364. Atesh-chana, domus ignis. p. 359. An-Ath, whose temple in Canaan was styled Beth-Anath, is found often reversed, and styled Ath-An; whence came Athana, and Ana of the Greeks. Anath signified the fountain of light, and was abbreviated Nath and Neith by the Egyptians. They

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