haunts of lions, and other beasts of prey.

These two noble rivers after being united, are called the Shat-ul-Arab, or river of Arabia; and the combined stream, contrary to the opinion of ancient geographers, enters the Persian Gulf by only one mouth.*

We might here offer a few observations on the laws, learning, and religion of the Assyrians, but these we shall reserve for incidental reflections in the progress of our little work, and shall now commence our historical sketch. †

...THE ASSYRIAN Empire was undoubtedly one of the most powerful in the world. The length of time in which it existed is not very perfectly ascertained, as some authors give it a duration of one thousand three hundred years, while others limit it to little more than five hundred. It is probable, however, that the empire of Assyriais equal in antiquity to the city of Babylon, its cas

* Kinneir, p, 292401) 20-episusagbisė lo sada For a description of its present inhabitants see Appendix, C.

pital; and the holy Scriptures inform us, that this city was built by Nimrod, who was a great conqueror, and the first and most ancient who ever aspired to that name.

The Babylonians at the time when Alexander the Great entered triumphantly into their city, considered that they had existed for one thousand nine hundred and three years, which makes their origin go back to the year of the world one thousand seven hundred and seventy-one, or one hundred and fifteen years after the deluge. This computation, though disregarded by the learned, is in conformity with the account given by Moses, and comes within a few years of the time when Nimrod is supposed to have founded that city.

Upon these grounds the son of Chuz is considered to have been the founder of the first Assyrian empire, which subsisted with more or less extent and glory, for upwards of fourteen hundred and fifty years; that is, from the time of Nimrod to that of Sardanapalus, or from the year of the world eighteen hundred, to the year of the world three thousand two hundred and fifty-seven.

Nimrod, and Belus, who was afterwards worshipped as a God under that name, are considered to be one and the same person. He was the son of Chuz, grandson of Cham, and great grandson of Noah. In the Scriptures he is described as a "mighty hunter before the Lord." And as by his boldness and courage in the chase, he delivered the people from the terror and fury of beasts of prey, he also trained up in hardihood and arms, a number of youth, who afterwards might become capable of serving him in a nobler field of ambition, and who, admiring the address and dexterity of their distinguished leader, became attached to his person, and obedient to his authority.

The Scriptures farther relate, that Nimrod "began to be mighty upon the earth;" that is, he procured himself settlements, built cities, subdued his neighbours, united different people under one and the same authority; governed them by the same polity, and the same laws, thus forming them into one state. This state, though at first confined within the boundaries of the two rivers, Euphrates and Tigris, was in that early period, of

considerable extent; and in the succession of ages it aggrandised itself, sometimes by slow, and sometimes by rapid degrees, till at length it extended its power, its conquests, and its rule, over the greater part of Asia.

The Bible further informs us, that the capital rity of the kingdom of Nimrod was Babylon: "The beginning of his kingdom was Babel." Profane history frequently ascribes the honour of founding Babylon to Semiramis, and many historians ascribe it to Belus; but its real origin is given by Moses, who imputes it to the folly or ambition of that people who said, “Let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, ́and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the face of the whole earth."* But the ambitious aim of gaining a name, or renown, by -building this city, has, as in most instances of human vanity, been utterly lost to its founders, no intimation being left in any record, of the actual builders of Babel, except the above obscure notice respecting Nimrod. The word, in its

☐ Gen. xi. 4.

primary meaning, signifies confusion. The city was afterwards called Babylon, and continued for many ages the centre of idolatrous worship, and the type of the mystical Babylon of the Holy Scriptures, the mother of abominations, which is to be destroyed.*

Josephus, the Jewish historian, relates, on the authority of a sybil, that the gods, by an impetuous whirlwind or hurricane, threw down the tower of Babel. But apart from the questionable authenticity, or veracity of the historian's equivocal authority in this instance, the Scriptures inform us only of the confusion of languages; by which means Jehovah "scattered the people abroad upon the face of all the earth, and they left of to build the city." The tower, therefore, subsequently consecrated as a temple for the worship of Belus, is considered the identical edifice which the sons of men presumptuously essayed to elevate to the heavens. Their bold and absurd design, being defeated by a chastisement so terrific and miraculous as that of the confusion of languages, convinced the peo

Scott's Comm, on the passage)