in the 106th page of this work, nor is it fingular, but very correspondent to Eufebius.

Sanchoniatho being undoubtedly an idolater, he made whatever records he had recourse to, fubfervient to his own purpofe; nor is it poffible he could have had any very intimate acquaintance with the Mofaic writings which is vainly fuppofed by fome imaginary writers; for if that were the cafe, he would have made use of Hebrew names in his genealogies, especially as his line of defscent seems to have been that of Cain,

A mere inspection of this table is fufficient to fhew that Sanchoniatho's account has a vaft affinity to Moses; Protogonus and Æon being Adam and Eve, and Genus being Cain, which has nearly the fame meaning in Hebrew, and also the number of generations to the Mifraim of Mofes, so nearly corref ponding.

Manetho was an author of much later date, who wrote the Egyptian hiftory, with an intention, no doubt, to recommend himself to the favor of his master Ptolomy Philadelphus, and to raise the annals of his own country beyond thofe of any other with respect to its antiquity. The works of Mofes had been newly tranflated; it was necessary that the Egyptian annals fhould be raised above thofe of the Hebrews; therefore he had recourse to a subterfuge which might have been fufficient in the eyes of readers in general, to establish this point. He therefore introduced an immense series of years into his dynafties, which are indeed very properly supposed to be lunar years. Yet Scaliger speaks highly of this hiftory, faying, "nullas vetuftatis reliquias cum iftis comparandas effe." But Perizonius feems very much furprized at this,

as

as Manetho carries his hiftory immensely beyond the true æra of the world: yet otherwise he is allowed to correspond very much with facred hiftory-if fo, we may forgive this proud Egyptian his filly vaunting, which can do no harm because incredible. From the era of real hiftory, which begins with the history of Mofes, he has been candid enough in his relations, confidering the cir cumftances under which he wrote.

Candour obliges me to lay before the learned reader, the obfervations of Witfius. Egypt, Lib. 3. cap. 3.

MANETHONIS DE HEBRÆORUM INTROITU ET EXITU EX EGYPTO STOLIDE INEPTIÆ,

SED & ex MANETHONE haud difficulter colligas, ea quæ de Ifraelitica gentis ftirpe. atque origine ipfis nobisque ex Mofe notiffima funt, præ nimia antiquitate, illorum temporum, quibus Manethos vixit, AEgyptiis, propemodum incognita fuiffe, & in iis ipfis quæ vetuftatem mentiebantur commentariis, adeo fabulofe, abfurde, & confufanee tradita, ut vix umbram veritatis deprehendas. Unde argumentando inferimus, nugatorias effe AEgyptiorum commentationes quando de

Mofaicis

Mofaicis temporibus & quæ iis antiquiora funt garriunt; & nihil denique de iftis ætatibus certi exftare, in quo pedem tuto figas, nifi in Mofis facra hiftoria. Fruftra itaque Manethonem laudari quando de Ifraelitarum antiquis ritibus ferenda eft fententia. Quid enim ab eo exfpectes homine, qui neque unde oriundi Ifraelitæ fint, neque qua occafione in AEgyptum venerint, indeve exierint; neque quis Mofes fuerit, utrum Hebræus an AEgyptius, exploratum habuit: neque Davidis tempora, quibus demum occupata a Judæis, & ædificata auctaque Hierofolyma eft, a tempore exitus ex AEgypto diftinguere didicit? Hoccine demum au&tore finiemus, quid facrorum vel dogmatum vel cærimoniarum AEgyptii ante Hebræos habuerint?

II. At ne temere hæc dixiffe videar, audiamus quæ Manethos de primo Hebræorum in AEgypto adventu, quæ de exitu, quæ de occupatione terræ Canaan fabulatur. Quum vero Manethonem ipfum non habeamus, nemo id melius Jofepho dixerit. Cujus hæc funt in primo contra Apionem verba. Is Manethos in fecundo Ægyptiacorum hæc de nobis fcripfit. Ponam vero etiam verba ejus tanquam ipfum illum adducens teftem. Fuit nobis (ita Manethos) Rex

Timaus nomine.

Sub hoc nefcio quo modo Deus

iratus fuit: & præter Spem ex partibus Orientalibus homines, genere ignobiles, adepta fiducia in provincia caftra metati funt. Et facile ac fine bello eam potenterque ceperunt : & principes ejus alligantes, de cætero civitates crudeliter incenderunt: & Deorum templa everterunt. Erga omnes vero provinciales inimiciffime fe gefferunt: & alia non pauca, quibus eorum crudelitatem exaggerat. Deinde Regum quibufdam nominibus interjectis, narrat gentem illam vocatam effe Hrcsos, hoc eft Reges Paftores. Hyc enim fecundum facram linguam Regem fignificat; Sos vero paftorem five Paftores, fecundum communem dialectum; & ita compofitum invenitur Hycfos. Quidam, vero dicunt, eos Arabas effe. Addit Jofephus : In aliis autem exemplaribus non Reges fignificari comperi per appellationem Hyc, fed e diverfo captivos declarari paftores. Hyc enim Ægyptiaca lingua, & hac, quando denfo fono profertur captivos aperte fignificat: & hoc potius verifimile mihi videtur, & hiftoriæ antiquæ conveniens.

III. Poft alia interjecta pergit Manethos: Sub Rege cui nomen erat Alisfragmuthofis viclos paftores, & aliam quidem univerfam Ægyptum perdidiffe, inclufos autem in locum habentem menfuram jugerum decem millium: cui loco nomen eft Avaris. Filium vero Alisfragmuthofeos Themofin cona

tum