As the human mind is yet more swayed by authorities, than genius or wisdom; high authorities will be given instead of long explanations. Ever since the time of Juvenal, it has been an ungrateful task to write historical truth: men often prefer to be amused, deceived, or helped in strife; than to be instructed, or receive sketches of former times. Yet there is always a secret delight in viewing faithful pictures of ages past, of our ancestors on earth, and our predecessors on the soil of our homes, or where we spend the scenes of our own lives.
The worthies who have been taken for models or guides in this arduous undertaking, are Solomon, Moses, Job, St. Paul, St. Augustine, Plato, Niebuhr, Humboldt, Malcolm, Gebelin, D'Olivet, Bryant, Adelung, Drummond, Pritchard, Champollion, Klaproth, Jones, Wilford, Akbar, Price, Bailly, Russell, Beattie, Herder, Carli, Barton &c. They shall speak for themselves, in quotations of their own words, instead of elaborate reflexions.
From God comes wisdom, knowledge and understanding--SOLOMON Prov. 2. v. 6. Those who will seek early wisdom will find her--SOL. Pr. 8. v. 17. Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not--SOL. Pr. 8. v. 33.
ZE this is. SFR book. THU symbol. LDTH progeny. ADM mankind. BIUM in manifestation. BRA in realization. ALEIM angels. ADM mankind. BDMUTH in identic passage. ALEIM angels. OSHE worked. ATHU such symbol.--MOSES. _Genesis ch, 5. v. 1._ Genuine mosaic words, and genuine translation word for word.
When I laid the foundations of the earth ... the morning stars sung together, and the sons of God shouted for joy.--SPEECH OF GOD HIMSELF IN JOB ch. 38., _Vulgar translation: the original is still more striking_.
The Hebrew philosophy divided the world in two hemispheres, the upper was SHMIM or _Shamaim_, the Heavens--the lower was SHEOL; but SHEOL-TAHTITH or inferior, was the place of bad souls and Rephaim. (The true SHEOL was America, or the southern hemisphere). The Jesuit Sanetius thought that Job had spoken of America.--PETERS, _Dissertation on Job_.
It is very possible for modern learning to understand better the books of Moses, Orpheus, and those of all ancient nations, than the Egyptian, Greek and Roman commentators: because the intellectual knowledge of languages is improving; and those ancient writers have, by their genius, approximated to us, while removed from the blindness of their ages.--GEBELIN, _Primitive World_.