CHAPTER III

Objection to the Mosaic narrative of the deluge, because contrary to the philosophy of Nature. Its fallacy.--The truth of the narrative confirmed by the fossil remains of animals. --Objection founded on the size of the ark. Shown to be fallacious.--Objection founded on certain marks of antiquity said to exist in the lava of Mt. Etna. Mr. Horne's confutation of the argument.--Objection on account of the differences in color, existing among mankind. Its fallacy. Dr. Good's argument, confirmatory of the Mosaic narrative.--Objections founded upon the supposed antiquity of the eastern nations. Confutation of the objection. --Objections founded on the condition of America when discovered by Columbus. Proofs that two distinct races of men immigrated into America from Asia. The present Indians, of the same race with the tribes of northern Asia. The ancient Mexicans and Peruvians, originally proceeded from the same stock with the nations of southern Asia 100

SECTION I.--Mosaic account of the deluge confirmed by Pagan history. Its memory incorporated with almost every part of the heathen mythology. Noah claimed by all the heathen nations as their founder, and worshiped by them as a god. Saturn, of the Greeks and Latins, Menu of the Hindoos, and Noah identical. The Hindoo account of the deluge. The Chinese and Grecian accounts. The ark mentioned by heathen historians. Plutarch's notice of the dove which was sent out of the ark. The heathens carried their deities in an ark. Ancient medals commemorative of the deluge. American traditions of that calamity. Summing up of the argument 125

SECTION II.--Confirmation of the Mosaic representation of the origin of families and nations. Testimony of Sir W. Jones.--Confirmation of the Mosaic accounts of the tower of Babel.--Of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, known to the ancient heathens. Mr. Olmsted's attempt to invalidate the Mosaic account of the condition of the Israelites in Egypt. The confutation of his argument.--His argument to invalidate the truth of the Mosaic narrative of the exode of the Israelites from Egypt and the circumstances attending it. Vindication of the Mosaic narrative.--Explanation of the design of the miraculous interposition in behalf of the Israelites. The fitness and tendency of each of the plagues inflicted upon the Egyptians. Confutation of Mr. Olmsted's allegation that Moses extorted permission for the Israelites to leave Egypt, by false pretentions. Vindication of the Mosaic account of the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. Mr. Olmsted's supposition that the Israelites were a horde of rude barbarians, in behalf of whom there was no divine interposition. The fallacy and absurdity of his supposition 135

SECTION III.--Collateral testimony confirmative of the Mosaic account of the exode of the Israelites from Egypt, their sojourn in the wilderness, and settlement in Canaan. Curious discovery confirmatory of the Mosaic narrative. Trogus' account of the origin of the Jews. The account of their origin by Apion, an Egyptian writer. Manetho's account of the shepherds who retreated from Egypt to Judea. Tacitus' account of the origin of the Jews. Artapanus' relation concerning Moses. Janes and Jambres, the Egyptian magicians, well known to heathen writers. Strabo's account of Moses. The account of the Heliopolitans concerning the passage of the Red Sea. A similar tradition by Diodorus. The inhabitants of Corondel to this day preserve the remembrance of the passing of the Red Sea by the Israelites. The names of different places passed by the Israelites during their sojourn in the wilderness confirm the Mosaic narrative. The writer of the Orphic verses speaks of Moses and the tables of the Laws. Didorus Siculus notices Moses. Dionysius Longius makes honorable mention of Moses. Accuracy of the Mosaic narrative of the sojourn in the wilderness confirmed by Laborde. The tomb of Aaron on Mount Hor, confirms the truth of the Mosaic narrative. Summing up of the argument from collateral testimony. A very conclusive evidence of the truth of the Mosaic history quoted from Dr. Keith.--The history of the Israelites subsequent to the settlement in Canaan corroborated by profane writers. Curious discovery, illustrative of the Scriptural account of the war carried on by Pharaoh-Necho against the Jews and Babylonians.--Confutation of the objection founded by Infidels upon the supposed sterility of the soil of Palestine. Forcible testimony to the credibility of the Old Testament Scriptures afforded by the present condition of the Jews 159