The consent of time disciphering the errors of the Grecians in their Olympiads, the vncertaine computation of the Romanes in their penteterydes and building of Rome, of the Persians in their accompt of Cyrus, and of the vanities of the Gentiles in fables of antiquities, disagreeing with the Hebrewes, and with the sacred histories in consent of time. VVherein is also set downe the beginning, continuance, succession, and ouerthrowes of kings, kingdomes, states, and gouernments. By Lodovvik Lloid Esquire.

CHAP. I.

Of the most ancient and true historie of the Hebrewes, after called Israel, of their lawes and originall gouernment called Oligar∣chia, from Abraham vnto Moses.

THE historie of the Hebrewes, for that it is most ancient from Hebers time the fourth from Noah, and most true, for that it is written by Moses and confirmed by the Prophets, but most of all in dignitie and honour, for that lineally from Sem which first builded Hierusalem, the Messias and Sauiour of the world according to the flesh descended, though the historie taketh no beginning but frō the calling

of Abraham out of Chaldea into the land of Canaan, so called first, after, the land of Israel, thirdly, of Iudea, fourthly & last, called after Christ our Sauiours death, The holy land, or the land of Palestina: the inhabitants thereof were called accor∣dingly, Cananites, Hebrewes, Israelites, Iewes, of whom either to speake or to write, of their lawes, their Iudges, their Kings, or of their ceremonies, or of their common wealth, it was not lawfull neither for the Graecians nor for the Romanes, and so affirmed by Iosephus, that Demetrius Phalerius did auere be∣fore Philodelphus king of Alexandria, that the Greekes nor the * 1.1 Latinists might translate, handle, or so much as to presume to write of any Hebrew historie being but prophane men, as Theopompus, Theodecta, with others, which were made blind by their arrogancie, and became mad. An other cause doeth Eusebius alleage, that neither Greekes nor Latines were in time * 1.2 to write of the Hebrues histories: for the greatest brag of the Greekes, as Iosephus saieth, and the most ancient historie of the Graecians, is Homers worke: they began to flourish in the time of Cyrus, after that the Assyrians, the Chaldeans and the Egypti∣ans, and many other kingdoms of the East were decaied, and their empires lost, at which time the temple in Ierusalem was by Cyrus permitted to be reedified 80. yeeres before the last permission by Artaxerxes surnamed Longimanus: for Plato of * 1.3 whom Numenius the Pithagorean doth report, & is called of him Moses Attica lingua loquens, euen that learned Philoso∣pher doth confesse, that the Graecians had their knowledge frō the Chaldeans and from the Egyptians, and began to be famous and great after these great kingdomes were destroyed. The seuen Sages were the first wise men knowen or commended in Greece, which was in Cyrus time, at what time Solon liued 200. yeres before Plato, which was the infancie of Greece, and * 1.4 the first schoole of their Philosophie.

Now the Hebrewes being the most auncientest people, e∣uen from Hebers birth vntill Christes death, which was after Christes death 2000. yeeres & odde, they inhabited the land called Syria, called likewise Phoenicia, and now in latter yeeres

called Iudea: of this countrey doeth Iosephus write at large both of the nature of the people and of the goodnesse of the * 1.5 soile. Hecateus the Abederit, a good Philosopher and a great writer, flourishing in the time of Alexander the great, made a booke in describing and commending of Iudaea. I wil them to read the 16. booke of Strabo that would know the situation of * 1.6 Iudea, where the Reader shall be satisfied with the ful descrip∣tion of Iudea.

Iosephus a Iew borne, being taken prisoner by Vespasian the Emperor at the last destructiō of Ierusalem, at the which time he wrote a great volume containing 20. bookes of the anti∣quities of the Iewes, & he wrote other 7. bookes of the warres of the Iewes, a man of great industrie, learned in the Hebrew and Greeke tongue, and very expert in the Iewish histories, saieth, that Egyptians were enuious to the children of Israel, for so were they called after Iacobs time, which by long wrast∣ling with the Angel of the Lord, was named Israel: for first * 1.7 they were called Hebrewes from Hebers time vntil Iacob, which was 478. yeeres and odde: secondarily, Israel from Iacob, vntill the destruction of Samaria, at what time ten tribes of Israel were by Salmanassar king of Assyria Senacheribs father, brought cap∣tiue * 1.8 vnto Assyria in the time of Osea the last king of Israel 1026. yeeres, as Bucholcerus affirmeth, and from the destruction of Sa∣maria * 1.9 vntill the last destruction of Ierusalem by Titus Vespasian they were called Iewes 786. yeeres.

Now the malice of Egypt towards Israel was such, that * 1.10 they kept them in bondage 430. yeeres, and euer after they were by God deliuered, they still wrought euil against them, and persecuted them with continuall hatred, disliking their * 1.11 religion, abhorring their ceremonies, disdaining and much enuying the felicitie of the Iewes, with the which the God of Israel by power and great miracles, did aduance them to the abolishing of idolatrie, and contemning of their false gods, which the Egyptians, the Chaldeans & the Assyrians did adore, and therfore the blessing of God was according to the pro∣mise vpon the Hebrewes first, afterwards called Israel & Iewes,

and continued frō Abraham, to whom the promise was made vntill the time of the Messias, the full accomplishment of the promise. So these people bathed in blisse, and being but a li∣tle countrey, few people, from Dan to Berseba, and of no esti∣mation, became by Gods fauour strong, mightie, & conque∣rors * 1.12 of the greatest kings of the world. So, he said (the Lord of all) out of Sion shall my Law proceed, and from Ierusalem my word. This litle citie of Ierusalem, chosen of God to be his seate, though often for sinne destroyed, and the people pla∣gued, yet still comforted to the stay of Gods Church.

It is written that Dauid the second king of Israel, gaue these words to Salomon his sonne before he died. Behold, Praeparaui impensas domus Domini auritalenta centum millia, & argenti mil∣le * 1.13 millia talentûm. And againe it is writtē in the Chronicles, that gold and siluer were as plentie in Ierusalem, as stones in the street in the time of Salomō: for there was in the temple of Sa∣lomon, as Budaeus noteth 27. millions, in ready coyne. This * 1.14 made other kingdomes to enuie the prosperitie of the He∣brewes: for by iust account of Budaeus, there was left before vn∣to Salomon by Dauid his father, ten times more treasures and substance in Ierusalem, then Darius the great king of Persia left * 1.15 vnto Alexander the great in Babylon when he conquered it: this was the promise which God performed to Abraham, and to his seed for euer.

This godly Patriarch to whom the promise was made, was 50. yeeres of age when Noah died, 40. yeeres before So∣dome * 1.16 and Gomorrha were destroied. At 75. yeeres was Abra∣ham called from Vr a towne of Chaldea, in the last yeeres of Ninus the first king of the Assyrians. Now while Abraham o∣beied * 1.17 God from time to time, from place to place, exerci∣sing himselfe in the obedience of GOD, famine grew in the land of Canaan, so that he with few Hebrewes were forced to flee into Egypt, where hee continued three yeeres, at what time he taught them knowledge of the starres, read * 1.18 Astronomie, and taught in Egypt Artes and Sciences, as Iosephus saieth: for Abraham was brought vp in Astrologie

with the Chaldeans, where hee dwelt with his father Thare in Vr, and from whence the Egyptians had their learning and knowledge: for Egypt was as yet scant in the world knowen, where some of the Hebrewes staied after Abrahams departure and multiplied, in so much that the kings of Egypt troubled, molested, and brought them in such bondage, as they were * 1.19 made slaues and bondmen of the Egyptians vntill the time of Moses which was 430. yeeres after Abraham, euen then God deliuered them from their bondage by the handes of Moses, which was the fift man in discent from Abraham, for Moses was the sonne of Amri, the sonne of Cath, the sonne of Leui, the sonne of Iacob, the sonne of Isaac, the sonne of Abraham.

But to returne to Abraham, who attending the voyce of the almightie, was most diligent with care and feare of God to performe his dutie to his God: for God had blessed Abra∣ham and promised also to blesse them that would blesse Abra∣ham, saying, Benedicā te benedicentibus, &c. I will blesse thē that blesse thee, & I wil curse them that curse thee, for in thee all the kinreds of the earth shall be blessed. For God had promi∣sed Abraham three great blessings, that is, First, the land of Canaan flowing with milke and honie: Secondly, the incar∣nation of Messias tobe out of the tribe of Iuda: Thirdly, that his seede should be as the starres in the skies, or the sands in the sea. After God had blessed Abraham by the mouth of Mel∣chisedech the high priest of God, saying: Blessed art thou A∣braham of God most high possessor of heauen and earth: to * 1.20 this high priest Melchisedech, Abraham paied tithe of all that he had, for God was with Abraham, he defended him, and he rewarded him. About this time were the kings of Sodome * 1.21 and Gomorrha ouerthrowen by Amraphael king of Shinar, and Lot taken prisoner, but rescued by Abraham: this was not the last destruction of Sodome.

Now raigned in Sicionia a king called Apis, of whom the countrey was afterward named Apia, and since called Pelo∣ponesus, and now Morea. In Assyria raigned Ninus the hus∣band of Semiramis. In Egypt this time was a forme of gouern∣ment

called Dinastia, fifteene principall magistrates to go∣uerne the Egyptians. About this time Ismael was borne of A∣gar the bondwoman, when Abraham was of the age of 86. * 1.22 of whom many nations doe come. After this time Abrahams name was changed to confirme him in the promise. Cir∣cumcision then was instituted, and Isaac was likewise promi∣sed by the Angels that lodged with Abraham, as they went to destroy Sodome and Gomorrha, who opened to Abraham, how sinne cried vp vnto heauen for vengeance vpon the So∣domites, which Abraham with his eies sawe: he saw Sodome, Gomorrha, Seboim, Adamah and Segor, fiue great cities of Cana∣an burned with fire and brimstone from heauen, and all men, women and children destroied, Lot onely with his wife and * 1.23 two daughters saued. In that soile where these 5. cities were burned, there was left a lake of such terrible sight, being one and twentie miles long, that Strabo in his booke, and Iose∣phus at large describeth, which in another place shall be spo∣ken of.

But much deceiued for that they attributed vnto the ef∣fects of nature, which was the worke of God whom they knew not at that time. Lots wife by disobedience, looking * 1.24 backe against the commandement, became a pillar of salt, a terrible monument of Gods vengeance to all passers by: but marke how by drunkennes Lot sinned with his daughters, a horrible exāple of drūkennes whom the wickednes of Sodom could not ouercome, yet wine caused him to commit most abominable incest with his two daghters, who making their * 1.25 father of purpose drunk, became both with child by their fa∣ther, the elder bare a sonne and she called his name Moab, the first father of all the Moabites, the yonger bare a sonne, and she called his name Ammon, from whom sprang the Ammonites a people of great natiōs, who as they were born in most horri∣ble incest, so were they & their posteritie vile & wicked ene∣mies to God and his church. About this very time Isaac was * 1.26 borne when Agar and her sonne Ismael was cast off. For God said vnto Abraham, In Isaac thy seed shalbe called, and not in

Ismael, for Isaac was a figure of Christ. Not long after Sara the wife of Abraham when she had liued 127. yeeres, euen iust the double yeeres of the virgin Marie. Sara was buried in Hebron, where Abraham bought a field of an Ephronit•…•… for 400. sickles of siluer, where Abraham and all his posterities were after bu∣ried. Abraham after Sara maried a woman named Kaetura, by whom hee had sixe sonnes prudent and very discreete men, their names you find in Iosephus, and the seueral nations that issued from them.

Now Abraham waxed olde, for he was an 100. yeere olde when Isaac was borne, and he liued after the birth of Isaac 75. yeeres, and then died, and was buried by his wife Sara in He∣bron. * 1.27 In the time of Abraham and of the first Patriarch, the Church of God was gouerned by a state called Oligarchia, vntill Moses time, to whom the law was giuen on mount Si∣nai by God, for before the law was written in the Patriarchs hearts. But first he saw his sonne maried with Rebecca, he was the 10. from Noah, as Noah was the 10. from Adam, and liued fiftie yeeres with Noah: he liued with Sem, Arphaxad, Sela, He∣ber, Peleg, Regu, Serug, Nahor & Thara which was his father. He was vertuous and godly, he was blessed of God, and in his seed the whole earth was blessed after him.

Isaac had two twinnes borne together, Esau which is also * 1.28 called Edom, of whom the Idumeans came, & Iacob called like∣wise Israel, of whom the Israelites came. Iacob was the true tipe * 1.29 of the church of God, Christ being the head therof. Esau like∣wise the figure of the synagogue of Satan, ouer whom Anti∣christ is the head. Isaac loued better Esau thē Iacob, but Rebecca loued Iacob, as by her coūcel, though needlesse, to Iacob to de∣feat Esau of his fathers blessing appeared, being therein faul∣tie to preuent the Almightie. But as Caine neuer loued Abel, so Esau neuer loued Iacob: for Iacob euer feared his brother E∣sau, but God from his eternall purpose neuer changeth, but standeth to his people, & comforteth his church. The histo∣rie of these two brethren you shall read in Iosephus at large, * 1.30 & in Genesis 27. & 28. In the time of Iacob raigned in Niniuie

Amatrites the 9. king of the Assyrians, a voluptuous wic∣ked prince. Atlas the great Astronomer, and thereby fained of the Poets to sustaine the skies vpon his shoulders, flouri∣in these dayes. Osiris who is thought to bee called Mirzaim, * 1.31 and of Berosus is named Oceanus, and Diodorus names him Me∣nam the first king of the Egyptians, he gouerned Egypt, taught the people to worship their gods, instructed them in many faculties and sciences, which then few of the Egyptians knew: the daughter of Iacob named Dina, was rauished of Sichem, the sonne of Hemor, afterward she is supposed by Philo Iudaeus to * 1.32 be the wife of Iob, by whom hee gate fourteene sonnes and foureteene daughters, but some thinke it an error, saying: Iob was two discents after Iacobs children, but as I sayd before, hard it is to correct an errour of such antiquitie, for where true records want, then coniectures of men doe grow.

About this time Isaac died and was buried in Hebron hard * 1.33 by Rebecca his wife, hee was accepted of God and walked in his wayes vertuous and godly, he liued one hundred eightie yeeres, three yeeres longer then his father Abraham liued. Which Isaac liued

With	Sem 110. yeeres.	With	Sara his mother 37.
Arphaxat 48.	Sarug one yeere.
Salah 78.	Iacob his brother 120.
Heber 139.	Ismaeel his halfe brother by
Abraham liued with Isaac 75	Agar 123.
Thare his grandfather 35.	Ioseph 29.

Isaac sawe the prosperitie of his sonne Esau, which gouer∣ned all the land of Seir, for the appointment of GOD was, * 1.34 Maior seruiet Minori, when Iacob had no certaine place in the world, but tossed from one affliction to an other. Isaac before he died saw the trauell and triall of Iacob. About this time was Ioseph sold by his brethren, and laied in prison in E∣gypt, euen then Tiphon the Egyptian conspired the death of his brother Osiris, with the helpe of certaine tyrants Busiris of Phoenicia, Antens of Lybia, Melinus of Creete, with others, hee killed the king, vsurped the kingdome, and was called there∣by,

as Berosus affirmeth, Tiphon tyrannus, but he was well re∣quited, * 1.35 and all his confederats: for they all were slaine by O∣rus Magnus, Osiris sonne, in a towne of Arabia named Anteos. * 1.36 Rhodes was builded about this time, which was named be∣fore Opheinissa: the great famine of the 7. deere yeres in Egypt, and in all the world, began likewise about the time of Isaacs death. In Assyria reigned Baleus the 11. king, a man of the * 1.37 greatest fame: after Semiramis in the 41. yeere of this Kings reigne, Hercules surnamed Lybius, draue all cruell tyrants and gyants out of Italy, for he with continual warres for 10. yeres space wearied them, and subdued them, and afterward reig∣ned peaceably 20. yeeres, as both Berosus and Functius doe affirme.

In the 18. Dinasteia of Egypt, began the Kings of Egypt to * 1.38 be called Pharaones, a name of great dignitie, not proper names, but as the Romanes, Alexandrians, the Latines, with o∣ther kingdomes vsed to name their kings Caesars, Siluij, Ptolo∣meis, Arsaces, so like wise the Egyptians named their kings Pha∣raones, which began about the latter end of Isaac. Sparta a fa∣mous * 1.39 towne amongst the Lacedemonians, was builded of Pha∣roneus sonne, whose name was Sparta, and therefore after his owne name named it Sparta. Alitle after this time, the going * 1.40 of Iacob vnto Egypt, was in the 130. yeres of his age, where he continued with his sonne Ioseph 17. yeeres in great fauour with Pharaoh, and then died, after Abrahams being in Egypt, 215. yeeres, and before Moses went to Egypt to deliuer the children of Israel out of bondage 215. yeeres. Nowe while Iacob and his familie were in Egypt with his sonne Ioseph, who was solde by his brethren, and by his father thought to be slaine, then dwelled in Iudea Hethits, Iebusites, Amorites, Cha∣nanites, Amalakites, and Pheresites, this land flowed with milke and hony, fertile, and full of all plentifulnes: for after Ioseph died in Egypt, Moses was borne within 65. yeeres: and in the * 1.41 fourescore yeere of Moses age, the 145. after Ioseph died, and were in the wildernesse fourtie yeeres, and after had the possession of the lande of Chanaan, as it shall bee here∣after

said. But for that the histories of the Patriarches are written in the Genesis at large, and in Iosephus, and specially Frigius Mosaicus, in his booke De historijs patrum, leaueth no∣thing vntouched, I will forward to the birth of Moses.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sabellicu•…•… lib. 3.
• * 1.2

  The antiquity of Greece.
• * 1.3

  The praise of Plato.
• * 1.4

  The infancie of Greece.
• * 1.5

  Ioseph. lib. contra.
• * 1.6

  Reede Stabo 16. booke.
• * 1.7

  First He∣brewes. 478
• * 1.8

  Then Israel. 1026
• * 1.9

  Thirdly Ie∣wish. 786
• * 1.10

  A egyptians most enuious to the Iewish.
• * 1.11

  The mercie of God to∣wardes his people.
• * 1.12

  The goodnes of God to his people.
• * 1.13

  3. Regum cap. 10
• * 1.14

  De Asse 4.
• * 1.15

  Ioseph. 8.
• * 1.16

  Abrahams age when Noah died.
• * 1.17

  Gene. 18. 20. 47.
• * 1.18

  Abrahams go∣ing to Aegypt
• * 1.19

  The bondage of Israel in Aegypt, 430. yeeres. Moses the fift from Abra∣ham.
• * 1.20

  Gene. cap. 14.
• * 1.21

  The kings of Sodom and Gomorrha o∣uerthrown by the king of Shinar.
• * 1.22

  Ismael borne by Agar the the bondwo∣man.
• * 1.23

  Lot with his two daugh∣ters escaped.
• * 1.24

  Iosephus lib. 1. cap. 12.
• * 1.25

  Lots incest with his two daughters. Genes. 19.
• * 1.26

  The birth of Isaac. Isaac the child of promise borne 14. yeres after Is∣mael. Ioseph. lib. 1. cap. 15. Sara died, and is buried in Hebron. A ficide doth co•…•…tune 4. D•…•…achmes. Lib. cap 16.
• * 1.27

  Abraham dieth.
• * 1.28

  Esau and Ia∣cob•…•… birth.
• * 1.29

  Iacob was the true tipe of the Church
• * 1.30

  Lib. 1. cap. 18. 19.
• * 1.31

  Diodo. de fab. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. lib. 2.
• * 1.32

  Functius in ta∣bula patrum.
• * 1.33

  Isaac dieth and is buried in Hebron.
• * 1.34

  Isaac saw the prosperity of Esau and the affliction of Iacob.
• * 1.35

  Diodo. lib. 1.
• * 1.36

  Iustin. lib. 36. B•…•…sius lib. 1. cap 8.
• * 1.37

  Iustine lib 36. Orosius lib. 1. cap. 8.
• * 1.38

  The 18. Dena∣s•…•…na of Aegypt
• * 1.39

  Sparta buil∣ded.
• * 1.40

  The going of Iacob vnto E∣gypt.
• * 1.41

  Ioseph died 65. yeeres before Moses was borne.