A treatise of the situation of Paradise written by P.D. Huet; to which is prefixed a map of the adjacent countries ; translated from the French original.

CHAP. VI. Explanation of the eleventh Verse.

I. A general Idea of the running of the Euphrates and Tigris. II. The Land which the Eu∣phrates and Tigris run through is much altered since the time of Moses. III. The Euphrates had at first but one Chanel which joined it to the Tigris, but many others have since been drawn out of it. IV. More Chanels yet drawn out of the Euphrates. V. Other alterations in those parts. VI. Some denied without any ground that the Tigris and Euphrates being joined together, do separate them∣selves again before they fall into the Sea.

I. VErse 11. The name of the first is Phison; that is it that com∣passeth the whole land of Chavilah, where there is gold.

Verse 12. And the gold of that land is good: there is Bdellium and the Onyx∣stone.

Before we treat in particular of the Rivers of Paradise, it is necessary to give the Reader an Idea of the running of the Euphrates and Tigris, without which he can not, but with difficulty, understand what I have to say. The Euphrates hath its Spring in the great Armenia, on the northerly side of the Mount Abos, which is a branch of the Taurus. The Tigris hath its Spring in the same Land on the southerly side of the Mount Niphates, which is another branch of the Taurus. These two Springs are above a hundred Leagues off from one another. The Euphrates takes its course towards the West, the Tigris towards the East; and they incompass Mesopotamia, one of the most famous and fruitful Countries upon Earth. They come after that together by many Chanels which incompass the ancient Babylonia. Then again making but one Chanel they run on towards the South, and before they enter into the Persian Gulf, they▪ part from one another again, and incompass a great Island, which for∣merly was called Messene, and now is called Chader.

II. In the time of Moses the figure of that Land was very different from what it hath been since, and is now; the Industry of Men, the Power of the Kings of Assyria, Egypt and Persia, and of the Caliphs, who by turns were Masters of those Countries; the length of Time, the Violence of the Sea, and the Overflowings of Rivers, have caused many Alterations in it. Of the five Chanels that carry the Water of the Euphrates into the Tigris, and many Lakes, four have been made by the Industry of Men; that only which run through the great City of Babylon is natural. This seems not to agree with the opinion of some ancient Au∣thors, who have writ that the Eu∣phrates entred into the Sea, towards the West, by a mouth peculiar to it self, and quite different from those two, which since this River and the Tigris had in common; from whence one might inferr that in Moses's time the Euphrates was not joined with the Tigris. These Authors add, That this Chanel being very much cut and di∣••erted by the Arabians called Scenites, to water their dry and barren Country, is become so weak, and diminished so much, as not to be able to run into

the Sea, as it happened to the Rhine, by reason of the frequent Cuts made by the Dutch.

III. But so great a River as the Euphrates, swelled with many Rivers, and increased every Summer by the melted Snows and Torrents from the Mount Taurus, was able enough in those beginnings to make two Chanels, because it afterwards made so many others. Some were first made, only to prevent the Overflowings that ru∣ined the Country; their number was since increased, to water such Coun∣tries as wanted Water. Nebuchado∣nozor, who was a very great Prince, and undertook many high things, sig∣nalized himself in those Works; and that he might free that Country from the Waters of the Euphrates, under which it was wholly drowned, digged the chief Chanels; and to prevent the Country from growing dry, he made very large Ponds and Sluces, and ma∣stered that unruly River, and its trou∣blesom Waters. But tho' this great quantity of Water might at first fur∣nish the Canal that fell into the Tigris, and that which ran towards Arabia, and entred into the Sea, it is yet more credible, that the Euphrates had but

one natural Canal, by which it emptied it self into the Tigris; and that the other which diverted it towards the West, was the work of the Arabians. All the Ancients, and even those who best described these Canals made by hand, do affirm so constantly that the Euphrates joined naturally with the Tigris, and that those who digged some others, did but follow the Indica∣tion of Nature, that the contrary can∣not be said without rashness. We read in an ancient Fragment of Abydenus, quoted by Eusebius, that all that Land was at first so covered with Water, that it was called the Sea. This could not be, but by the overflowing of the Euphrates, whose Chanel is very high; so that when it found any way to come out, it was by a natural fall carried into the flat Country of the Babylonians, and having ran over it, it necessarily fell into the Tigris, which was near and whose Chanel was very low. And this obliged Trajan to leave off the design which he had, to draw a new Trench from the Eu∣phrates to the Tigris, that Boats might be brought thither, of which he de∣signed to make a Bridge over the Tigris. He was afraid that too great a draining

should happen of the Waters of the Euphrates, and that it should become innavigable.

IV. These Overflowings being pre∣vented by Trenches (which could be easily made in that Country, its ground being ••very fat and ••oft, but wanted often to be renewed) and▪ by Sluces. The Arabians following that example, to avoid a contrary evil, I mean the drought of their Sandy Ground, be∣gan to divert the Waters of the Eu∣phrates, and to draw them to them∣selves; and having watered their Soil, they let the overplus run into the Sea. This overplus was dried up since by new Cuttings. It may be also that this Conduit was but a Torrent, which in Summer run into the Sea, when the Euphrates overflowed. However, the Assyrians and Babylonians, who by reason of a long Possession considered these Waters as their own, opposed this Theft of the Arabians; and there∣upon arose great Quarrels betwixt those Nations. It seems, that to make an end of those Quarrels, and restore to the Babylonians what belonged to them, Alexander undertook to re-esta∣blish the Euphrates in its former Cha∣nel, by stopping the Canal called

Pallacopas which made that River run another way. Those that digged this Ditch, had no other design but to hinder the Overflowings of this River, which happened every Summer, by conveying its Waters into Ponds and Meers; but the Babylonians Territory remaining dry throughout all the rest of the Year, and that of the Arabians injoying the benefit of it, Alexander designed to restore things to their for∣mer State, as a Governor of Babylon had before undertaken to do. The work was begun, but the death of that Prince hindred it from being finished then, as it hath been since. Alexander viewed several of these Con∣duits, caused them to be made clean, opened some, stopped others, and caused some new ones to be made. Many other Princes took the same care. One may see still, along the common Chanel of the Tigris and Euphrates, on the right hand and on the left, many Canals made by the Industry of Men. The Persians, who did not understand Navigation, neither Commerce, or Sea∣fights, and being afraid that their Coun∣try should be invaded, by means of the Tigris and Euphrates, caused Falls and Cataracts to be made in many places

of those Rivers. Alexander restored them to their natural State, so tha•• Ships could go up the Tigris as far as Opis and Seleucia; and up the Euphrates as far as Babylon; and thus Art wrest∣ling against Nature, all that Country hath been altered.

V. Moreover the Sea that runs im∣petuously into the Persian Gulf through the Streights of Ormus, and the Tides whereof come thirty Leagues up into the Euphrates, falls with great Vehe∣mency upon that Coast, which is the Extremity of the Gulf, and maketh a great Ravage in it. These violent Tides, with the swiftness of the Tigris, and a Storm that came on a sudden, put Trajan and his Legions in a great danger, near the Island made by the separation of the Tigris and Euphrates. That Country is flat, and in some places is defended by Banks; but in many others the Waters of the Sea breaking easily in, destroy by their sharp Salt the Fruits of the Earth and make it barren. The same aforemen∣tioned Nebuchadon••zor, who performed so many great things, subdued this Sea by strong Banks, as he had subdued the Euphrates, and repressed the Robberies of the Arabians, who even at that time

were very great Thieves, by causing the City of Teredon to be built on the Limits of their Country pretty near that place towards the East, the Waters of the Rivers carried so much Mud along with them to their mouth, that the Sea was thereby very much put back. In∣somuch that the Fort of Spasina, situ∣ated on the Coast, betwixt the easterly mouth of the Tigris, and that of the Euleus, which formerly was but half a League from the Sea, was distant from it by fifty Leagues in Pliny's time, who assures us that no where else so great and quick a gain ever happened. Yet I am much inclined to think that there is a mistake in the Cypher, which is but too common in the Books of the Ancients. I know the same Pliny said after Theophrastus, that the Euphrates and Tigris carry no mud along with them; but this cannot be understood but of their Waters that are near their Springs, for all overflowing Rivers must necessarily become muddy, and the modern Travellers inform us, that the Waters of the Euphrates, drawing near the Sea, are very yellow and muddy. Besides, that the Fort of Spasina lieth not on the mouths of the Euphrates and Tigris, nor on that of the Euleus, but on

the Shore between the mouths of those Rivers. Succession of time hath put the Sea into its ••ights again; for the Inha∣bitants of the Country shew the place of a great Town that lies under Water. Besides all these alterations, there are to be seen along the Banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, the Ruins of many fine Cities, the Riches and Greatness where∣of are so much extolled in the ancient Histories.

VI. One may wonder that so learned Men, as were Card. Bellarmin, and the Fathers † Malvenda and Bonfrere, could deny, that the Tigris and Euphrates be∣ing joined together do separate them∣selves again, before they enter into the Sea. What will then become of that great Island made by their separation, called at present Chader, which † Philostorgins so plainly describes, when he says, that the Messenians are the Inhabitants of it, that it is surrounded partly with Sea, partly with sweet Water, viz. That of two great Rivers into which the Tigris is divided before it runs into the Sea. And we must not take for an Exagge∣ration what he says about the large∣ness of these two Canals, since that of the Euphrates and Tigris is twice and half as broad as the Seine at Paris, tho'

••t be extraordinary deep. To the Testi∣mony of Philostorgi••s, you may add that of Asini••s Quadratus spoken of by Ste∣••••anus the Geographer, who says, that this Country, called Messena, is in com∣passed by the Tigris and Euphrates. You may yet join to it the Testimony of Ptolomy, who assigns two mouths to the Tigris, the one Easterly, and the other Westerly, and placeth the City of Te∣••edon in the midst. But the Cyphers of the Situation of this Town are faulty in that Author, for it doth not lye in the Island, but on the Arabian Bank of the ••vesterly Canal, and the Ruins of it are to be seen at present. Add more∣over the Suffrage of Xiphilinus, who says, that Trajan possessed himself of that Island called Messena made by the Tigris towards its mouth, and where he had been exposed to •• ••reat danger. Add also that of Marcion of Heraclea, who speaks of the easterly mouth of the Tigris, and consequently supposes there was a westerly one. And finally add to ••t the Testimony of the Travellers of these late times, and especially of Teix∣••ira a Portuguese, and of Mr. Thevenot a Frenchman, who have seen and de∣scribed the division of these two Canals.

Notes

• A general Idea of the running of the Eu∣phrates and Tigris.
• The Land which the Euphrates and Tigris run throug•• is very mu•• altered since the time of Moses.
• The Eu∣phrates had at first but one Cha∣nel which joined it to the Tigris. But many others have since been drawn out of it.
• Euseb. praep. E∣vang. l. 9. c. 41.
• Other Cha∣nels yet drawn from the Eu∣phrates.
• Other Al∣terations happened in those parts.
• Plin. l. ••. c. 27.
• Plin. l. 18. c. 17. Theophr. de Causs. Plant. l. 8. c. 7.
• Some de∣nied with∣out an•• ground, that the Tigris and Eu∣phrates being joined do separate themselves again before they fall in∣to the Sea.
• Bellarm. de Grat. prim. hom. c. 12.
• †

  Malvend. de Parad. c. 48.
• Bonfrer. in Gen. 2. 11.
• †

  Philost. l. 3. c. 7.
• Steph. in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Ptolom. l. 6. c. 6.
• Xiphil. Trajan.
• Marc. Heracl. Peripl.
• Teixeir. c. 3. Thevenot. Tom. 2. l. 3. c. 4.