An abridgement of Sir Walter Raleigh's History of the world in five books ... : wherein the particular chapters and paragraphs are succinctly abrig'd according to his own method in the larger volume : to which is added his Premonition to princes.

CHAP. X. Of Nimrod, Belus, and Ninus.

§. 1. NIMROD, the Sovereign after the Flood, was generally held a Tyrant: But Melan∣cton, and Onomasticum Theologicum judge otherwise. And it seemeth, that his leading this Troop to Shinar, was rather given him, than Usurped, seeing it is not Recorded that Noah, or any of the Sons of his Bo∣dy came with him, or were in that presumptuous Action. Some Ancients conceive Suphne and Ioctan were also Leaders; but joyned not in that unbeliev∣ing Attempt, and therefore lost not their Language.

§. 2. Nimrod, Belus and Ninus, were different Per∣sons, though Eusebius and Ierom confound the two first; and Augustine makes Belus King of Babylon, which Argueth him to be Nimrod. Mercator, with less probability confounds Nimrod and Ninus, out of Clemens. Diodorus Siculus Reports that Ninus sub∣dued Babylon, which perhaps had Rebelled upon set∣ling the Empire at Ninive, which was also in Shinar.

§. 3. Nimrod, not Assur, Built Ninive, as Iunius hath rendered Moses's Text agreeable to Reason and Sense, though Writers differ. That Assur Built it, greeth not with Moses's Order, who especially intend∣ing the Story of the Hebrews, first handleth the Birth of Noah's other Sons, beginning with Iaphet, proceed∣ing with Cham, and lastly with Shem, not interming∣ling one with the other, till he had set down a brief of all Three. In the Narration of Cham he makes a di∣stinct Discourse of Nimrod and his Brethren, being to speak after at large of Babels Confusion by it self,

to shew us the Founder of the place, and of the Empire, which first over-ruled all the rest. As for the Assyrian Kingdom, it arose from the Babylonian, according to Iunius: So Calvin before followeth E∣piphanius. Ierom, Cyril, Methodius and P. Comestor, with Cedrenus, took Assur, Gen. 10.11. to be Nim∣rod's Son, as doth Torniellus of late: But Rab. Mau∣rus understood it as Iunius. Yet Calvin contra∣ry to Iunius and himself, objecting Esay 23.13. (than which no place more difficult) to prove Assur founded the Chaldean, much more the Assyrian Em∣pire. But the City of the Chaldeans founded, and after destroyed by the Assyrians, may with good pro∣bability be understood of Vr, called Vrcta by Ptolomy, Chaldeopolis by the Greeks, and Cameria by Hecateus. This Vr stood upon the chief stream of Euphrates; by which it passed into the Persian Gulf, though now it is stopped and runneth into Tigris, of which stop∣page Niger and Pliny speak. This City then had Trade with Tyrus, and was a Port Town: By which the Sabeans sent Commodities to Babylon, and so to Tyre. This Vr founded by Shem's Son Assur, was afterwards destroyed by the Assyrians, which God fore-seeing, sent away Abraham from thence. That the Founder differs from Assur the destroyer, is a∣greeable to the Truth and circumstances. For thus Seth's Posterity which followed Assur, being Planted at Vr, were separated from the Idolatrous Chushits, And if Sem's Son Assur founded Ninive; how left he it to Ninus Son of Belus, and Husband of Semira∣mis?

§. 4. Nimrod, called Saturn by Iulian Africanus, established the Babylonian Monarchy, which he inlarg∣ed into Assyria: Where he Founded Ninive and o∣ther Cities, which his Son Belus finished, who after Nimrods 114 Years Reign succeeded, and spent much time in draining the Marshes of Babel, and began

with Sabbatius in Armenia, and Scythia Saga, which Ninus finished.

§. 5. Ninus's days might well afford many King∣doms, if we consider the order of their departing from Babel according to their Kindred, every Fami∣ly following the chief thereof, whom Nature and Necessity taught the rest to submit unto; and who took opportunity from Time and Nimrod's examples to exercise legal Authority. Belus, who succeeded Nimrod, found Sabatius King of Armenia and Scythia, able to resist him, whom I take to be Tanais in Iu∣stine. As for his Vexoris, Reineccius hath judiciously taken to be Sesostris the Great, some Ages after Ni∣nus. Belus in common accompt Reigned 65 Years.

§. 6. Belus, I judge to be a Name, rather given by Ninus, for Honour to his Father, than taken by him. Cyrill calls him Arbelus; and saith he was the first that would be called God. Bel, say the Learned, signifying the Sun in Chalde, and there Worshipped for God: And many words in Scripture grew from it, Bel, Baal, Belzebub, Baalim, which Name was given to God, till upon abuse he forbad it. The first Idolatry grew from hence, &c. The Old, the most Ancient of every Family, and Kings which Founded Cities, were called Saturns, their Sons Iupi∣ters, and Valiant Nephews Hercules.

§. 7. Image-Worship began from Belus in Babel, &c. Schoolmen shift off this fearful Custom strangely. For seeing the very Workman-ship is forbidden, how can the heart of a wise Christian satisfie it self with the distinction of Douleia, and Latrua, and Hyperdou∣leia, which can imply but a difference of Worship; and it is most strange, that Learned Men do strain their Wits to defend what Scripture oftentimes ex∣presly forbids, and Curses the practicers. And where they say, the Prophets condemn Heathen Idols only, it is manifest Moses spake of the Living God, saying, You saw no Image when the Lord spake to you in Horeb.

Basil forbids us to imagine any Form of God, lest we limit him in our Minds; what Presumption then is it, to put him under the Greasy Pensil of a Painter, or the rusty Tool of a Carver? Rome for 170 Years by Numa's Law, held it impiety, till Tar∣quin, Priscas, and Varro, condemned it, as Augustin shews: So Seneca, Sybil, Sophocles. And though Pa∣pists say, that Heathen Images are instead of Letters; yet as Heathen Pictures proved notorious Idols, so those Stocks, Stones, &c. called Pictures of Christ, our Lady, &c. were by the Ignorant, not only Wor∣shipped, but thought to live. It is safest then for Christians to believe Gods Commandments directly against Images, and that which the Prophets and St. Paul speak plainly and convincingly.

§. 8. Ninus the first Idolater, an Invader of others, and publick Adulterer: Of whom nothing is certain which is written; for Berosus who chiefly followed him in the Assyrian Succession from Nimrod to Ascalo∣dius, in the days of Ioshua, is disproved by many Ctesias, who lived with Cyrus the Younger, a gross flatterer of Princes, speaks of incredible numbers in Ninus and Semiramis's Wars. He, with the help of Aricus King of Arabia, subdued Syria, Barzanes of Armenia, and Zoroaster of Bactria, at his second Expedition, by the Valour of Semiramis, whom he took from Menon her Husband, who for Grief drowned himself.