A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

SECT. IV.

Of some Authors, whose Works have a Relation to the Old Testament, viz. Philo. T. Flavius, Josephus, Justus, Aristeas, Aristobulus, Josephus Ben∣gorion, Berosus, the false Dorotheus, Zoroa∣ster, &c.

THere are several Authors, whose Works, whether Genuine or Spurious, have a Relation to the History of the Old Testament, whom we think our selves obliged to take some short notice of.

Philo, a Jew of Alexandria, lived in the time of Caius Caligula, and was the chief Per∣son of an Embassy, that the Jews sent to the Emperor. He composed several Works upon the Old Testament, a Catalogue of which may be seen in Eusebius's History, l. 2. ch. 8. and in St. Jerom's Book of Ecclesiastical Writers, as well as at the beginning of the Greek and Latin Impression of his own Writings, printed at Paris, 1640. This Author is a Platonist, and so well imitates Plato's Style, that he has been called by some The Jewish Plato: He explained the whole Bible by way of Allegory, he is very Eloquent and Diffusive, his Works are full of Moral Thoughts, and continual Allego∣ries upon all the Histories of the Bible; he approaches very near the Notions of the Christians in his Morals. His Works were published in Greek by Turnebus, and printed at Paris 1552. and at Franc∣fort 1587. Translated into Latin by Gelenius, and printed at Basil 1554, and 1561. at Lyons 1555, in Greek at Geneva 1603. and in Greek and Latin at Paris 1640.

Josephus was descended of the Sacerdotal Race of the Asmoneans, as we are told in his Life, which he wrote himself, where all his Employments and Actions are exactly related. He was born Anno Dom. 37. and died 93. He was surnamed Flavius, by reason of Vespasian. He composed the Histo∣ry of the Jews, which he took for the most part out of the Books of the Bible, and continued it down to the time of the Wars of the Jews, under the Name of The Jewish Antiquities. He also wrote the History of the War against the Romans, and the taking of Jerusalem. He has likewise written, besides his own Life, two excellent Books against Appion to answer the Objections, which that Heathen had mustured up against the Antiquity of the Jewish Nation, the Purity of the Law, and the Conduct of Moses; and he has written a Treatise concerning the Martyrdom of the Mac∣cabees, which is called by Erasmus, and not without Reason, An exquisite Master-piece of Eloquence. This Author wrote very politely, and the turn which he gives things, is very agreeable. His History is beautified with admirable Descriptions, very eloquent Harangues, and very sublime Thoughts; his Style is clear and faithful, he not only diverts his Readers, but he also brings them over to what side he pleases; in one word, he excites and calms the Passions as himself thinks fit. We may say, he is a perfect Historian, and we may justly call him the Livy of the Greeks. The Treatise of the Maccabees sufficiently shews the Beauty of his Genius, and the Height of his Elo∣quence; and his Books against Appion demonstrate his profound Learning, and the exa••tness of his Judgment. The Works of this Author have been printed several times in Latin, of the Translation partly of Ruffinus, partly of Gelenius, and partly of Erasmus; and at Geneva in Greek and Latin, Anno Dom. 1611. It were to be wished that we had a new Edition of it, in a better Letter, and bet∣ter Paper.

Justus of Tiberias wrote also an History of the Jews, and some Commentaries upon the Bible, but Jesephus accuses him of Falsity and Lying. We had not placed him in the number of the Ecclesia∣stical Authors, if St. Jerom had not done it before us.

The Books of Aristeas and Aristobulus concerning the Version of the Septuagint, are manifest For∣geries, and imposed upon the World by some Hellenist Jew, as we have already shewn when we were discoursing of that Version.

The History of the War of the Jews by Josephus Bengorion, was written by an Author that lived since St. Jerom's time. He speaks of the Goths as being in Spain, and of the Franks in Gaul. Now these People were not setled in Spain and in France till about the fifth Century, and so by consequence this is a spurious Writer, who having stolen several things out of the true Josephus, has mingled them after his manner with Fictions and Fables.

The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, which is extant in the first Volume of the Bibliotheca Pa∣trum, is a Book wholly filled with Trifles and Impertinencies, and deserves nothing but contempt. Neither should one have a better opinion for the Abridgment of the Lives of the Prophets, the Apo∣stles,

and the other Disciples, attributed to Dorotheus of Tyre, who suffered Martyrdom in the time of Dioclesian. It is a Book altogether unknown to the Ancients, full of gross Faults and Mistakes in History, and made up of Fables and Tales to divert the Reader.

There are some Books that go under the Name of Berosus the Chaldean, of Manetho the Egyptian, and of Metasthenes; but they are altogether unworthy of these great Men, whose Names they carry, and the Forgery is plain and manifest. All those Passages out of the true Berosus, cited by Josephus in his Book against Appion, are not to be found in this Book that is ascribed to him, but we find there several Things that are clean contrary. He speaks of the City of Lyons, which had not that Name till after Caesar's time. In short, the History of Berosus went no farther than the time of Na∣buchadomso••, and Nabopalass•…•…, and this descends much lower.

The Book of (a) Zoroaster, of The Sacred History of the Persians, a Fragment whereof is cited by Eusobius in his first Book De praepar. Evangel. is a supposititious Work, as well as the other Writings attributed to that fabulous Author. In fine, the History of the Phenicians, which is supposed to be written by (b) Sanchoniathon,and translated into Greek by Philo Biblius (c), who lived in the time of Adrian, is a Romance, wherein there are several Passages taken out of the History of the Bible, and many Circumstances of the Fables of the Greeks.

NOTES.

(a) ZOroaster.] There were many of this Name, but 'tis generally held, that the first and most celebrated of them lived in the time of Nimrod, that he was King of the Bactrians, and that he was overcome by Ninus. They speak wonderful Things of his Knowledge, his Wisdom, and of the Prodigies which he wrote. They make him the first Author of the Persian Philosophy, which they called Magick. Plato speaks of Zo∣roaster as Inventor of that Science amongst the Persians, and observes that he was the Son of Oro∣mazes. Eubulus, cited by Porphyry, attributes the Institution of the Mysteries of the Goddess Mi∣thra to him. E••doxus and Hermippus, cited by Pliny, tells us, that he lived Six thousand Years before Plato. But Ctesias, who has written the History of Zoroaster, testifies, that he lived in the time of Cyrus. This is the reason why Arnobius distinguished the two Zoroasters. Eusebius also makes Zoroaster as old as Ninus, and St. Epipha∣nius says, that he lived in the time of Nimrod. He is called Zarades by the Persians, and by the Greeks Zoroaster. There are several Explications given of his Name: Some pretend, that it signi∣fies a Living Star; others say, that he was the Son of Aster; and lastly, others tell us, that it signi∣fies a Contemplator of the Stars. All that is re∣lated of the ancient Zoroaster is fabulous. Diodo∣rus Siculus tells us, that the King of Bactria, that fought against Ninus, was named Oxiartes, and not Zoroaster. Nevertheless there is a great deal of reason to believe, that there was a Man of this Name amongst the Persians, who taught 'em Magick. Hermippus tells us, that he made an in∣finite number of Verses. The Fragment, which Eusebius cites in the 7th Chapter of his first Book De praeparatione Evangelicâ, taken out of the Hi∣story of the Persians attributed to this Author, has so plainly explained all the Attributes of God, that it is visible, it was composed by an Author who was no Stranger to the Christian Religion. Synesius cites the Oracles of Zoroaster, upon the Dreams that are taken out of the Works of the later Platonists. These Oracles have been pub∣lish'd by Opsopaeus, and printed at Paris 1599. with the Notes of Psellus and Plato. 'Tis no dif∣ficult matter to discover, that these Writings have been forged by the Platonists, that lived since our Blessed Saviour.

(b) Sanchoniathon.] This Author was un∣known to all the Ancients. Porphyry is the first Man that cited this History, which is full of Fa∣bles and ridiculous Fictions. Whatever we there find concerning the Origine of the World, and the first Men, is taken out of Genesis. From thence he has borrowed the Word Bohu to signifie Night, and that of Colpia, which is given to the Wind; as for what he says of the Aeora, and of the First-born, it looks very like the Dreams of the Valen∣tinians. Lastly, he takes several things out of the Fables of the Greeks, which evidently shew, that the Author of this Book could not live in the time of Semiramis. [Mr. Dodwell has writ an English Discourse, to prove that this Book could not be older than Philo Byblius, who is said to Translate it out of the Phaenician Language.]

(c) Philo Byblius.] This Man was a Gram∣marian, of whom mention is made in Suidas, who lived after Nero's time, for 'tis observed, that he was 78 Years old, when Serus and Herennius were Consuls, which was A. D. 137. that is al∣most an hundred Years after the Death of Nero. According to the Testimony of the same Suidas, he wrote twelve Books, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and thirty Books, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Et de Cla∣ris viris; and one Treatise about Adrian's Em∣pire, under which he lived. Suidas does not speak of this Translation of the History of Phaenicia, Eusebius and Theodoret cite it after Porphyry. This Philo is probably the Man, of whom St. Clement of Alex∣andria speaks, lib. 1. Strom. and whom he calls Philo the Pythagorean.