rufalem, 2 Kings xviii. 26. Ifa. xxxvi. 11, the Servants of Hezekiah defired Rabfbekah, &c. Servants to the King of Affyria, to speak to them nos Syrian (for they understood it) and not Jewish, which the People underftood. 2 Kings xix. 14. 2 Chron. xxxii. 17. Ifa. xxxvii. 14, Rabfbekab fent a Letter to King Hezekiah, and returned to his Seat at Nineveh. 2 Kings xx. 13. Ifa. xxxix. 1, the King of Babylon fent Letters or Scribes, called 2 Chron. xxxii. 31, Interpreters, (though thefe are who the next Words called Princes of Babel, the Word fignifies, and is frequently used for Deceivers, Sophifters, Scoffers, for fuch were all, who pretended to reconcile the confounded Languages with the Hebrew) to Hezekiah to enquire of the Wonder that was done in the Land; 2 Kingsxx. 11. Ifa. xxxix. 1, concerning the Shadow returning or going back upon the Dial, which no Doubt, they had obferved at Babylon. We have no Mention of any Inftance before thefe, that any one did not understand the Words of another without Learning, which Hezekiah's Minifters must be prefumed to have; and the Allyrian Officers might preferve the Hebrew Tongue from converfing with the Captives, who, 'tis like, were their Slaves: or that

any did not understand the Writing of ar other without Interpreters, nor of writing in Meffages, Treaties, or Covenants between Strangers. And we may safely affirm, that not only Princes, but others would have been ready enough, and proud to have done it, if they had fettled Writing fo that they could have done it fooner: And 'tis worthy Obfervation, that before this they were not diftinguished by the Word Language: The Heathens had not left the Hebrew fo far ; fo they were faid to fpeak Aramitish and Jewish. Soon after the two Tribes were carried into Captivity, and difperfed and loft their Language; fo that it, as aforefaid, was never after fpoken in any Place. During their Stay, Jer. xxix. 1, fent a Letter to thofe of the Captivity at Babylon. Ibid. xxxii. 10, the purchase Deeds of Land were fubfcribed, fealed, and witneffed; one fealed up, and one open, according to Custom and Law; tho' by this Reference 'tis plain there had been fuch Deeds for fome Time; yet 'tis plainly proved, by the Manner of witneffing such Bargains before Mofes, and even fome after, that there was then no fuch Custom, nor any Writing. Jer. xxxvi, fends a writ

ten

ten Prophecy to thofe of the Captivity. Dan. ii. 2. Then fpake the Chaldeans to the King in 8 Syriack. Efther i. 22.And be fent into all the King's Provinces, into every Province according to the writing thereof; and to every People after their Language according to the Language of every People. This is the firft Time that a Diftinction in Writing, a Diftinction in Speaking, and diftin& Languages are mentioned; and no Doubt, but the firft was the Caufe and Rule, as aforefaid, of the fecond and third: And 'tis certain, that many of those Provinces which were then conquered, and in the Hand of Abafuerus, were the very Countries in which the Patriarchs had lved and travell❜d, and which a little before this all spoke Hebrew. Efther ii. 23, it appears, that Abafuerus kept written Chronicles, and that the Entries were made before him, or in his Prefence. Ibid. vi. 1, he caused them to read the Records of the Chronicles in his Prefence. Dan. iiì. 4, the Command was to all People, Nations, and Languages. Ibid. vi. 10, a written Decree figned by the King, according to the Laws of the Medes and Perfians. 1 Hez. i. 2, Cyrus fent Letters of Licence to be proclaimed to all his People, for the Jews to return. Ibid, iv. 7, fundry : VOL. IV.

F

writ

writ to Artaxerxes a Complaint against the Jews in Syriac, and □ in Syriac. 17, the King aniwers: The Letter which ye fent unto us hath been plainly read before me with Command to ftop the Building. Ibid. V., fundry write to Darius againft the Building. V. 13, they affert Cyrus made a Decree in their Favour. They put Darius the King upon Search for the Decree. Ibid. vi, Search was made in the Houfes of the Rolls at Babylon and Achmetha, in the Province of the Medes: The Decree is found,, another Decree made, and the Building finished. Hez. vii. 13, The King and his feven Counsellors fent Efdras with an ample Commiffion, and with the Law in his Hand. Neb. ix. 18, they feal'd a Covenant with their Aleim. It appears, when Nehemiah returned, that not only the Ifraelites, but each of the neighbouring Nations, had deviated from the Hebrew, and each had a diftinct Tongue or Language: So that each of them was not only differing from Hebrew, and from that Lan guage we call Chaldee, which the Ifraelites or Jews then spoke; but differing from. each other, Neh. xiii. 23. In those Days alfo I faw Jews that had married Wives,

,of Ammon,עמוניות,of Abdod אשדודיות

No, of Moab, and their Children Spake

partly

partly in the Speech of Afhdod, and they could not speak Jewish, but according to the Language of each People.

I think I may conclude, that tho' the Heathens might fee what we call the Ten Commandments, or a Letter writ in Hebrew, the Hebrew Bible was kept from them, and they did not acquire Writing, till they had loft their old Languages, and formed new ones. If there had been any Writing in Hebrew, befides that in the Bible, &c. among the Ifraelites, that is, in any other Country then peopled, where that was spoken, 'till the Time I have fhewed that Language was corrupted, 'tis fcarce poffible but we must have found fome Scraps of it in fome Monuments, or cited into other Languages.

Suppofing that many of the antient Languages, nay, even the Greek and Latin, had their Origin at Babel, and that Writing was then in Ufe, has drawn in the Moderns to admit much falfe Evidence, and make many falfe Deductions and Conclufions. I have fhewed the Time, pretty near, when the Languages of all the People or Nations who were then in Being, and before spoke Hebrew, had their Rise; and tho' Prophets, at first, and Kings or Princes, F-3 among