1.99
When Noah had made these supplications, God, who loved the man for
his righteousness, granted entire success to his prayers, and said, that
it was not he who brought the destruction on a polluted world, but that
they underwent that vengeance on account of their own wickedness; and that
he had not brought men into the world if he had himself determined to destroy
them, it being an instance of greater wisdom not to have granted them life
at all, than, after it was granted, to procure their destruction; "But
the injuries," said he, "they offered to my holiness and virtue,
forced me to bring this punishment upon them. But I will leave off for
the time to come to require such punishments, the effects of so great wrath,
for their future wicked actions, and especially on account of thy prayers.
But if I shall at any time send tempests of rain, in an extraordinary manner,
be not affrighted at the largeness of the showers; for the water shall
no more overspread the earth. However, I require you to abstain from shedding
the blood of men, and to keep yourselves pure from murder; and to punish
those that commit any such thing. I permit you to make use of all the other
living creatures at your pleasure, and as your appetites lead you; for
I have made you lords of them all, both of those that walk on the land,
and those that swim in the waters, and of those that fly in the regions
of the air on high, excepting their blood, for therein is the life. But
I will give you a sign that I have left off my anger by my bow [whereby
is meant the rainbow, for they determined that the rainbow was the bow
of God]. And when God had said and promised thus, he went away.
1.104
Now when Noah had lived three hundred and fifty years after the Flood,
and that all that time happily, he died, having lived the number of nine
hundred and fifty years. But let no one, upon comparing the lives of the
ancients with our lives, and with the few years which we now live, think
that what we have said of them is false; or make the shortness of our lives
at present an argument, that neither did they attain to so long a duration
of life, for those ancients were beloved of God, and [lately] made by God
himself; and because their food was then fitter for the prolongation of
life, might well live so great a number of years: and besides, God afforded
them a longer time of life on account of their virtue, and the good use
they made of it in astronomical and geometrical discoveries, which would
not have afforded the time of foretelling [the periods of the stars] unless
they had lived six hundred years; for the great year is completed in that
interval. Now I have for witnesses to what I have said, all those that
have written Antiquities, both among the Greeks and barbarians; for even
Manetho, who wrote the Egyptian History, and Berosus, who collected the
Chaldean Monuments, and Mochus, and Hestieus, and, besides these, Hieronymus
the Egyptian, and those who composed the Phoenician History, agree to what
I here say: Hesiod also, and Hecatseus, Hellanicus, and Acusilaus; and,
besides these, Ephorus and Nicolaus relate that the ancients lived a thousand
years. But as to these matters, let every one look upon them as he thinks
fit.
note
1.109
Now the sons of Noah were three, - Shem, Japhet, and Ham, born one
hundred years before the Deluge. These first of all descended from the
mountains into the plains, and fixed their habitation there; and persuaded
others who were greatly afraid of the lower grounds on account of the flood,
and so were very loath to come down from the higher places, to venture
to follow their examples. Now the plain in which they first dwelt was called
Shinar. God also commanded them to send colonies abroad, for the thorough
peopling of the earth, that they might not raise seditions among themselves,
but might cultivate a great part of the earth, and enjoy its fruits after
a plentiful manner. But they were so ill instructed that they did not obey
God; for which reason they fell into calamities, and were made sensible,
by experience, of what sin they had been guilty: for when they flourished
with a numerous youth, God admonished them again to send out colonies;
but they, imagining the prosperity they enjoyed was not derived from the
favor of God, but supposing that their own power was the proper cause of
the plentiful condition they were in, did not obey him. Nay, they added
to this their disobedience to the Divine will, the suspicion that they
were therefore ordered to send out separate colonies, that, being divided
asunder, they might the more easily be Oppressed.
1.113
Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt
of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of
great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as
if it was through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was
their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed
the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the
fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power.
He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown
the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters
to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying
their forefathers !
