Part XIV

fepbus' that he introduced the Writings of the Chaldjtans concerning Aflf;onomy and Fhi/ofophy I Lib. 7. c 37. cnnong the Grecians. / P/iny, that the Athenians, for his Divine Prediffions^ dedicated to him pub- lickly in their Gymnafium a Statue zoith a golden m In Jpologet. Tongue. He is mentioned likewife by m Tertul- 19- I'jan and the Author of the n Chronicon Alcxan-
n p. A%. , . ’
dnnuzn.
He wrote Babylonicks or Chaldaicks^ in three Books.- for they are' cited promilcuoufly under both thefe Titles : The Babylonicks oj Berofus oDeipn.l.i^. 0 Athcn^eus ciXQS-^ hMt Tat ian laith, he wrote p Strom, i. the Chaldaic Hijhry in three Books. And p Clemens Alexandrinus cites Bcrotiusy his third of Chaldaicks and elfewhere, fimply his Chal- daick Hifories. And Agathias- affirms, he wrote the Antiquities of the A{ryrians*and Alcdcs ^ for thole Books contained not only the AJJyrian or q Lib. 2. Chaldxan Aftairs, but alfo the Median ^ thiai\ , cu fomewhere Berofus the Babylonian^ and Athcnocles.^ and Simacus., relate, who have Recorded the Antiquities of the Afyrians and r Miqiiit. Aledes. Out of this work r 7 ^UiVi.^.con ferved feme excellent Fragments 3 but the lup- tra Apion.Lib.i poficitlous Bcrofus of Annius is molt trivial and foolifb, of the lame kind as his and
Archilochus: Many Kings are there reckoned w'hich are no where to be found 3 and fcarce is there any of thole fragments which Jofephus cites out of the true Berofus 3 on the contrary, fome things are plainly repugnant, as when he Paithf cm, ramishmltBabylon., whereas Jofephus faith Berofus'wtotQ^ that it was not Built by Si~ meramis.
A Daughter of this Berofus is mentioned by / Parxn. f Juftin Martyr a Babylonian 5/7^7, who pro- phelied at Cumx 3 this cannot be underftood of that Cumxan Sibyl.^ who lived in the time of Tai'quinius Prifeus 3 for betwixt Tarquinius Pri- cus.^ and the firlf Pontick War, (in which time Berofus lived) are 2.^5 years 3 but of fome other Cumxan Cibyj of much later time. That there t Lib. dcSihjl. ^^re feveial G/^Zr, who Prophelied at Cumce t Onuph'ius hath already proved out of theTr^’^- tife of voonderful things oPenhQ^ to Arijlotle i and out of Martianus Capella.^ and other Wri¬ ters. (
Berofus being the Perfon who introduced the , Chaldaic k Learning into Greece.^ we lhall with him clofe the Hiftory of the Learned Perfons’of or Philolbphers amongft the Chaldeans.
SECT. II.
The Chaldaick Inflitution and Sef^s.
CHAP. L
I
That all Profeffors of Teaming were more pe¬ culiarly termed
PHilofophy or Learning was not taught and propagated by the Chaldeans afters the Grecian manner, communicated by pub- lick ProfelTors indifferently to all forts of Au¬ ditors 3 butreftrained to certain Families. Thefe were by a more peculiar fompellation termed
Chaldxans.^ addiHed themfelves wholly to 11 u- dy-, had a proper habitation allotted for them 3 and lived exempt from all publick Charges and Duties.
Of thefe is a Diodorus to be underftood 3 7 j who relates, that Belus Infituted Priejls cx- empt from all publick Charges and Duties.^ whom the Babylonians c^/ZChaldatans. Strabo adds,that there was h peculiar Habitation in Babylonia al¬ lotted for the Philofophers of that Country^ who were jr^’/w^/Chaldatans, and that they inhabited a certain Tribe of the Ch alda'ans,^/?^/ a portion of Babylonia, adjoyning to the Arabians,
Perfian Gulf
There were thofe Chaldxans who, as Cicero faith, zyere named not from- the Art hut Nation.
And of whom he is ellewhere to be underPood, when he affims that in Syria the Chaldaans ex¬ cell for knowledge of the Stars^ and acutenefs of Wit 3 and b ^Curtins who delcribing the So¬ lemnity of thofe two who went out of Babylon ^ to mQQt Alexander.^ faith. Then went the Alagi after their manner next whom Chaldaans Non vates modo.^ fed Artifices Bahyloniorum :
Where tho’ fome interpret Artifices fxoRo Afro- logers who made Infiruments for the pra&ice of their Art 3 yet Cu/tius leems to intend no more' than the Chaldxans of both forts, the Plebeian Tradefmen, and the Learned.
Of thefe Chaldxans peculiarly fo termed, is e Taertws likewife to be underftood, when he c inproxm. cites as Authors of Philofophy amongft the Per- Wmsthe Magfamongfi the Babylonians or Affyri- ans the Chaldeans. And Hefyehius.^ who inter¬ prets the word Chaldaans^ a kind of Alagi that know all things.
CHAP. II.
Their Infiitution.
THefe Chaldxans preferved their Learning within themfelves by a continued Tradi¬ tion from Father to Son. They learn not.^ (faith a Lib. a Diodorus )after the fame fafhion as the Greeks :
Por among/} theChAAxmsfhilofophy is delivered, by Tradition in the Family.^ the Son receiving it from the Father^ being exempted from all other Employment 3 and thus having their Parents for their Teachers.^ they learn all things fully and a- bundantly., believing more firmly what is commu¬ nicated to them', and being brought up in thefe •: y : Difeiplines from Children.^ they acquire a great habit in Afirology.^as well becaufe that Age is apt to Team., as for that they imployfo much time in Study. But among the Cheeks, for the mofi part they come ' zenprepared, and attain Philofo¬ phy verylate-.^ and having bef owed fome time therein £uit it to feek out means for their Tiveli- hood : and tho' fome few give themfelves up whol¬ ly to Philofophy., yet they perfiji in Teaming only for gainyontinually innervating fome things in the mofi confiderable Doblrines,and never follow thofe - that went before them 3 whereas the Barbarians perfevering always in the fame., receive each oj them firmly: But the GtQoks aiming at gain, by this Profejfiqn erebl new Sells, and contradi3ing one another in the moji confiderableTheorems, make their Difciples dubious-, their minds,aslong as they
live, ,