land-born, winged, walking; but God, opening the floodgates of heaven, brought down from there whole seas of rain, covered the peaks of the deep-cliffed hills, hid the face of the earth, covered the fields. The whole was mixed together, all things were made common. The trunks of the trees were submerged in water, fish approached the high-crested mountains. The lion was overwhelmed by water, the tuna was on the dry land, every animal was then water-borne, air-running, land-and-water, well-winged, walking. And all things, submerged together by the deep-rushing rains, expired in the waters, were pitifully put to death, and in the wetness they breathed out their souls. To speak simply, in short, just as if by darkness, the face of the earth again became invisible, primeval chaos again held sway over the light, and again the life-rearing land was washed with water. And beasts indeed were carried about dead, having been turned into sea; but the whole race of clay-born men, having drawn in unspeakable water and been drowned, like a wet-pathed ship, like a sea-faring vessel, mute dust floated upon the back of the waters. But Noah alone, having entered the life-bearing shelter, was embarked within like a sailor unschooled in the sea, preserving the seed of the race in the small wood, not employing oars, nor ropes, nor sails. And with Noah sailed sons and daughters, his wife, the wives of his sons, the husbands of his daughters. And the names of the sons were Shem and Ham and Japheth. But when the former downpour of rains had subsided and the plains that were previously flooded appeared again, Noah rushed out of the ark with his children, and every animal under the same roof went out with Noah. And again a second world, again another progenitor, and again every soul gave itself to increase. So from the first creation of Adam the first-born until the flood that happened in the time of Noah, two thousand two hundred years passed, with another forty and two most full years. And the great-grandchildren of the righteous Noah were, along with other high-minded descendants and great-grandchildren, Mizraim the second-born of Ham the son of Noah, and Nimrod the giant, the one great in the strength of his hand. Mizraim therefore inhabited the land of Egypt, from whom they say Egypt was also named (for Mizraim in Hebrew is interpreted as Egypt), but Nimrod wickedly inhabited a northern land, which was called Assyria from Asshur the son of Shem; who persuaded men to reject the creator, and was the first to transgress against the maker, and was the first to rage against the living God, and foolishly wished to transfer to himself the honor due to God, as is right. And he became an advisor for the building of the tower, so that he might defend against God, if he should wish again to bring a flood upon the race of men. So those who were persuaded by his vain counsels began to build the tower of Calneh above the clouds, lofty, exceedingly great in height, almost touching the sphere of the moon itself, but they did not complete the work of their vain labor; for God confused the tongues of the builders, and from there they were scattered, one to one place, another to another. But Eber alone was free from the blow; for he did not consent with those who did vain things. The place therefore was allotted from the event to be named Babylon, that is, 'confused'; for Babel means 'confusion' in Hebrew; for there the tongues of the tower-builders were confused. And when the race of men had reached a multitude a king also after a short time came to be for the Egyptians, and the Egyptians were the first of men on earth to begin to be ruled by a king, and to be taxed. And their being ruled by a king had its beginning, as the story goes, when only seven generations of men had passed after the flood of water, by which everything was destroyed. From this point the race of men transgressed, and looked to lawless deeds and abominations, slaughters and manslaughters, murders, licentiousness. They rejoiced in robberies, they delighted in adulteries, and they practiced every device of evil, they plundered, they pillaged,

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χερσογενῆ, πτηνά, πεζοποροῦντα· ὁ δὲ θεὸς τὰ στέγαστρα τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνοίξας ὅλας ἐκεῖθεν ὑετῶν κατήγαγε θαλάσσας, ἐκάλυψε τὰς κορυφὰς τῶν βαθυκρήμνων λόφων, ἔκρυψε γῆς τὸ πρόσωπον, ἐκάλυψεν ἀρούρας. τὸ πᾶν ὁμοῦ συγκέχυτο, κεκοίνωτο τὰ πάντα. ἦσαν ὑδατοπόντιστα τῶν δένδρων τὰ στελέχη, τοῖς ὑψιλόφοις ὄρεσιν ἐπέλαζον ἰχθύες. ὁ λέων ὑδατόκλυστος, ὁ θύννος ἐν τῇ χέρσῳ, ἅπαν ὑδατοφόρητον ἦν τηνικαῦτα ζῷον, ἀεροδρόμον, χέρσυγρον, εὔπτερον, πεζοπόρον. καὶ πάντα συμποντούμενα τοῖς βαθυρρόθοις ὄμβροις ἐν ὕδασιν ἀπέπνεον, οἰκτρῶς ἀπενεκροῦντο, καὶ τοῖς ὑγροῖς τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχὰς ἐναπεφύσων. ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἐν βραχεῖ, καθάπερ ὑπὸ σκότους πάλιν τῆς γῆς τὸ πρόσωπον ἀόρατον κατέστη, τὸ τοῦ φωτὸς πρωτόγονον πάλιν ἐκράτει χάος, καὶ πάλιν ὑδατόλουτος ἡ ζωοθρέμμων χέρσος. καὶ θῆρες μὲν ἐφέροντο νεκροὶ πελαγωθέντες· ἀνθρώπων δὲ πηλογενῶν ἡ πᾶσα γεναρχία ἄσπετον ὕδωρ σπάσασα καὶ καταποντωθεῖσα, ὡς πλοῖον ὑγροκέλευθον, ὡς θαλασσόπλουν σκάφος, κόνις ἐπέπλεε κωφὴ τὰ τῶν ὑδάτων νῶτα. Νῶε δὲ μόνος ὑποδὺς τὴν ζῳοφόρον στέγην ὡς ναύτης ἀθαλάττευτος ἔνδον ἐναυστολεῖτο, σπέρμα τοῦ γένους ἐν μικρῷ τῷ ξύλῳ διασώζων, οὐ κώπας ἐπαγόμενος, οὐ κάλωας, οὐ λαίφη. τῷ Νῶε δὲ συνέπλεον υἱοὶ καὶ θυγατέρες, γυνή, γυναῖκες τῶν υἱῶν, νυμφίοι θυγατέρων. ἦσαν δὲ κλήσεις τοῖς υἱοῖς Σήμ τε καὶ Χὰμ Ἰάφεθ. ὡς δ' ὑπελώφησεν ἡ πρὶν καταφορὰ τῶν ὄμβρων καὶ πάλιν ὤφθησαν αἱ πρὶν κλυσθεῖσαι πεδιάδες, ἐξέθορε τῆς κιβωτοῦ σὺν τοῖς παισὶν ὁ Νῶε, καὶ ζῷον πᾶν ταυτοστεγὲς τῷ Νῶε συνεξῄει. καὶ πάλιν κόσμος δεύτερος, πάλιν γενάρχης ἄλλος, καὶ πάλιν ἅπασα ψυχὴ πρὸς αὔξην ἐπεδίδου. Ἐκ γοῦν τῆς πρώτης πλάσεως Ἀδὰμ τοῦ πρωτογόνου μέχρις αὖ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ συμβάντος ἐπὶ Νῶε πρὸς δισχιλίοις ἔτεσι δὶς ἑκατὸν παρῆλθον, σὺν ἄλλοις τεσσαράκοντα καὶ δύο πληρεστάτοις. Ἀπέγγονοι δ' ἐγένοντο τοῦ Νῶε τοῦ δικαίου, σὺν ἄλλοις ὑψηλόφροσιν ἐκγόνοις ἀπεκγόνοις, Μεσρὲμ ὁ δευτερότοκος τοῦ Χὰμ υἱοῦ τοῦ Νῶε, Νεβρώδ τε γίγας, ὁ πολὺς τῇ τῆς χειρὸς ἰσχύϊ. Μεσρὲμ μὲν οὖν κατῴκησε τὴν τῆς Αἰγύπτου χώραν, ἀφ' οὗπερ καὶ τὴν Αἴγυπτον φασὶν ὀνομασθῆναι (τὸ γὰρ Μεσρὲμ Ἑβραϊκῶς Αἴγυπτον ἑρμηνεύει), ὁ δὲ Νεβρὼδ κακῴκησεν εἰς χώραν προσαρκτίαν, τὴν ἐξ Ἀσοὺρ τοῦ Σὴμ παιδὸς κληθεῖσαν Ἀσσυρίαν· ὃς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἔπεισε τὸν κτίστην ἀθετῆσαι, καὶ πρῶτος παρηνόμησεν εἰς τὸν πεποιηκότα, καὶ πρῶτος ἐφρυάξατο κατὰ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, καὶ τὴν τιμὴν τὴν τῷ θεῷ προσήκουσαν, ὡς θέμις, εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἠθέλησε μετενεγκεῖν ἀφρόνως. καὶ σύμβουλος ἐγένετο πρὸς τὴν πυργοποιίαν, ὡς ἂν ἀμύναιτο θεόν, εἰ πάλιν βουληθείη κατακλυσμὸν ἐπενεγκεῖν τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων. οἱ γοῦν πεισθέντες ταῖς αὐτοῦ ματαίαις συμβουλίαις οἰκοδομεῖν μὲν ἤρξαντο τὸν πύργον τῆς Χαλάνης ὑπερνεφῆ, μετέωρον, ὑπέρμεγαν εἰς ὕψος, αὐτῇ σχεδὸν ἐγγίζοντα τῇ σεληναίᾳ σφαίρᾳ, τὸ δ' ἔργον οὐκ ἐτέλεσαν τῆς ματαιοπονίας· ὁ γὰρ θεὸς συνέχεε τὰς γλώσσας τῶν κτιζόντων, κἀντεῦθεν διεσπάρησαν ἄλλος εἰς ἄλλον τόπον. Ἕβερ δὲ μόνος τῆς πληγῆς ἐλεύθερος ὑπῆρξεν· οὐ γὰρ συγκατετίθετο τοῖς ματαιοπραγοῦσιν. ὁ μὲν οὖν τόπος ἔλαχεν ἐκ τοῦ συμβεβηκότος ὀνομασθῆναι Βαβυλὼν ἤτοι συγκεχυμένη· τὸ γὰρ Βάβελ τὴν σύγχυσιν Ἑβραϊστὶ σημαίνει· ἐκεῖ γὰρ συνεχύθησαν πυργοκτιστῶν αἱ γλῶσσαι. Εἰς πληθυσμὸν δὲ φθάσαντος τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένους καὶ βασιλεὺς μετὰ μικρὸν γέγονεν Αἰγυπτίοις, καὶ πρῶτοι βασιλεύεσθαι τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνθρώπων Αἰγύπτιοι κατήρξαντο, καὶ τοῦ φορολογεῖσθαι. τὸ βασιλεύεσθαι δ' αὐτοὺς ἔσχεν ἀρχήν, ὡς λόγος, ἑπτὰ καὶ μόνον γενεῶν παρελθουσῶν ἀνθρώποις μετὰ τὴν ὑδατόρροιαν, ὑφ' ἧς τὸ πᾶν ἐφθάρη. ἐντεῦθεν παρηνόμησε τὸ γένος τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ πρὸς ἀθέσμους ἔβλεψε πράξεις καὶ βδελυρίας, σφαγὰς ἀνδροκτασίας τε, φόνους, ἀκολασίας. ταῖς ἁρπαγαῖς ἐπέχαιρον, ἐτέρποντο μοιχείαις, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐπετήδευον ἐπίνοιαν κακίας, ἐλῄστευον, διήρπαζον,

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