63

writers, how they made mention of the same things, Josephus in the first book of his Antiquities sets it forth in this way:

9.11.1 11. FROM THE ANTIQUITIES OF JOSEPHUS, HOW MANY OF THE GENTILE WRITERS MENTIONED THE FLOOD IN THE TIME OF MOSES

«All who have written the histories of the barbarians make mention of this flood and of the ark, among whom is Berossus the Chaldean. For when he is describing 9.11.2 the events of the flood, he goes on somewhere in this way: “It is said, moreover, that a part of the vessel still exists in Armenia at the mountain of the Cordyaeans, and that some people carry off pieces of the bitumen, which they take away and use chiefly as amulets for the averting 9.11.3 of mischiefs.” Hieronymus the Egyptian also, who wrote the Phoenician Antiquities, and Mnaseas, and many others, make mention of these things. And Nicolaus of Damascus, in his ninety-sixth 9.11.4 book, relates the story about them, saying thus: “There is above Minyas in the land of Armenia a great mountain called Baris, to which it is said that many fled for refuge at the time of the flood and were saved, and that one man, being carried in an ark, came ashore on the summit, and that the remains of the timbers were preserved for a long time. This might be the man about whom Moses, the lawgiver of the Jews, wrote.”» Thus far Josephus. 9.12.1 But I, after going through the Median and Assyrian histories from the writing of Abydenus, will set down for you these words of the man concerning the same story: 9.12.2 12. FROM THE WRITING OF ABYDENUS CONCERNING THE SAME FLOOD «After whom others reigned, and Seisithrus, to whom Kronos foretold that there would be a great flood of rain on the fifteenth of Desius, and commanded him to hide everything that 9.12.3 had been written in Heliopolis of Sippara. Seisithrus, having accomplished these things, immediately sailed to Armenia, and straightway what had been foretold by the god came upon him. On the third day, when the rain ceased, he sent out 9.12.4 some of the birds to make trial whether they might see land anywhere emerging from the water. But they, finding a vast, boundless sea awaiting them, and being at a loss where to alight, 9.12.5 returned back to Seisithrus, and others after them. But when he had success with the third lot—for they came back with their feet covered with mud—the gods took him away from among men; and the vessel in Armenia provided the natives with wooden amulets to ward off evil.» Thus then this author. 9.13.1 Again, since Moses said that the first men born were long-lived, Josephus brings forward the Greek writers as witnesses of this statement also, speaking thus:

9.13.2 13. FROM THE ANTIQUITIES OF JOSEPHUS, CONCERNING THE FACT THAT MANY HAVE MENTIONED THE LONG LIFE OF THE ANCIENTS

«Let no one, comparing life now and the shortness of the years we live, think what is said about the ancients is false, concluding from the fact that life does not now extend to such a length that they did not reach 9.13.3 that length of life. For they, being beloved of God and made by God himself, and because

63

συγγραφεῖς, ὅπως τῶν αὐτῶν ἐμνημόνευσαν, Ἰώσηπος ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ τῆς Ἀρχαιολογίας τοῦτον παρατίθεται τὸν τρόπον·

9.11.1 ιαʹ. ΑΠΟ ΤΗΣ ΙΩΣΗΠΟΥ ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ, ΟΠΟΣΟΙ ΤΩΝ ΕΞΩΘΕΝ ΣΥΓΓΡΑΦΕΩΝ ΕΜΝΗΣΘΗΣΑΝ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΡΑ ΜΩΣΕΙ ΚΑΤΑΚΛΥΣΜΟΥ

«Τοῦ δὲ κατακλυσμοῦ τούτου καὶ τῆς λάρνακος μέμνηνται πάντες οἱ τὰς βαρβαρικὰς ἱστορίας ἀναγεγραφότες, ὧν ἐστι καὶ Βηρωσσὸς ὁ Χαλδαῖος. διη9.11.2 γούμενος γὰρ τὰ περὶ τὸν κατακλυσμὸν οὕτω που διέξεισι· «Λέγεται δὲ καὶ τοῦ πλοίου ἐν τῇ Ἀρμενίᾳ πρὸς τῷ ὄρει τῶν Κορδυαίων ἔτι μέρος τε εἶναι καὶ κομίζειν τινὰς τῆς ἀσφάλτου ἀφαιροῦντας· χρῶνται δὲ μάλιστα οἱ ἄνθρω9.11.3 ποι τῷ κομιζομένῳ πρὸς τοὺς ἀποτροπιασμούς.» μέμνηται δὲ τούτων καὶ Ἱερώνυμος ὁ Αἰγύπτιος, ὁ τὴν ἀρχαιολογίαν τὴν Φοινικικὴν συγγραψάμενος, καὶ Μνασέας δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι πλείους. καὶ Νικόλαος δὲ ὁ ∆αμασκηνὸς ἐν τῇ ἐνενη9.11.4 κοστῇ καὶ ἕκτῃ βίβλῳ ἱστορεῖ περὶ αὐτῶν, λέγων οὕτως· «Ἔστιν ὑπὲρ τὴν Μινυάδα μέγα ὄρος κατὰ τὴν Ἀρμενίαν, Βάρις λεγόμενον, εἰς ὃ πολλοὺς συμφυγόντας ἐπὶ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ λόγος ἔχει περισωθῆναι καί τινα ἐπὶ λάρνακος ὀχούμενον ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκρώρειαν ὀκεῖλαι καὶ τὰ λείψανα τῶν ξύλων ἐπὶ πολὺ σωθῆναι. γένοιτο δ' ἂν οὗτος ὅντινα καὶ Μωσῆς ἀνέγραψεν ὁ Ἰουδαίων νομοθέτης.»« Ταῦτα μὲν ὁ Ἰώσηπος. 9.12.1 Ἐγὼ δέ σοι τὰ Μηδικὰ καὶ Ἀσσύρια διελθὼν ἐκ τῆς Ἀβυδηνοῦ γραφῆς, περὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἱστορίας τάσδε τοῦ ἀνδρὸς παραθήσομαι τὰς λέξεις· 9.12.2 ιβʹ. ΑΠΟ ΤΗΣ ΑΒΥ∆ΗΝΟΥ ΓΡΑΦΗΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΚΑΤΑΚΛΥΣΜΟΥ «Μεθ' ὃν ἄλλοι τε ἦρξαν καὶ Σείσιθρος, ᾧ δὴ Κρόνος προσημαίνει μὲν ἔσεσθαι πλῆθος ὄμβρων ∆εσίου πέμπτῃ ἐπὶ δέκα, κελεύει δὲ πᾶν ὅ τι γραμ9.12.3 μάτων ἦν ἐχόμενον ἐν Ἡλίου πόλει τῇ ἐν Σιππάροισιν ἀποκρύψαι. Σείσιθρος δὲ ταῦτα ἐπιτελέα ποιήσας εὐθέως ἐπ' Ἀρμενίης ἀνέπλωε, καὶ παραυτίκα μιν κατελάμβανε τὰ ἐκ θεοῦ. τρίτῃ δὲ ἡμέρῃ ἐπεί τε ὕων ἐκόπασε, μετίει 9.12.4 τῶν ὀρνίθων πείρην ποιεύμενος, εἴ κου γῆν ἴδοιεν τοῦ ὕδατος ἐκδῦσαν. αἱ δὲ ἐκδεχομένου σφέας πελάγεος ἀχανέος ἀπορέουσαι ὅκη κατορμίσονται 9.12.5 παρὰ τὸν Σείσιθρον ὀπίσω κομίζονται, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῇσιν ἕτεραι. ὡς δὲ τῇσι τρίτῃσιν εὐτύχεεν ἀπίκατο γὰρ δὴ πηλοῦ κατάπλεοι τοὺς ταρσούς, θεοί μιν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀφανίζουσι· τὸ δὲ πλοῖον ἐν Ἀρμενίῃ περίαπτα ξύλων ἀλεξιφάρμακα τοῖσιν ἐπιχωρίοισι παρείχετο.» Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν οὗτος. 9.13.1 Πάλιν δὲ Μωσέως τοὺς πρώτους φύντας ἀνθρώπων μακροβίους γεγονέναι φήσαντος, μάρτυρας καὶ τούτου παρατίθεται τοῦ λόγου τοὺς Ἑλλήνων συγγραφεῖς ὧδε λέγων ὁ Ἰώσηπος·

9.13.2 ιγʹ. ΑΠΟ ΤΗΣ ΙΩΣΗΠΟΥ ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΟΥ ΠΛΕΙΟΥΣ ΜΝΗΜΟΝΕΥΣΑΙ ΤΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΑΛΑΙΩΝ ΜΑΚΡΟΒΙΟΥ ΖΩΗΣ

«Μηδεὶς δὲ πρὸς τὸν νῦν βίον καὶ τὴν βραχύτητα τῶν ἐτῶν ἃ ζῶμεν συμβαλὼν τὸν τῶν παλαιῶν ψευδῆ νομιζέτω τὰ περὶ ἐκείνων λεγόμενα, τῷ μηδὲ νῦν τοσοῦτον ἐν τῷ βίῳ παρατείνειν χρόνον τεκμαιρόμενος μηδ' ἐκείνους εἰς 9.13.3 ἐκεῖνο τὸ μῆκος τῆς ζωῆς ἀφῖχθαι. οἱ μὲν γὰρ θεοφιλεῖς ὄντες καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ γενόμενοι καὶ διὰ τὸ