the names of which are mentioned in the Bible, though we have them not.

The descendants of Shem dwelt to the east of all the descendants of Ham. ver. 30. And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east; which agrees with Numbers, xxiii. 7. when Balak sent to that part of the country for a prophet to curse Israel: viz. And he took up his parable and said, Balak the king of Moab, hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel. It being known to him that they were worshippers of the God of heaven, and that the Aramitish prophets. originally had the power of blessing and cursing, on which ground Balak expected success in opposing. 1srael. For it is said of Ab-ram, which in Hebrew means, the father of the land of Aram, I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, Gen. xii. 3.

It is also sufficiently evident that the founders of this very ancient nation descended from Elam the son of Shem; that their posterity formed the Persian empire, and gave the name of their progenitor to the first province in Persia, which became the residence of their kings. Dan. viii. 2. At Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam.

The ancient Persians cannot be ranked with the

idolatrous nations; for, descending from the patriarch Shem, they were taught the worship of the true God, which continued among them, when almost all the eastern nations were sunk in gross idolatry. Some writers have charged the Persians with being worshippers of fire and the sun; but this has been a mistake. It appears that they most scrupulously adhered to the worship of God in primary things, as was also commanded in the books of Moses, which was much the same as that established by Abraham. In the Scriptures we find that the sacred ever- burning fire was used as an emblematical representation of the EVER-LIVING GOD. He appeared to Moses in the flaming fire, and led the Israelites through the wilderness by a pillar of fire. It was kept burning in the temple before the altar; it would therefore be as reasonable to charge the ancient Hebrews with being worshippers of the fire, as the ancient Persians, because they kept it burning in their temples.

According to the best authorities, they agree with the Hebrews in the accounts they give concerning the patriarch Abraham, and with the Mahometans in ascribing certain books to him.

THE WORSHIP OF THE MODERN PERSIANS

Was, in many instances, before the introduction of the religion of Mahomet, like the Mosaic, which was introduced by their legislator Zoroaster, who had his learning and religion from the books of Moses, as to essentials. It was therefore more like a returning to first principles, than an introduction of any thing new. According to the most authentic account of the Persian religion at this period, they believed that God created the world in six divisions of time; that these divisions of time were not days, but states; each comprehending a certain number of days.

The established religion of the Persians is, however, Mahometan, who only differ from the Turks in the following particular: the Turks reckon the descent from Mahomet by Abubeker, derived from the Hebrew 28 ab, father' and beker ‹ the first,' i. e. the first father; whereas the Persians begin the descent from Mahomet by Eli, from the Hebrew Eli, 'my God.'

Ashur, the second son of Shem, appears to have given the name to Assyria. The word Ashur means to bless, and it originally had reference to the author of all blessing, both in time and in eternity; viz. a belief in the promise, Gen. iii. 15. that the Messiah

should come, which, as observed, was taught by Shem. They were therefore originally worshippers of the true God.

We have but little said in scripture concerning Lud: his descendants became a very considerable nation, and were a warlike people in the time of the prophets. According to the best authorities, the Lydians had their origin from Lud;' for they are mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel as coming with Persia to Tyre; and we have seen that the Persians descended from Elam, the brother of Lud. It is also reasonable to conclude that the Lydians (in the original Ludims) were so called from Lud, as that the Elamites were so called from Elam.

Though they were undoubtedly worshippers of the true God, as taught by Shem, yet it appears, that, in after-time, they worshipped the Moon, as the queen of heaven. This species of idolatry was not confined to the Persians; for as there was a commercial intercourse between the Hebrews, the Persians, and the Lydians, the worship of the moon, as the queen of heaven, by this means made its way into Judea. They had heard the fame of their renowned temple of Diana, or the moon, which was built in the great city Mag

nesia. It was afterwards destroyed, according to Strabo,' by an earthquake.

They were very expert in the use of the bow, as is mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah, ch. xlvi. 9. though some have contradicted it as it stands in the translation; but the translation is right, for kaasheth signifies a bow throughout the Scriptures.

Aram, who was the fifth son of Shem, gave this name to the kingdom of Aram, which was afterwards called Syria. By future conquests, however, it was called Assyria; when the surrounding nations became a part of this empire. The word Aram is the Hebrew word, which is continued in Our English Bibles to the time of Elizabeth, where the country is called Aram, and the inhabitants Aramites.

The word Aram literally means, I will elevate, or lift up. In the time of the Hebrews, many ages after this period, it was applied to the heave-offering, which was elevated, or lifted up. Undoubtedly, the Patriarch Shem gave this name with reference to the ancient belief in the coming of the Redeemer, in remembrance of whom, burnt-offerings, and sacrifices were then lifted up before the altar erected by Noah: and which sacrificial worship descended to the He

1 lib. 1. c. 38.