49© TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



that it is much more natural to fuppofe that the Greeks, 

 comparing the copies together, expunged the words or 

 palTages they found differing from the Septuagint, and re- 

 placed them from thence, as this would not offend the 

 Jews, who very well knew that thofe who tranflated the 

 Septuagint verfion were all Jews themfelves. 



Now, as the Abyffinian copy of the Holy Scriptures, in 

 Mr Ludolf's opinion, was tranflated by Frumentius above 

 330 after Ghrift, and the Septuagint verfion, in the days of 

 Philadelphus, or Ptolemy II. above 160 years before Chrift, 

 it will follow, that, if the prefent Jews ufe the copy tranfla- 

 ted by Frumentius, and, if that was taken from the Septua- 

 gint, the Jews mull have been above 400 years without any 

 books what foe ver at the time of the converfion by Frumen- 

 tius : So they mult have had all the Jewifli law, which is 

 in perfect vigour and force among them, ail their Levitical 

 obfervances, their purifications, atonements, abflinences, 

 and Sacrifices, all depending upon their memory, without 

 writing, at leal! for that long fpace of 400 years. 



This, though not absolutely impoflible, is furely very 

 nearly fo. We know, that, at Jerufaiem itfelf, the feat of 

 Jewiih law and learning, idolatry happening to prevail, du- 

 ring the fhort reigns of only four kings, the law, in that in- 

 terval, became fo perfectly forgotten and unknown, that a 

 copy of it being accidentally found and read by Joiiah, 

 that prince, upon his firff learning its contents, was fo a- 

 floniilied at the deviations from it, that he apprehended 

 the immediate defcruclion of the whole city and people. To 

 this I fhall only add, that whoever considers the flill-necked- 

 nefs, itubbornnefs, and obilinacy, which were ever the cha- 



i_ racters 



