716 Notes on the Antiquities of Bdmidn. [Nov. 



Alexandria ad Paropdmisum. The last word appears to be a careless 

 introduction of the geographers for Caucasum. We believe it was not 

 used by the original historians — excusable however, when we consider 

 that the ancients deemed the Paropamisus a continuation of Caucasus, 

 and the passes of the hills between Cdbul and Bdmidn, are to this day 

 spoken of by the natives as passes of the Hindu Kosh, which, strictly 

 speaking, they, are not. Alexandria, it is clear, was built at the 

 southern base of Caucasus, indications of its locality more fully an- 

 swered by Ghorbund and Beghrdm. Bdmidn may be termed south — 

 but widely — of the true Hindu Kosh, and, we should think, has little 

 pretension to be considered Alexandria ad Caucasum, beyond the 

 doubtful one conferred by vicinity. 



Examining the pretensions of Bdmidn to be considered in another 

 point of view, as a sacred locality, implied perhaps by its being select- 

 ed as the burial place of kings, we have Wxlford's authority, that it is 

 represented in the books of the Buddhists as the source of holiness and 

 purity. This may be of some value, as shewing that the same spot 

 was held in the same venerated light by the followers of two religions 

 generally understood to be very opposite ; and as the antiquities are 

 certainly Mithraic, we might draw the conclusion, that the Buddhists 

 have appropriated the property of others, and that the books referring 

 to Bdmidn are comparatively modern — or we may suspect that Bud- 

 hism was originally merely a modification of Mithraism. We judge 

 it unnecessary to detail the Mahommedan traditions respecting Bdmi- 

 dn, which ascribe, however, the idols to Sa'lsa'l, whom they generally 

 assert to have been a giant infidel, first vanquished and then convert- 

 ed by Azaret Ali ; nor need the Buddhist and Brahmanical traditions 

 be noted, with a view to comment, which consider Sharma or the 

 patriarch Shem to be the founder of Bdmidn, — because we have no 

 proof that he was, or was not ; — but when a writer so talented as 

 Wilford asserts with apparent gravity, that Bdmidn is the Mosaical 

 Eden, it may be useful to review the grounds on which he bases his opi- 

 nion and makes an assertion so singular. He is compelled to recognize 

 in the Landhi Sind Helmend, the rivers of Kundus and Balkh, the Phi- 

 son, Gihon, Frat and Hiddekel of the Mosaic accounts — but it is 

 plain that he depends upon the statements of the Puranas and Zenda- 

 vesta. The former contain so many evidences of modern composition, 

 that they surely ought not to be brought into competition or compa- 

 rison with records of high antiquity, as are acknowledged to be those 

 of the Pentateuch. The age of the Zenda vesta has been much dis- 

 puted, some conceiving it of unfathomable antiquity ; others, among 

 whom is our countryman Hyde, ascribing it to the epoch of Darius 



