z8 



A M E K I C.A. 



Chap. II. 



i Pet. t. r: 

 S align in Xotts *J Iff. t. 



JoJl 7 . ?y. 



iJe Iiolo.vmitatt, 



I 



■■" 



a Reg. 17. 5. 



44>4f>4*. 



I 







liv'd as ftrangcrs in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia y Ajia, and Bythinia. Jerufalem was 

 their Metropolis, although others had their chief refidence in Babylon, and Alex* 

 andria>, for there was an Afiatick and a European difperfion ; thole of Jfia had 

 Babylon for their chief City, and us'd in their Synagogues the Chaldean Tranfla- 

 tion of the Bible. The Europeans kept their Seat at Alexandria, where they had 

 a Temple like that of jerufalem ; and whilft they employ'd themfelves in the 

 Creek Verfion of the Holy Scripture , by the feventy two Interpreters , under 

 <Ptolomeus Philadelphia , they were call'd Wandering Greeks : Therefore, certainly 

 the Americans &tt not deriv'd from thefe Jews, and with as little reafon from 

 thofe, which by Titus Vefpafian, after the deftruc"rion of Jerufalem were driven in- 

 to feveral Countreys, for they were never permitted (that I may borrow the 

 words of St. Cyprian) to fet forward one ftep, though but as Pilgrims, towards 

 their Native Countrey, but ftrictly forbidden not to aflemble or meet toge- 

 ther in any confiderable number, which would have been neccflary, if they in- 

 tended to Plant a new World. 



A fmall feeming Tcftimony is added , being taken out of the fourth Book 

 of Efdras , that the ten Tribes of Ifrael that were carry 'd away by Salmanaffar 

 with their King Hofea to Ifyhalab, Habor, the River Go%an y and the Cities of the 

 Medes y might be acknowledged for the firft Planters of America : Concerning 

 Efd. Tj.40,'41, 4»,4*> which, Efdras faith thus, Tin ten Tribes brought over into another Countrey y confultei 

 that thcyjhould forfake the multitude of the Heathens , and travel to a remoter Countrey, 

 Tobere no Generation of Mankind bad ever liv'd before , there they "would maintain their 

 Laws, which they had not obferVd in their Countrey : Whereupon they went thither tboroTfr 

 the narrow entrances of the %iver Euphrates, for the Almighty flopt the Vains of the 9(i*- 

 Ver, till they were pasl over ^ for thorow the Countrey was a ti>ay j)f a year and half s Journey: 

 "wherefore that Tracl of Land is call'd Aflareth, then they liv'd there till the lasl time". 



But fince thefe Books of Efdras were not Written by a Prophet, either in the 

 Htbrelo Tongue , or allow'd by tht Jews to be the Word of God, or any where 

 taken notice of in the New Teflament 5 wherefore then is Jffareth mot t America 

 than any other remoter Countrey ? 



St. Hierom (who certainly had a peculiar knowledge of the condition of the 

 ten Tribes of Ifrael , becaufe he liv'd in Afia, and held Correfpondence with 

 the Jews, that he might perfectly learri the Hebrew Tongue,) relates, " That 

 " the ten Tribes (St.Hterome liv'd about the Year four hundred, under the Em- 

 " peror Theodofius) underwent great flavery in the Cities of Medes and Terfians, 

 fo that this ftrange Voyage to Affareth, which muft have happen'd long before 

 St. Hierom's time, may be Recorded amongft the ot^her Legends of the 

 Rabbies, concerning their Behemoth and Leviathan, who locked up the Souls of 

 & 4 4 E 4 i i.^ 4WO,&,4 '* l! thofe that fleighted their. Laws, in Caves under ground, as Efdras. 

 Antient condition of the And how little opportunity the Jfraelites had to remove fince his time, may 

 appear by the horrible Deftruftion that was made for feveral Ages together in 

 Perfiaznd Media . for although the ferjians became Matters again of the Realm, 

 Conquer 'd by Alexander the Great, whilft Alexander's Succeffors invaded one 

 another, yet they were continually in War, either againft the Romans y or elfe 

 the Indians, and other Eaftern People $ nay, the Saracens wrefted the Scepter 

 out of their hand, though but for a fmall time ; for foon after , breaking out 

 into Factions amongft themfelves , Muchumet' Subitligenes, Imbrael's Son, efta- 

 . blifli'd his Throne on their Ruines, and incourag'd by fuch fuccefs, Arm'd 

 himfelf againft the Indians, and made ufe of the Turks affiftance, with which 

 he fijbdu'd the Babylonian .Arabians : After which, the Turks, not without great 



Slaughter 



L. ^.inEvk' Of 1. 6~.in 

 Jtrom. 



MtUliw Seittrm it Ktl, 

 Tint. 



