49<? 



TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



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

 comparing the copies together, expunged the words, or 

 pafTages 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 verlion were all Jews themfelves. 



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

 Mr Ludolf's opinion, was tranflated by Frumentius above 

 3.30 after Chrifc, and the Septuagint verlion, in the days of 

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

 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 muft have been above 400 years without any 

 books whatfoever at the time of the converfionby Frumen- 

 tius : So they muft have had all the Jewifh law, which is 

 in perfect vigour and force among them, all their Leviticai 

 observances, their purifications, atonements, abftinences, , 

 and facrifices, all depending upon their memory, without 

 writing, at Icafl for that long fpace of 400 years. 



This, though not abfolutely impoflible, is furely very 

 nearly fo. V/e know, that, at Jerufalem itfelf, the feat of 

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

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

 terval, became fo perfectly forgotten and unknown, that a 

 copy of it being accidentally found and read : ; | uiah, 

 that prince, upon his firil learning its content? fo a- 



ftoiiifhed at the deviations, from.; it, that he r, tended 



the immediate deftruction. of the whole city and people. To 

 this I ihall only add, that -whoever confiders ; lie (lilT-necked- 

 ae£s,. flubbornnefs, and obftinacy, which were ever the cha- 



1 rafters 



