622 . 
HISTORY IN ILLUSTRATION 
attribute the foundation of Persepolis. Their accounts transport 
him back to within the seventh descent from Noah ; and they 
relate, that after having divided his people into classes, intro¬ 
duced agriculture, built cities, founded colleges of astronomy, 
and reformed the calendar, he instituted the feast of Nowroose 
at the commencement of the year, and then received the grateful 
oblations of his people. The same historians inform us, that 
Jemsheed reigned seven hundred years ; from which extravagant 
calculation, Sir William Malcolm most satisfactorily concludes, 
that this king’s name is not to be regarded as that of an indi¬ 
vidual ; but rather to be received as the title of one particular 
dynasty, which was displaced for a time, when the Assyrian 
empire, designated by these poetical writers under the dragon 
name of Zoliawk, subjected Persia to its yoke. Zohawk, who, in 
these legends has even more centuries allotted to his existence 
than were bestowed on his more virtuous rival, is supposed, 
from his fiery and impious character, to have been the Nimrod 
of Scripture, the real founder of the Assyrian empire. Hence 
we may conclude, that as many generations of the sons of Cush 
were comprised in the person of Zohawk, so the acts of many 
Persian princes are attributed to Jemsheed; the etymology of 
whose name might lead us to find Scripture authority, for his 
having been the founder -of the Persian monarchy. In Genesis, 
chap. x. v. 22, we read that Shem was the father of Elam, who 
spread his posterity and name over all this quarter of the East; 
and Shem and Jemsheed bearing such affinity in name, as well 
as the latter being traced by the native genealogists to Noah ; 
surely we might be warranted in believing, that some prince of 
that descent was indeed the founder of the Persian monarchy; 
and that his descendants reigned there, till the posterity of Cush, 
