pearance very like unto the Oannes, appeared amongst these new comers (the race of Alaporus) and then state that the first appearance of this prophet was during the rule of Amillarus, the son of Alaporus, twenty-six Zapo, or about 260 years, after the appearance of Oannes, among his new subjects. That the second appearance of the Annadotus, was during the rule of Amenon, fourteen Zapoi later, or after the fortieth Zapos had expired. Now the last of these periods answers to about A. M. 808 and we must be cautious not to mistake the time, or the rule of these princes, for that of their reign. The same author (Berosus) who places the rule of Amillarus at twenty-six Zapoi, informs us that his reign did not commence until after forty-nine Zapot, or about A. M. 957; and that of Amenon, who ruled during the fortyfirst Zapos not until the sixty-third, or about a. M. 1085. Mr. Bryant next proposes four questions, which may be answered as follows: "1. From what fixed time do they reckon?" Ans. From the return of Cain from the city of Enoch, in the land of Nod, to the valley, where Abel was murdered; and from the first year of the rule of that race at Chaldea, or Sipora. "2. To what year do they refer?" Ans. The year of the world 413, or when 15 myriads of prophetic years were passed, and the year of the world 474, when the rule of this race commenced. "3. Whose were those reflections?", Ans. The reflections of the several authors who wrote, from the works of Berosus, who not only mentioned the appearance of the Oannes, and the Annedotus, but other animals like Oannes, of whom Berosus promises to give an account in his second book, when he treats of the history of the kings; and which would doubtless have answered to the other Avatars of the Hindus. "4. When did the Oannes appear? When was the first year? From when did they reckon time?" Ans. A. M. 413 when this race returned, whose rule commenced A. M. 474, and lasted 120 Sari, or 1200 years; commencing from A. M. 474. For as 1680 prophetic years answer to A. M. 1656, so do 1200 to 1182, and 480 to 474 and 1200 + 4801680; and 1182 +474 = 1656. "Their rule," says Berosus, "consisted collectively of one hundred and twenty Sari, reaching to the time of the deluge." But they returned after fifteen myriads of years: or sixty-one years sooner*. The Chaldeans, equally with the Egyptians, make use of the word dæmon, to denote that which partakes of the Deity. "In Thebais where the worship of Cnept was introduced, and where they owned no mortal being to be a god, but worshipped the Eternal, under the name of Cnept, who, they insisted, was without beginning and without end, they termed him the good Dæmon+." In like manner Berosus terms the first deity the semi-dæmon, or semi-god. Fish Mr. Bryant objects that "there was no occasion for the appearance of the Annedotus, if such a person as Oannes had gone before him." He seems not to understand the mission of the prophet, who foretold the deluge, nor to recollect, that as Adam was a type of death, so was Enoch a type of the resurrection or life eternal. So that the coming of the Annedotus was rendered necessary, from the Oannes having preceded him. Had not Adam fallen, the prophecies of Enoch had not become necessary. Who was so likely during the first year of the return of the race of Cain, to expostulate * The rule of the race of Alaporus in the province of Chaldea is stated at 120 Zapo; their reign, as sovereigns, at 74 Zapo only. with them on the abominations they had introduced, as the Oannes, or Adam, the general father of the human race, and the sovereign of the world? Neither is it likely, that a people, represented as naturally fierce, as addicted to every species of vice, and as living without rule or order, would have submitted to the instruction and control of any other human being. And we have seen, that, at the same period of time, the Chinese suppose Fo-hi, the first of men, the son of heaven to have appeared amongst his new subjects, to reform similar abuses. The Annedotus, or Enoch, appeared subsequently; and, according to the Hebrews, this prophet sojourned on earth from A. M. 623 to A. M. 988. Every appearance of the Annedotus was between those periods. For, whether the epoch, from whence Berosus reckoned, was the return, or the commencement, of the rule of the race of Alaporus, makes little difference. If it was the former, the prophet appeared to Amillarus A. M. 673. If it was the latter, the prophet appeared in A. M. 734. For 413+260673; and 474+ 260-734. And the second appearance to Amenon was either in A. M. 813, or A. M. 874. For 413 + 400 813; and 474 + 400 = 874. Here we have another signal instance of the mercy and goodness of the Almighty. Cain, who went out from the presence of the Lord in consequence of the murder of Abel, returns in the beginning of the fifth century, with a large proportion of his family, who became civilized; who improved in every branch of science, but continued stubbornly bent against the worship of the living God. At this epoch the race of Seth, hitherto eminent for their piety, from intermarrying with the apostate race, begin to swerve from the worship of the living God the prophet therefore appears. He warns mankind in general of their impending danger; explains to them those divine mysteries, which were beyond mortal comprehension without the assistance of revelation; and, finally, assures them of the resurrection, and life eternal to be obtained by repentance and a birth unto righteousness. All of which is given at large in the Vedas, supposed to have been written more than 5000 years past; extracts from which I will transcribe in my next. This incarnate God of the Hindus, as the Annedotus of the Chaldeans, to complete his mission, like the disciples of Christ, travels into every part of the inhabited world. He appears in that province, over which Amillarus the son of Cain presided, in the year of the world 734: he again appears an hundred and forty years after, in another province, situated on the Eruthrean sea; which Amenon the grandson of Cain ruled. This was in the year of the world 874. Here he again |