An inquiry into the origin of the antiquities of America / By John Delafield, Jr. With an appendix, containing notes, and 'A view of the causes of the superiority of the men of the Northern over those of the Southern Hemisphere', by James Lakey.

  • John Delafield
Date:
1839
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inquiry into the origin of the antiquities of America / By John Delafield, Jr. With an appendix, containing notes, and 'A view of the causes of the superiority of the men of the Northern over those of the Southern Hemisphere', by James Lakey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    their dominion. They were probably captivated with their plausible refinements in religion, and no less seduced by their ingenuity, and by the arts which they introduced. For they must certainly be esteemed great in science, if we consider the times in which they lived. The tower of Babel, which their imperious leader had erected, seems to have been both a temple and a landmark, from which they had formed a resolution never to recede. It therefore seemed good to Divine Providence to put a stop to this growing confederacy, and, as they had refused to retire regularly, to force them by judgments to flee away, and to scatter them into different parts.” * Chus, or Cush, was also called Cuth, and his posterity Cuthians, or Cuthites. This name, in process of time, received the prefix of the Greek 2, and they were then termed “2^0^” or Scythians. The countries which they conquered frequently assumed the name of Scythia, no matter what had been their previous appellations. “Scytharum nomine hoc loco per antiques Euxini Maris accolas intelligimus, quocunque nomine venirint. Cimmerios illic Homerus collocavit, hos a Scythis Herodotus distinxit,” f We learn from Epiphanius, that “ those nations which reach southward from that part of the world where the two great continents of Europe and Asia incline to each other, and are connected, were universally styled “2^0*” according to an appellation of long standing. These were of that family who, of old, erected the great tower, [of Babel,] and who built the city of Babylon.” $ We thus learn, both from profane history and holy writ, the extent of the splendid empire founded by Nimrod, the son of Cush, who not only built the cities of the plain of Shinar, but founded the ancient Scythian Empire. This empire must have been truly learned in science and art. Their mechanical skill and power must have been very great, as we may ascertain from their vast remains, as also from the pages of inspiration, which tell us of the mighty Babylon. Sir William Jones, after a long examination of the various nations dwelling in southern Asia, and their early history, uses these words in his conclusion: “ Thus it has been proved, by clear evidence and plain reasoning, that a powerful monarchy was established in Iran long before the Assyrian or Pishdadi government; that it was in truth a Hindu * Bryant. Anc. Myth. 4to. Vol. Ill, p. 262. t Acta Berolinonsia, p. 5. S t Epiphanius adversus Hseres, 1. I, p. 6.