fell from their tops fell down
upon that cavity, that it might go round about the like course as the
sun itself goes round in the other." This is that wonderful relation
which we have given us by this grammarian. But that it is a false one
is so plain, that it stands in need of few words to prove it, but
is manifest from the works of Moses; for when he erected the first
tabernacle to God, he did himself neither give order for any such kind
of representation to be made at it, nor ordain that those that came
after him should make such a one. Moreover, when in a future age Solomon
built his temple in Jerusalem, he avoided all such needless decorations
as Apion hath here devised. He says further, how he had "heard of the
ancient men, that Moses was of Hellopolis." To be sure that was, because
being a younger man himself, he believed those that by their elder age
were acquainted and conversed with him. Now this grammarian, as he was,
could not certainly tell which was the poet Homer's country, no
more than he could which was the country of Pythagoras, who lived
comparatively but a little while ago; yet does he thus easily determine
the age of Moses, who preceded them such a vast number of years, as
depending on his ancient men's relation, which shows how notorious a
liar he was. But then as to this chronological determination of the time
when he says he brought the leprous people, the blind, and the lame out
of Egypt, see how well this most accurate grammarian of ours agrees with
those that have written before him! Manetho says that the Jews departed
out of Egypt, in the reign of Tethmosis, three hundred ninety-three
years before Danaus fled to Argos; Lysimaehus says it was under king
Bocchoris, that is, one thousand seven hundred years ago; Molo and some
others determined it as every one pleased: but this Apion of ours, as
deserving to be believed before them, hath determined it exactly to have
been in the seventh olympiad, and the first year of that olympiad;
the very same year in which he says that Carthage was built by the
Phoenicians. The reason why he added this building of Carthage was,
to be sure, in order, as he thought, to strengthen his assertion by
so evident a character of chronology. But he was not aware that this
character confutes his assertion; for if we may give credit to the
Phoenician records as to the time of the first coming of their colony
to Carthage, they relate that Hirom their king was above a hundr