the fragments are now extant.
He had written the history of Arabia; the antiquities of Assyria, and
those of the Romans; the history of theatres, of painting and painters; of
the nature and properties of different animals, of grammar, and similar
subjects; a catalogue of all which is given in Abbe Sevin's short
dissertation on the life and works of the younger Juba,(954) whence I have
extracted these few particulars.

BOOK THE THIRD. THE HISTORY OF THE ASSYRIANS.

Chapter I. The First Empire of the Assyrians.

SECT. I. DURATION OF THAT EMPIRE.--The Assyrian empire was undoubtedly one
of the most powerful in the world. With respect to its duration, two
opinions have chiefly prevailed. Some authors, as Ctesias, whose opinion
is followed by Justin, give it a duration of thirteen hundred years:
others reduce it to five hundred and twenty, of which number is Herodotus.
The diminution, or probably the interruption of power, which happened in
this vast empire, might possibly give occasion to this difference of
opinions, and may perhaps serve in some measure to reconcile them.

The history of those early times is so obscure, the monuments which convey
it down to us so contrary to each other, and the systems of the
moderns(955) upon that matter so different, that it is difficult to lay
down any opinion about it, as certain and incontestable. But where
certainty is not to be had, I suppose a reasonable person will be
satisfied with probability; and, in my opinion, a man can hardly be
deceived, if he makes the Assyrian empire equal in antiquity with the city
of Babylon, its capital. Now we learn from the holy Scripture, that this
was built by Nimrod, who certainly was a great conqueror, and in all
probability the first and most ancient of all those who have ever aspired
after that denomination.

The Babylonians, as Callisthenes, a philosopher in Alexander's retinue,
wrote to Aristotle,(956) reckoned themselves to be at least of 1903 years'
standing, when that prince entered triumphant into Babylon; which makes
their origin reach back to the year of the world 1771, that is to say, 115
years after the deluge. This computation comes within a few years of the
time in which we suppose Nimrod to have founded that city. Indeed, this
testimony of Callisthenes, as it does not agree with any other accounts of
that empire, is not esteemed authentic by the learned; but the conformity
we find between it and the holy Script