routed and flain Gauri fultan of Egypt in a battle near Aleppo, became mafter of all Syria and Judea. He then marched into Egypt againft Tumanbäi the new fultan, whom alfo having vanquished and taken prifoner, he barbaroufly ordered him to be hanged before one of the gates of Cairo: and fo put an end to the government of the Mamalucs, and established that of the Turks in Egypt. The prophecy fays particularly, that he should have power over the treafures of gold and of filver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: And hiftory informs us, that (8) when Cairo was taken, "the Turks rifled the "houfes of the Egyptians, as well friends as foes, and "fuffered nothing to be locked up or kept private from "them: and Selim caufed 500 of the chiefeft families "of the Egyptians to be tranfported to Conftantinople, as likewife a great number of the Mamalucs wives and "children, befides the fulan's treafure and other vaft "riches." And fince that time, it is impoffible to fay what immenfe treasures have been drained out of this rich and fertil, but oppreffed and wretched country. The prophecy fays farther, that fome others alfo of the African nations thould fubmit to the conqueror, the Libyans and the Ethiopians fhould be at his steps: And we read in hiftory, that (9) after the conqueft of Egypt, "the terror of Selim's many victories now fpreading "wide, the kings of Afric bordering upon Cyreniaca, "fent their ambaffadors with proffers to become his "tributaries. Other more remote nations alfo towards "Ethiopia were eafily induced to join in amity with the "Turks." At this prefent time alfo many places in Africa befides Egypt, as Algiers, Tunis, &c. are under the dominion of the Turks. One thing more is obfervable with regard to the fate of Egypt, that the particular Rycaut. Vol. I. p. 240, &c. Pauli Jovii Hift. Lib. 18. et Rerum Turc. Comment. in Selymo. Leunclav. Annales Turc. p. 341. Edit. Paris. p. 265. Edit. Venet. Pandect. Hift. Turc. Cap. 207, &c. (8) Savage, ibid. p. 246, et 248. Paulii Juvii Hift. Lib. 18. (9) Savage, ibid. p. 248. Ipfique Africæ reges Cyreniacæ finitimi, qui pendere tributa, et Sulthanis certo foedere parere confueverant, legationes deftinabant.Omnefque hæ gentes, quæ ad Æthiopiam vergunt, ficuti amicitiam potius, quam imperium Sulthanorum agnofcebant, ita victoriæ fama perductæ, in Turcarum fidem facile conceffere. Paulii Jovii Hift. Lib. 18. p. 1062 et 1065. Edit Gryph. 1561. pro prophecy coincides exactly with the general one, as it did before in the inftance of Arabia. It was foretold by Ezekiel, (XXIX. 14. XXX. 12.) that Egypt fhould always be a bafe kingdom, and fubject to ftrangers; and here it is foretold, that in the latter times it thould be made a province to the Turks, as we fee at this day. The two next, which are the two laft verfes of this chapter, I conceive, remain yet to be fulfilled. But tidings out of the east, and out of the north fhall trouble him : therefore he shall go forth with great fury to deftroy, and utterly to make away many. And he jhall plant the tabernacles of his palace, or rather of his camp, between the feas in the glorious holy mountain, or as it is in the margin the mountain of delight and holiness; yet he shall come to his end, and none fhall help him. (ver. 44, 45.) Prideaux (1) and other learned men as well as Porphyry and Grotius, refer this paffage to Antiochus; and to his hearing of the revolt of the provinces in the eaft, and of Artaxias in the north; and to his going forth therefore in great anger and with a great army to reduce them to obedience. But if this part might be fitly applied to Antiochus, yet how could he be faid afterwards to plant the tabernacles of his camp between the feas in the glorious holy mountain ; for he returned no more into Judea, but died in that eastern expedition? Porphyry therefore (2) confiders the word Aphedno, which we tranflate his palace or his camp, as the proper name of a place fituated between the two great rivers, Tigris and Euphrates: But as Jerome replies, he cannot produce any hiftory, wherein mention is made of any fuch place; neither can he fay which is the glorious and holy mountain; befide the folly of interpreting (1) Prideaux Connect. Part 2. B. 3. Anno 164. Houbigant in locum, &c. &c. Porphyr. apud Hieron. Col. 1133. Grotius in locum. Nuntius belli a Partho et Armenio. Parthi ad orientem Antiocho, Armenii ad Septentrionem. De Partho teftimonium habemus Taciti, ubi de Judæis agit, "Rex Antiochus demere fuperftitionem et mores Græcorum dare adnixus, quo minus teterrimam gentem in melius mutaret, Parthico bello prohibitus eft." (2) Aphedno, qui inter duo latiffima fitus eft flumina, Tigrim et Euphratem. Quumque hucufque procefferit, in quo monte inclyto cederit, et fancto, dicere non poteft: quanquam inter duo maria eum fediffe probare non poteft: et ftultum fit duo Mefopotamiæ flumina, duo, maria interpretari. Hieron. Col. 1133. Dd 3 two two feas by two rivers. Father Houbigant (3) under ftands it as the name of a place fituated in the mountains, in which mountains the book of Maccabees relates Antiochus to have died. This place, fays he, was between two feas, namely the Cafpian and Euxine, in Armenia itfelf, where Artaxias prepared rebellion. But neither doth he procure any authority for his affertions. Where doth he read of any fuch place as Aphedno between the Cafpian and Euxine feas? Where doth he read that Antiochus died in the mountains of Armenia? The book of Maccabees, which he allegeth, teftifieth no fuch thing. Both the (4) books of Maccabees agree, that Antio chus died returning out of Perfia, through Babylon according to the first book, through Ecbatana according to the fecond, in the mountains indeed, but it is not faid in what mountains. Antiochus was victorious in Armenia, and did not die there. Befides, with what propriety could any mountain in Armenia be called the glorious holy mountain? Theodotion and Aquila too (5) render it Aphedanos the proper name of a place, as doth Jerome alfo, who taketh it for a place near Nicopolis, which formerly was called Emmaus. Indeed if it be the name of any place, it must be fome place in the holy land; because in the Pfalms (CVI. 24.) the pleafant land, in Jeremiah (III. 19.) the pleafant land, the goodly heritage, and in Ezekiel (XX. 6.) the glory of all lands, and conftantly throughout the book of Daniel, the pleafant land, (VIII. 9.) the glorious land (XI. 16.) and again the glorious land (ver. 41.) are appellatives of the holy land; and fo confequently the glorious holy mountain muft be Sion, or Olivet, or fome mountain in the holy land, which lieth between the feas, (6) the Dead Sea on the (3) Accipimus Aphedno, ut nomen loci, in montibus narrat liber Machabæorum Antiochum occidiffe. Hic locus erat inter duo maria, nimirum mare Cafpium et Pontum Euxinum, in Armenia ipfa, ubi rebellionem parabat Artaxias. Houbigant in locum. (4) 1 Macc. IV, 4. 2 Macc. IX. 2, 28. (5) Theodotio: Et figet tabernacu6 lum fuum in Aphedano inter maria. Aquila: Et plantabit tabernaculum prætorii fui in Aqadavw inter maria. Aphedno juxta Nicopolim, que prius Emmaus vocabatur. Hieron. Col. 1134. (6) Inter duo maria, mare videlicet quod nunc appellatur Mortuum ab oriente, et mare Magnum. Hieron Col. 1134. east, eaft, and the Mediterranean on the weft. But after all Aphedno doth not feem to be the name of any place. They who render it as the proper name of a place, moft probably did not know what elfe to make of it: but the word (7) occurs in Jonathan's Targum of Jeremiah, (XLIII. 10.) and there it fignifies a pavilion, and he fhall Spread his royal pavilion over them; and to the fame purpofe it fhould be tranflated here, he shall plant the tabernacles of his camp between the feas in the glorious holy mountain. This prophecy then cannot by the help of any explanation be made to fit and agree with Antiochus: and in our application of it to the Othman empire, as thefe events are yet future, we cannot pretend to point them out with any certainty and exactnefs. Mr. Mede (8) fuppofeth, that "the tidings from the east and north may "be that of the return of Judah and Ifrael from thofe "quarters. For Judah was carried captive at the first "into the east, and Ifrael by the Affyrian into the north, (namely in refpect of the holy land) and in thofe parts the greatest number of each are dispersed at this day. Of the reduction of Ifrael from the north, fee "the prophecies Jer. XVI. 14, 15. and chap. XXIII. S. alfo chap. XXXI. 8. Or if this tidings from the "north may be fome other thing, yet that from the caft "I may have fome warrant to apply to the Jews return, "from that of the fixth vial in the Apocalyps XVI. 12. "where the waters of the great river Euphrates are dried up, to prepare the way of the kings of the eaft." If this application be not admitted, yet it is univerfally known, that the Perfians are feated to the east of the Othman dominions, and the Ruffians to the north. Perfia hath indeed of late years been miferably torn and diftracted by inteftin divifions; but when it fhall unite again in a fettled government under one fovran, it may become again, as it hath frequently been, a dangerous rival and enemy to the Othman emperor. The power of Ruffia is growing daily; and it is a current tradition among the common people in Turky that their empire fhall one time or other be deftroyed by the Ruffians. Sir Et extendet tentorium fuum אדניה (7) (8) Mede's Works, B. 4. p. 816. fu er eos. Paul Rycaut in his account of the (9) Present State of the Greek Church, fpeaking of the refpect and reverence which the Muscovites have for the fee of Conftantinople, fays alfo that "the Greeks on the other fide have an "efteem and affection for the Mufcovites, as for those "whom ancient prophecies mentioned to be defigned by "God, for their avengers and deliverers in after-ages. Which, if it proveth nothing more, yet proveth that the Greek church interpreted this prophecy much in the fame fenfe as we explain it. However this may be, the Port is at all times jealous of the junction of the two powers of Perfia and Ruffia, and exerts all its policy to prevent it. They are certainly two very formidable neighbours to the Turks; and who can fay what tidings may or may not come from thence to trouble the Port? who can fay, how unlikely foever it be at prefent, that they may not hereafter be made inftruments of providence in the restoration of the Jews? Whatever be the motive and occafion, the Turk fhall go forth with great fury to deftroy, and utterly to make away many. The original word, which we tranflate utterly to make aways (1) fignifies to anathematize, to confecrate, to decote to utter perdition, fo that it ftrongly implies, that this war fhould be made upon a religious account. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his camp between the feas in the glorious holy mountain. It is a notion advanced by (2) fome commentators, that here both the Turk and the Pope are fignified, the former of whom hath fixed his feat between the Mediterranean and Euxine feas at Conftantinople, and the latter between the Mediterranean and Adriatic at Rome; both Antichrifts, the one without, the other within the temple of God. But fuch notions are more ingenious than folid, and have rather the refemblance of worth than the fubftance. Between the feas in the glorious holy mountain muft denote, as we have fhown, fome part of the holy land. There the Turk fhall incamp with all his power, yet he shall come to his end, and none (9) Cap. 3. 83. Anathematizavit, Anathemate vel anathemati, internecioni, perditioni devovit: Confecravit, De votum effecit. Buxtorf. Shall |