Sanchoniathon

SANCHONIATHON. It is said that this Name in Phenician signifies the Zeal of the Law. Porphyry, as quoted by Eusebius, Euseb. Præpar. l. 1. c. 9.says, that Sanchoniathon of Berythus, who lived before the Trojan War, being desirous to make a compleat History of what related to the Phenicians, gathered together out of publick Archives, and from particular Cities, all that might contribute to his Design. That to this he joined the Study of the Jewish History, which was supplied him out of the Memoirs of Jerombal Priest of the God Jevo. This Work of Sanchoniathon was first written in Phenician, and afterwards translated into Greek by Philo of Biblos. Porphyry makes large Extracts out of it, which Eusebius has copied, and has inserted into his Books of the Evangelical Preparation. Some Learned Men have thought¹, that Jerombal Priest of the God Jevo, was no other than Gideon, to whom the Scripture Judg. vi. 32.gives also the Name of Jerubbaal, and who might have been taken for a Priest of the God Jevo, because he sacrificed to the God Jehovah, and had an Ephod or Sacerdotal Judg. vi. 20, 26, 27. viii. 27, 29.Vestment in his Possession. But other learned Men in great Numbers², make a Doubt of all that is said of Sanchoniathon; and some of them proceed so far, as to doubt whether such an Author really existed or no, and think that Porphyry, who only has quoted him, was the first Contriver of him.

These are the chief Reasons that gave room to believe, that this Author never had any Being, and that this Work is fictitious, intending to weaken the Authority of the Sacred Books of the Jews, by shewing that their Theology is taken from that of the Phenicians, and at the same time to subvert the Christian Religion, which is founded upon the Old Testament. The first Argument that is advanced against its being authentick, is the Silence of the Antients. What Probability is there that the Grecians, who made so many Conquests in the East, and who were so inquisitive into antient Books, should neglect or forget this? ‘Tis said, that Philo of Biblos did not translate it but in the Time of Adrian. This was still soon enough for its being known and quoted by the antient Greek Fathers, as Justin Martyr, Tatian, Origen, who lived in Egypt or Palestine, who yet make no mention of it. Eusebius, who quotes it, had not seen it intire, he only knew some Fragments of it that were cited by Porphyry.

The second Argument is taken from the Book itself, or from the Fragments of the pretended Sanchoniathon. We may see through his whole Story that he would copy from Moses, and adjust him to the Fables of the Greeks. But in this he succeeds so lamely, that he betrays himself in every Line. He was acquainted with the Chaos of Moses, the Spirit that moved upon the Waters, the Formation of Reasonable Creatures, and of those that are devoid of Reason. He represents the Almighty Fiat of the Creator under the Notion of Thunder, which awakens these Animals, and gives them Life; and under the Name of the Wind Kolpia, or the Word of the Mouth of God. The First-born that he speaks of is Adam, who worships Baal Samin, or the God of Heaven. Nemrum is the same as Nimrod. The Hunter and the Fisher are probably the Founders of Sidon; Zeida in Hebrew signifying Fishing and Hunting. The Husbandman is Noah. Misor is Mizraim the Founder or Father of the Egyptians. Berith is the Wife of Elion. Elion in Hebrew signifies the Most-High; Berith is Covenant. Baal Berith is known in the Book of Judges. Hitherto it is tolerable.

But what does he mean when he says, that the God Dagon is derived from Wheat, and is the same as Jupiter the Siton; that Saturn was surnamed Israel by the Phenicians; that the same Saturn sacrificed his Son Jehud; that they gave the Name of Elohim to the Allies of Ilus or Israel? He had some Knowledge of the History of Abraham and Isaac, but it was so superficial, that he confounds the former with his Grandson Jacob or Israel. The Hebrews sometimes give to God the Name Shadai, that is to say, Self-sufficient. The pretended Sanchoniathon derives it from another Root which signifies the Fields. He has taken many Things from the Fables of the Greeks, which he shuffles into the Theology of the Phenicians and Hebrews. What he says of Leon, and of the First-born, seems to be taken from the Mistake of the Valentinians.

‘Tis affirmed, that he has fallen into a gross Error in speaking of the City of Tyre, which must have been unknown to him, supposing that he lived in the Time of Gideon, and before the Trojan War; because it is believed that Tyre was not built till about Two hundred and forty Years before the Temple of Solomon. But this last Fact is Joseph. Antiq. l. 8. c. 2.attended with Difficulties upon two Accounts; The first is, because Gideon lived Two hundred and forty Years before Solomon; and the second, because old Tyre, Josh. iii. 5. Isai. xiii. 3.built upon the Continent over-against the new one, was probably in being, even from the Time of Joshua. See the Article TYRE. As to Sanchoniathon, the Authors may be consulted whom we have above mentioned.

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