SETH, Son of Adam and of Eve, was Gen. v. 3, 6, 10, 11.born in the Year of the World 130. Seth at the Age of one hundred and five Years begat Enos, in the Year of the World 235. He lived after this eight hundred and seven Years; in all nine hundred and twelve Years, and died in the Year of the World 1042, before Christ 2958, before the vulgar Era 2962. Seth was the Chief of the Race of the Saints, and of the Children of God, as the Scripture calls them, who preserved the Gen. vi. 2.true Religion and Piety in the World, when as the Descendants of Cain gave themselves up to all Sorts of Wickedness.
The Apocryphal Book call’d the lesser Syncell. Chronic. p. 10. ex parva Genesi.Genesis, pretends, that when Seth was forty Years of Age, he was rapt, up into Heaven by the Angels, and was there told of the Crime that the Watchers or Angels should commit; the Deluge that should drown the World, and the coming of our Saviour into the World: Of which Events he inform’d his Parents Adam and Eve. ‘Tis there read also, that the Posterity of Seth continued for a thousand Years after the Creation of the World in the Country, just above Eden, where they lived in profound Peace and Quiet; but the Devil being envious of their Happiness and Innocence, seduced them by the Charms and Beauty of the Daughters of Men. Or as Moses says, The Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men, that they were Fair; and they took them Wives of all which they chose. Lastly, the same Book tells us, that Seth at the Age of one hundred and ninety one Years, took to Wife his own Sister call’d Azura. Epiphanius a calls her Orea; Irenæ. l. 1. c. 34. ex Gnost. Epiphan. hæres. 39. c. 1.and Irenæus, or rather the Gnosticks in Irenæus, call her Norea.
The Hereticks call’d Sethians believed, that Seth was the Christ, and that Jesus Christ was no other than this Patriarch, who after having been transported out of the World, did at last return into it again in a miraculous Manner, and was named Jesus. They did not acknowledge his Birth of the Virgin Mary, but pretended he appear’d again in the World after a Manner that was altogether miraculous. They said he had the Name of God given him before the Deluge;1 for it was of his Sons that it was said, The Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men. And this was either because of his eminent Piety, or because he invented the Use of Letters and Writing, and the Names of the Stars and Planets. An antient Chronicle says2, that this Patriarch being snatch’d up into Heaven, as we have said before, his Face ever afterwards appear’d luminous, like Moses’s Face after he had conversed with the Lord upon Mount Sinai. Several impertinent Books have been Ex. xxxiv. 29, 30. Joseph. Antiq. l. 1. c. 2.ascribed to Seth. ‘Tis known what Josephus says of the two Columns erected before the Deluge by the Children of Seth. One was of Brick, to withstand the Fire; and the other was of Stone, to withstand the Water, upon which they inscribed their Discoveries in Astronomy. Lambecius cites Lamb. l. 7. p. 261.a Manuscript in the Emperor’s Library, call’d, The Astronomy delivered by an Angel to the Patriarch Seth. The Author of the imperfect Work upon St. Matthew, Aut. Oper. imperf. in Matth. homil. 2.speaks of a certain Book that bore the Name of Seth, which mention’d the Star that appear’d to the Magi, and the Presents they made to our Saviour. Epiphanius says,3 that the Gnosticks and Sethians had several Books that bore the Name of Seth. The Mahometans assure us,4 that God sent Seth not less than fifty Volumes, which were5 brought him from Heaven. The Arabians, the Ethiopians, and the Samaritans, pretend also to have the Books of this antient Patriarch. See Fabricius, Apocrypha V. T. Art. SETH.
The Mussulmen hold by a fabulous D’Herbel. Bib. Orien. p. 734. col. 2. Gen. vi. 2.Tradition, that those who are call’d in Scripture, the Children of God, were of a peculiar Species, between Men and Angels. They made a continual War with the Dives or Giants, which were the Children of Cain. The Patriarch Seth had made a Law, which was contain’d in a Book call’d, the Book of Seth, wherein were the pretended Revelations he had received to confirm his Mission. And his Descendants usually swore, by the true Law of the Prophet Seth. The same Mussulmen believe, that when this Patriarch had visited the Sepulchre of Adam, which was in the midst of the Earth, in the Place where afterwards was built Jerusalem, and the Temple; he came into Arabia foelix, and there built the City Medinath Al-Scheith, the City of Seth, and Medinoth Al-Jemen, the Cipital City of Jemen, which still bear those Names.
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