"such as are the Ophanin, the Seraphim, and the "holy living creatures, and the angels who go "forth."

In the use of the word Ophanin, we have then, not only an evident proof that this book was originally Hebrew, but we remark in it the most striking agreement, first with the vision of Ezekiel, and afterwards with that of the Apocalypse.

With whatever probability we might suppose that the description here given is borrowed from the book of the former prophet, it seems to be hardly possible to account for this identity with the Apocalyptical vision, by the supposition that it has been subsequently copied from thence; because if we even imagine that the quotation of St. Jude has been inserted into a later and spurious book, the difficulty will still remain of accounting for many quotations in the early fathers, from those books of Enoch, which I shall shew to be later than the one now under consideration; while it appears that those books themselves had, even at that early period, subsisted long enough to acquire a doubtful authority, with Origen and Tertullian.

G

If the difficulties in point of time were to vanish, we shall still support a difficult hypothesis,

in supposing that there could remain unknown among the Jews or Jewish Christians, a person possessed of sufficient ability, learning, and information, to compose this book, while, though himself unknown or unnoticed in Asia, he should be able to obtain a copy of the Apocalypse, before it had circulated sufficiently to be known to the church in general; while he should also use such knowledge to no better purpose than to forge a book, which could be but of little interest till many centuries had elapsed; contradicting in it nevertheless the prejudices and the expectations, common to every Jew and Jewish Christian of that age, and setting forth with a clearness scarcely inferior to any of the Apostles themselves, the truth, that many ages were to elapse before the coming of the triumphant Saviour to judgment.

To whom this book is to be ascribed I do not presume to conjecture, but that it can hardly be referred to a Jewish Christian of the second century will, I think, be sufficiently evident from these and other circumstances which I shall notice hereafter.

I proceed to shew that another portion of this book has been written originally in the Hebrew language; namely, that which is entitled "The "Book of the Revolutions of the Luminaries of "Heaven according to their several classes, &c." which begins at page 84 of the translation.

After some account of the manner in which the various winds are supposed to blow, it is added, "The first wind is called the eastern, because it is

the first." It is obvious, that though the first and the east have no affinity in English, they must have had some relation to each other in the original language of this book.

Accordingly

P in Hebrew is the first, and

the same word is used for the east likewise. The

synonyms given by Buxtorf for the word, are, Antiquum, Priscum, Item Oriens."

But in the Ethiopic there appears no such coin

cidence. The word for the first, is indeed similar

to the Hebrew, being OP

olph 630,) but the East is

Kadami, (Lud

Tsebahe,

(Ludolph 583,) which has not a sound in any

degree like the preceding word.

"The second wind," it is added, "is called the

south, because the most High there descends, "and frequently there descends He, who is bless"ed for ever." But in Hebrew 2 Nagab, Auster, and л Nakath, descendit, are so nearly identical in sound, that the reason why the two are coupled together, is in this case also obvious.

Yet the Ethiopic differs again still more widely than in the former instance, for the Ethiopic word for the south wind is, " Temane, (Lud

olph 259,) while

P-Murade, is descensus,

(Locus declivis quo descenditur) (Ludolph 421,) so that it may have also the sense of diminution. But with the meaning of descent, it altogether differs in sound from the word Temane which it ought to resemble.

Again, "The western wind has the name of diminution, because there all the luminaries of "heaven are diminished, and descend."

But in the Hebrew,

ND Marah is diminutio.

(Buxtorf, 408.) While 17D Marab is occidens. (Buxtorf, 582.)

The Ethiopic produces no such resemblance,
Netega, is the word for diminutio,

for
(Ludolph 305,) and although the above mentioned

synonym, Murade, has some approach to identity in sound with Marah, yet the Ethiopic word U40 Arabe, occasus solis, of which Ludolph observes (444,) "pro occidente accipitur," is as unlike as the Ethiopic verb P Dohea,

descendit, (Luolph 485,) neither of them having even the same initial consonant.

As far as my slight knowledge of this language extends, I believe there are no other words which would at once give the required sounds, and also agree in meaning with the Hebrew.

One such agreement of sound might occur accidentally without affording the proof for which I am now seeking, but the reader will probably concur with me, in my assumption, that all these coincidences when taken together are a convincing proof that Hebrew was the original language of this tract; and from hence, independently of the proof already adduced, the probability is strengthened that the restored book, which, as will be seen is more ancient, must have been composed in Hebrew also.

I must add some proofs of the same kind which will be found in another portion of Enoch. They