Unheard-of Curiosities/1

by Jacques Gaffarel

the contents.

1. The arguments brought against the Eastern men, whereon grounded.
2. The Jewes falsely accused, by Appion, Plutarch, Strabo, Trogus, Tacitus, and Diodorus Siculus, of worshiping Asses, Vines and the Clouds.
3. Whence these Fooleries sprung.
4. The Syrians falsly said to worship Fishes. Xenophon, Cicero, Ælian, Ovid, Martiall, Artemidorus, and Scaliger refuted.
5. The Idol Dagon not figured like a woman, or Siren, as Scaliger would have it : but in the form of a Triton. The Fable layd open.
6. The Samaritans no Idolaters ; no more then Aaron, and Jeroboam, for having made Calves of gold ; according to Abiudan.
7. The Cherubins of the Arke not made in the form of Young men : against the opinion of all, both Greeke and Latin Authors, and the greatest part of the Jewish too.
8. Arguments in defence of the Samaritans.
9. The reasons brought by the Jewes, and Cajetan, touching the figure of the Cherubins, of no force.
10. The Jewes falsly accused of burning their Children to the Idol Moloc. Whence the custome of leaping over the fire of Saint John, hath been derived.

They that publish to the world any new, and Unheard-of Doctrine, that they may give it the greater Authority, and make it passe with the more credit, shew first of all the Integrity of the Man, that was the first Inventor of it : that so, the good opinion that is conceived of the Author, may take away all suspicion, or jealousie, from the things that shall be delivered. The choyce points of learning which we shall here lay down, are so new, that I have adventured to call them Unheard-of. It concerns me therefore, for the better securing them from suspition, to take upon me the defence of the Eastern men, and chiefly of the Jewes, who are the Authors of them, and in point of Curious learning, to defnd their innocency, hitherto so much injured.

1. This nation is commonly abhorred for foure reasons. The 3 last Objections are answered in the folowing chap. The first is, their Idolatry ; which all Authors make them guilty of. The second is, their foolsih vanityes, that their books are full of. The third is, by reason of their blasphemies, they to this day vomit up against our Saviour Jesus Christ. and the last is, for the errors that they maintaine, contrary to the Law. The First of these conceits is grounded on a false perswasion : for, after that it was once believed that the Jewes worshiped the head of an Asse, Hogs, and the Clouds, it was presently concluded, that consequently their writings could not be free from these impieties. The second proceeds from the little knowledge men generally have of the bookes of the Jews. The third, from the hatred men beare to the Jewish Authors. And the fourth, from the Selfe-conceitedness of those that accuse them.

2. For the first of these Objections, Appion, as Josephus affirmes, was the first, that forged it out of his owne braine : and notwithstanding that this excellent Author of the Jewish Antiquities hath learnedly confuted him ; Yet Plutarch takes it still up for a Truth,