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mainly in English
Section A(4) of a huge collection of disordered fragmentary drafts on ancient history in which Newton correlates Jewish, Greek and Egyptian chronology. Much of the historical material later found its way into the posthumous 'Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended' (1728). These papers also contain a draft interpretation of the visions of Daniel.
Bought at the Sotheby sale by Gabriel Wells for £90 and presumably acquired by Yahuda not long afterwards.
rians, the rapture of Europa happened not long before the
building of Solomon's Temple. The voyage of Menelaus might
be in pursuit of Paris & Helena twenty years before the destructi
on of Troy. Solomon therefore reigned in the times between the
raptures of Europa & Helena & Europa & her brother Cadmus
flourished in the days of David, Minos the son of Europa
flourished in the days of Solomon; & his children of Minos,
(namely Androgeus his eldest son, Deucalion his youngest son
& one of the Argonauts, Ariadne the mistress of Theseus
& Bacchus, & Phædra the wife of Theseus,) flourished in the
days of Rehoboam Abia & Asa.
The Expedition of Sesostris was one generation
older then the Argonautic Expedition. For in his return
back into Egypt, he left Æetes at Colchos, & Æetes reigned
there till the Argonautic Expedition, For in his return back
Prometheus was left with a body of men at Mount Caucasus
by Sesostris & after thirty years released by Hercules the
Argonaut. At the return of Sesostris into Egypt, his brother
Danaus fled from him into Greece with his fifty daughters in
a long ship, after the pattern of which the ship Argo was
built, & Argus the son of Danaus was reputed the master
builder. And Nauplias the Argonaut was born in Greece
of Amymone one of the daughters of Danaus soon after
their arrival. And two others of the daughters of Danaus
married Archander & Archilites the sons of Achæus
the son of Creusa the daughter of Erechtheus king of
Athens & therefore the daughters of Danaus were three ge
nerations younger then Erechtheus & by consequence contempo
rary to Theseus the son of Ægeus the adopted son of Pandion
the son of Erechtheus, & Theseus in the time of the Argo
nautic expedition was about 51
Helenaa
Argonaut. l. 1. v.
101.Argonautic Expedition being then fifty
years old, & she but seven or, as some say, ten. Perithous
Perithous the son of Ixion helped Theseus b
Theseo.
went with Perithous b
king of the Molossi, & was imprisoned by Aidoneus, & whilst
he lay in prison, Castor & Pollux released their sister Helena
& captivated Æthra the mother of Theseus, & then sailed th
the Argonauts. Now the daughters of Danaus being contemporary
to Theseus, & some of their sons being Argonauts, Danaus with his
daughters fled from his brother Sesostris into Greece about one genera
tion before the Argonautic Expedition & therefore Sesostris returned into into Egypt in the reign of Rehoboam & so was Sesac. For both
of them were kings of all Egypt at one & the same time, & they
agree not only in time but also in their actions, & conquests.
Herodotus describes the Expedition of Sesostris, IosephusccIoseph. Antiq.
l. 8. c. 4.
he described the Expedition of Sesac & attributed his actions to
Sesostris, erring only in the name of the King. Corruptions of names
are frequent in history. Sesostris was otherwise called Sesochris
Sesoosis, Sethosis, Sesonchis, Sesonchosis. Take away the Greek
terminations & the name becomes Sesost, Sesoch, Sesoos, Sethos,
Sesonch: which names differ very little from Sesach. As the
Greeks changed Moph into Memphys so they changed Sesac
into Sesonchis.
Sesac came out of Egypt in the fift year of Rehoboam
& spent nine years in that Expedition,
back into Egypt in the 14th year of Rehoboam. At that time
he left Æetes at Colchos; & P
Ino the daughter of Cadmus to Æstes soon after. Ino was therefore
alive in the 14thyear of Rehoboam, & by consequence her father
was the father of Polydorus, the father of Labdacus, the
father of Laius, the father of Oedipus, the father of
Eteocles & Polynices who in their youth slew one another
in the war of the seven captains at Thebes about
years after the Argonautic Expedition. And Tersan
der the son of Polynices warred at Troy. These generations
being by the eldest sons 24 or 26
to a generation, they . at which rate Polydorus might be born about
the beginning of Davids reign
Greece when he was about 12 or 16 years old sixt yeare of Davids reign or thereabouts
the eldest son of Minos upon his overcoming in the Athenæa
or quadrennial games at Athens in his youth was perfidious
ly slain out of envy & Minos thereupon made war upon the
Athenians, & compelled them to send every eighth year to
Crete seven beardless youths & as many young Virgins to be
given as a reward to him that should get the victory in the
like games instituted in Crete in honour of Androgeus.
These games seem to have been celebrated in the beginning of
the Octaeteris & the Athenea in the beginning of the Tetra
eteris then brought into Crete & Greece by the Phænicians. And
upon the third payment of this tribute of children, that is, about
twenty years after the death of Androgeus Theseus became Victor
& returned with from Crete with Ariadne the daughter of Minos
& coming to the island Naxus or Dia, Ariadnebb Euanthe
pud Athen
l. 6. p. 29
taken from him by Glaucus a commander at sea & became
the mistress of the great Bacchus & by him had two sons
Phlias & Eumedon who were Argonauts. Minos was therefore
about 65 or 70 years old when Theseus overcame;
mother Europa & her brother Cadmus came into Crete &
Greece about the middle of Davids reign or but a little before about the 27 & Theseus born about the 28thyear of Solomonth th
Polydorusa
of Nicteus
under the administration of Nicteus. Then Epopeus king of
Ægialus, afterwards called Sicyon stole Antiopa the daughter
of Nicteus, & thereupon made war upon him, & in a battel
wherein Nicteus overcame, both were wounded & died soon
after. Nicteus left the tuition of Labdacus & administration
of the kingdom to his brother Lycus, and Epopeus ( or (as
Hyginus bb Hygin. Fab. 7 &
8.
who presently ended the war by sending home Antiopa, &
she in returning home brought
Labdacus being grown up received the kingdom from Lycus,
& afterwards
When Amphion & Zethus were about 20 years old, at the
instigation of their mother Antiopa, they killed Lycus &
made Laius the young son of Labdacus fly to Pelops &
seized the city Thebes & compassed it with a wall. Amphion
children amongst whom was Chloris the mother of Periclymenus
who was one of the Argonauts. Amphion & Zethus, Niobe
& Pelops, Lamedon & Laius were therefore two little gene
rations older then the Argonauts, & Epopeus
to Polydorus. Agamemnon & Menelaus the sons of Plisthenes
the
war, & so were Idomeneus & Meriones the grandsons of
Minos. And Deucalion the son of Minos & grandson of Europa
was an Argonaut. And by all these circumstances the coming
rians, the rapture of Europa happened not long before
the building of Solomon's Temple. The voyage of Mene
laus might be in pursuit of Paris & Helena 20 years before
the destruction of Troy. Solomon therefore reigned in the
times between the raptures of Europa & Helena, & Europa
& her brother Cadmus flourished in the days of David,
Minos the son of Europa flourished in the days of Solo
mon; & the children of Minos, namely Androgeus his
eldest son, Deucalion his youngest son & one of the
Argonauts, Ariadne the
& Phædra the wife of Theseus flourished in the days
of Rehoboam Abia & Asa.
The expedition of Sesostris was one generation older
then the Argonautic expedition. For in his return back
into Egypt, he left Æetes at Colchos, & Æetes reigned
there till the Argonautic expedition. Prometheus was left
with a body of men at mount Caucasus by Sesostris &
after 30 years released by Hercules the Argonaut.
At the return of Sesostris into Egypt, his brother Da
naus fled from him into Greece with his fifty daughters
in a long ship, after the pattern of ch
was built: & Argus the son of Danaus was reputed
the master builder. And Nauplius the Argonaut was
born in Greece of Amymone one of the Daughters of
Danaus soon after their arrival. And two others of the
daughters of Danaus married Archander & Archilites
the sons of Achæus the son of Creusa the daughter of
Erechtheus king of Athens & therefore the daughters of
Danaus were three generations younger then Erechtheus,
& by consequence contemporary to Theseus the son of Ægeus
the adopted son of Pandion the son of Erechtheus, &
Theseo
stole Hellena about just before about
being then 50 years old & she but
fore contemporary to Rehoboam & by consequence was Sesac.
For Sesostris & Sesac were both of them kings of Egypt,
& they agree not only in time but also in their actions
& conquests. aa Apollonius in Argonaut. l. 1. v. 101.
being then fifty years old & she but seven, or, as some say,
ten. At that time Perithous the son of Ixion helped Theseus, & then
Theseus went with Perithous b
Aidoneus king of the Molossi, & was imprisoned by Aidoneus; &
whilTheseus
sister Helena & captivated Æthra the mother of Theseus &
then sailed with the Argonauts. t
being contemporary to Theseus, Danaus & his brother Sesostris
were thereforeone generation older then that Expedition, & so flourished
contemporary to Ægeus & who flo & so
ration before their
taurs, that is, the upon horses in Greece upon horses. So then Sesostris For both of were
at one & the same time, And they agree not only in time but also in
& agreeing also in their actions & conquests.
Sesostris, Iosephus
l. 8. c. 4
of Sesac & attributed his actions to Sesostris, erring only in
the name of the king. Corruptions of names are frequent
in history. Sesostris was otherwise called Sesochris, Sesoosis,
Sethosis, Sesonchis, Sesonchosis. Take away the Greek term
minations & the names become Sesost, Sesoch, Sesoos, Sethos
Sesonch: which names differ very little from Sesac. As the
Greeks changed Moph into Memphys so they changed Sesac
into Sesonchis.
Sesac came out of Egypt in the fift year of Rehobo
am
returned back into Egypt in the 14th year of Rehoboam, & at
that time left Æetes at Colchos; & Phrixus & his sister
Helle fled from Ino the daughter of Cadmus to Æetis soon
after. Inth year of Rehobo
am, & by consequence her father Cadmus flourished in e
the father of Labdacus, the father of Laius, the father of
Oedipus, the father of Eteocles & Polynices who in their
youth slew one another in the war of the seven captains
at Thebes about ten years after the Argonautic expedition
And Thersander the son of Polynices warred at Troy. These
generations being by the eldest sons may be recconed at about
245ch
might be born about the beginning of Davids reign & come
with his father into Greece when he was about 16 or 18 years
old. Androgeus the eldest son of Minos upon his recovering
in the Athenæa or quadrennial games at Athens in his
youth, was perfidiously slain out of envy & Minos there
upon made war upon the Atheneans & compelled them to
send every eighth year seven beardless youths & as many
young Virgins to be given as a reward to him that should
get the victory in the like games instituted in Crete in
honour of Androgeus. These games seem to have been
celebrated in the beginning of the Octaeteris, & the Athe
næa in the beginning of the Tetraeteris then brought into
Crete & Greece by the Phenicians. And upon the third
payment of this tribute of children, that is about 20 years
after the death of Androgeus, Theseus became victor &
returned from Crete with Ariadne the daughter of Minos
& coming to the island Naxus or Dia, Ariadne was
there taken from him by Glaucus a commander at sea,
Athenæum l. 6.
p. 296.
& became the mistress of the great Bacchus & by her
had two sons Phlias & Eumedon who were Argonauts.
Minos was therefore about 65 or 70 years old when Theseus
overcame; & his mother Europa & her brother Cadmus came
into Crete & Greece about the middle of Davids reign or but a very little before.
daughter of Nicteus, & dying left his kingdom & young
son Labdacus under the administration of Nicteus. Then
Epopeus king of Ægyalus (afterwards called Sicyon) stole
Antiopa the daughter of Nicteus, & thereupon Nicteus
made war upon him & in a battel wherein Nicteus
overcame, both were wounded & died soon after Nicteus
left the tuition of Labdacus & administration of king
dom to his brother Lycus, & Epopeus (or as Hyginus
him, Epaphus) left his kingdom to Lamedon, who presently
ended the war by sending home Antiopa, & she in return
ing home brought forth Amphion & Zethus. Labdacus being
grown up received the kingdom from Lycus, & afterwards
dying left it again to his administration. When Amphion
& Zethus were about 20 years old, at the instigation of
their mother Antiopa they killed Lycus & made Laius
the young son of Labdacus fly to Pelops, & seized the
city Thebes & compassed it with a wall. Amphion married
Niobe the sister of Pelops & by her had several children
amongst whom was Chloris the mother of Periclymenus
who was one of the Argonauts. Amphion & Zethus,
Niobe
& Pelops, Lamedon & Laius were therefore two
was contemporary to Polydorus. Agamemnon & Menelaus
the sons of Plisthenes the son of Atreus the son of Pelops
were at the Trojan war & so were Idomeneus & Meriones
the grandsons of Minos. And Deucalion the son of Minos
& grandson of Europa was an Argonaut. And by all
these circumstances, the coming of Cadmus & Europa
into Greece & Crete is determined to be about three ordinary
generations or an hundred years before the Argonautic
expedition, & four ordinary generations before the
destruction of Troy.
In the days of Erechtheus king of Athens & Celeus
king of Eleusis, Ceres a woman of Sicily came into Attica
& taught Triptolemus the son of Celeus to sow corn. She
lay with Iasion the brother of Harmonia the wife of Cadmus.
Diodor. l. 5. p. 237.
And soon after her death Erechtheus was slain in a war be
tween the Athenians & Eleusinians; & for the benefaction
of bringing tillage into Greece
instituted to her by Celeus & Eumolpus, & a sepulchre or
Temple was built to her in Eleusine, & the families of
Eumolpus & Celeus became her Priests. And this is the
first instance that I meet with in Greece of deifying the
dead with Temples & sacred rites & sacrifices & initiations
& succession of Priests to perform them. Now by this
history it is manifest that Erechtheus, Celeus, Eumolpus,
Ceres, Iasion, Harmonia & Cadmus were all contempo
rary to one another, & therefore
or 100 years before the Argonautic Expedition & scarce
above. For Calais & Zetes the sons of Orithyia the
daughter of Erechtheus were Argonauts.
Suidas in
naus the successor of Cecrops. Car the son of Phoroneus
the son of Inachus built a Temple to Ceres in Megara
Arcas the son of Callisto the daughter of Lycaon the
son of Æceus (or as some say, of Pelasgus) received
corn from Triptolemus, & taught his people to make bread
of it. Myles the son of Lelex was the first who set up
p. 260 & l. 4. c. 1
p. 280.
a hand mill or Quern in Greece to grind corn & Polycaon
the
Triopas the son of Phorbas the brother of Pirasus.
p. 376.
came into Peloponnesus in the reign of Epeus the son of
Endymion the son of Aethlius the son of Ætolus
the brother of Epeus slew Apis the
& their younger son Ion upon the death of Ceres commanded the army of
Athenians against the Eleusinians. And Cephalus the son of Deioneus the
son of Helen married Procris the daughter of Erechtheus & Procris fled from
her husband to Minos. And Phryxus & Helle the children of Athamas the
daughter of Cadmus to Æetes at Colchos presently after the return of Sesostris
into Egypt. And Iason was the son of Æson the son of Critheus the son of
Æolus the son of Hellen. And the Greeks say that Amphictyon the brother
of Hellen & son of Deucalion reigned with Cranaus over Attica, & that
the flood of Deucalion was in the reign of Cranaus, And by these circum & in that of Nyctimus the son of Lycaon. And by these
stances &c
circumstances &c
And by these circumstances Cecrops, Inachus, Æzeus, Pe
lasgus, Lelex, Phorbas, Pirasus, & Æolus
three generations before the coming of Cadmus into Europe.
Certainly they could not be earlier because Cadmus
brought in letter letters, & it is not likely that any thing
done in Europe could be remembered above three generations
before the use of letters. These men came with colo
nies from Egypt & began to build towns soon after their
coming. And these towns are recconed the oldest in Europe.
be peopled only by Scythians from the north side of the
Euxine sea, & the Scythians long after those days lived
without towns in houses.