JVstin Martyr saith , that the Translation was performed , not in the Citie of Alexandria , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the description whereof , let it bee given according to Philo Judaeus .

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p. 448. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. that is , The Ile Pharos lieth under Alexandria stretching it self toward the Citie , wash'd about not with a deep , but , for the most part , a shallow Sea , which Considered with the largeness doth verie much abate from the streperous nois and turbulencie of the waves , This ( Isle ) of all other places thereabout beeing judged the most convenient for privacie and quietness , and where the Law might bee best attended by everie man in his most retired meditations , here the Seniors remained , and taking the holie Bible into their hands , they lifted both it and them up into Heaven beseeching Almightie God not to fail them in their purpose , &c. So Philo.

Aristaeas speaketh more distinctly for the Place . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. that is , Three daies beeing passed , Demetrius took ( the Seniors ) along with him , and having gotten over the Heptastadium and the Bridg , hee brought them to the North parts of the Isle , where hee placed the Assemblie in a hous fitted for them , standing upon the shore , free from all inquietude , and having all the conveniences of situation , &c , And it seemeth to mee , that by these words of Aristaeas , somthing more may bee discovered concerning the Place ; for the probabilitie from hence is good , that the Hous here spoken of , should bee meant of that famous Tower which Sostratus of Cnidus set up in this Isle Pharos , to direct the Mariners in the dangerous Seas about Alexandria : And the situation verie well agreeth , becaus the Tower also stood North , and upon the Sea side . And the Nubian Geographer , where hee describeth this Tower , telleth us , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there were certain Cels erected in it . But Justin Martyr putteth us out of doubt : for hee saith , That the Place where the Cels were set up , was * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ubi Phari speculum aedificari contigit , which is all one with that wee believed .

And wee have caus to think , that seeing the King intended this matter of the Translation , with so much Princely care and providence , that hee would make chois of such a Seat , as might most eminently adorn his purpose ; and therefore it was answerably don to chuse the Tower , which was everie waie worthie of this glorious emploiment : for the Arabick Geographer saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the whole world cannot shew such another Building as this Tower , whether wee consider it for the Materials , or for the manner of the Structure . The Reader may see a large description of it in this Autor , in the third Part of the third Clime .

But seeing the thing was don in Egypt , let the Storie of it also bee delivered in their Language , and set down in Hieroglyphicks .

And did it not well becom the business , that the Scripture should bee translated in this Place ? In a Tower : to note out to the Interpreters , the Sublimitie of those things which they had now in hand ; that when they went up to their work , everie step they asscended might elevate their Mindes one degree nearer to the Contemplations of Heaven . And how fitly was it don by the Sea-side ; that but a little of Earth might bee seen to those , who had now to deal with such things , as had nothing in them that was Terrene ? But most of all convenient it was , that it should bee don in this Tower ; For that which hung out a Candle to the doubtful Mariner in the perillous Seas , did it not well that it should also hold out A light to the Gentiles ? The Coast of Alexandria was dangerous for anie , least of all for the Natives , becaus they were acquainted with the Passages ; but a stranger durst not venter without som direction from this Beacon . Such was our waie to Heaven ; intricate enough to all Nations , yet more obvious to the Jew , becaus to him were committed the Oracles of God : But wee the Gentiles having no other direction but the light of Nature , could not so well tell how to pass the Streits to Heaven , without som help from the Word ; which , though it were alwaies a Light , yet was it never held out unto us , till this time of the Translation : and therefore was it verie singularly congruous , that from this Place , from whence the Sea-faring men took their notice by a Light , to escape the hazard of those waies they knew not ; that it should pleas God also , by the Lantern of his Word , to give aim to the People that sate in Darkness . Musaeus in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 — Therefore when ever thou shalt chance to go that waie , enquire out for Pharos . Anie remainder of this Tower would bee worth the seeing , and Justin Martyr , though there were but a stone left upon a stone , yet hee went purposely to take notice of it .

Why the King should make chois of the Isle for the Interpretation rather then the Citie ; one reason was , to avoid the disturbance of the multitude , for Alexandria was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , A Citie full of Inhabitants , as it is observed by the Scholiast upon Dionysius Afer . And in times past even before it was Alexandria , it had been verie much frequented with a confluence of People ; for so it is noted unto us by the Prophet Nachum , where hee would know of Nineveh , Whither thee thought her self Better then Populous No , that is saith Chimki 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alexandria in Egypt as it is also interpreted by that Antient Chaldee Paraphrase , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Art thou better then the great Alexandria , &c. Targum in Hac . which was performed by the son of Vziel seventeen hundred years past .

Another Reason was for the safetie of the Translators , and this is given by Philo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. where hee urgeth this Reason from the unhealthfulness of the Place , which happened to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. by the varietie and constancie of the diseases which reigned among the People . For besides the general distemperature of the air of Egypt , which was calidus & nocivus , hot and hurtful ; as it is affirmed by Joh. Leo African . one that knew it well , insomuch that a Plague at Grand Cairo could cut off twentie thousand in one daie : besides I saie , these more universal Conditions , Philo intimateth from a particular Caus , that there should bee a more usuall Mortalitie heer then elswhere , and that was , The Concours of all manner of living Creatures to this Place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. And it is to bee conceived , that the Autor meaneth by this not onely a multitude of Men , but also that great varietie of strange Beasts and Fowls which were continually bred up about the Court in Alexandria , mention whereof is made by Ptolomie the King in his Commentaries , Lib. 12. which was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . And these Creatures were transported from all parts of the world , and there bred up not onely for their Raritie , and the Kings Recreation but also to furnish his Table ; for so it seemeth by Ptolomie's words in that Book — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , where hee noteth concerning those Phesants that were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the King of Egypt had of them not onely brought out of Media , but also hatch'd at home in such a Number that his Table might bee served with them when hee pleased : though wee may observ by the waie , that these kinde of Birds in those daies , were ( for the most part ) kept for the Eie , rather then for the Bellie ; insomuch that Ptolomie the King in the book before cited professeth , that hee never tasted of a Phesant in all his life ; whereupon Athenaeus observeth , That if this noble King had liv'd in his daies , wherein the Luxurie was such , that everie man must have a Pheasant at his Table , ( though hee had alreadie written 24. Books in this kinde , yet ) hee saith , that hee would surely have written one more purposely to note out this thing . This by the waie ; becaus Philo saith , that the Places within the Citie were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , full of all manner of Creatures . And this howsoever urged by him onely for a greater Caus of Infection , yet it may bee thought by som to have a further aim ; for the Egyptian beeing aware of this , that the Jew was bound to make a distinction between clean and unclean beasts , might apprehend it in the strictness ; and therefore carefully remove the Seniors from the verie sight of those things which were an abomination unto them . But in this wee have but prevented the Curious , and therefore if the Conjecture bee not sound enough , it may bee the less regarded .

But more then what is urged by Philo for the ill disposition of the place may elswhere bee observed .

The Prophet Nachum saith , that Alexandria is situate upon the waters , not onely becaus the waters laie all about it , but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that they were conveied into it under ground , as Chimhi there hath it . And the Arabian more plainly in the Nubian Geographie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is , the river Nile comming from the West , runneth under the Arches of all their Houses : The manner how this was don is set down by John Leo in his description of Africa , Cuique ferè domui Civitatis ingens cisterna concamerata , crassisque innitens fornicibus substructa est , in quas exundans Nilus per Aquaeductum in planitie , magno artificio constructum extra Alexandriam , deductus sub eius moenibus demittitur , &c. This artificial conveiance of the River though it bee otherwise acceptable to the Inhabitants yet it could not bee without som annoiance to the Air , the Complexion whereof suffered much alteration by the noisom vapors which rose up out of the waters , which in tract of time putrified in their Cisterns . It is the experience of this John in the words following . Cisternae porrò temporis successu turbidae ac coenosae redditae plurimis aestivo tempore languoribus occasionem praebent , &c. And the same Autor affordeth us yet another inconvenience to make us more sure of the Insalubritie of this Place : And it ariseth by reason of certain little Gardens planted near to the Citie , the fruits whereof were of such an ill Condition , that the Inhabitants were thereby made subject to verie noxious Feavers and manie other diseases : for so John reporteth in the Chapter aforesaid : Juxta aquaeductum per quem Nilus in civitatem transmittitur , exigui visuntur Horti sed quorum fructus ad maturitatem perventi accolas noxiis febribus aliisque morbis afficiunt , &c.

These things considered , the Reason was good , why the Isle should bee chosen rather then the Citie , to bee a Place for the Interpreters .