Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/226

 of the legendary heroes to whom the discovery of the various arts and occupations is attributed. Whether the biblical or the Phœnician tradition is the more original may be doubtful; in any case "it is difficult," as Dri. says, "not to think that the Heb. and Phœn. representations spring from a common Canaanite cycle of tradition, which in its turn may have derived at least some of its elements from Babylonia" (Gen. p. 74). Cf. Eus. ''Præp. Ev.'' i. 10 (ed. Heinichen, p. 39 ff.). The Greek text is printed in Müller's Fragm. ''Hist. Græc.'' iii. 566 f. French translations are given by Lenorm. Orig. i. 536 ff., and Lagrange, Études sur les Religions Semitiques$1$, 362 ff. (the latter with a copious commentary and critical introduction).—The passage in Eusebius is much too long to be quoted in full, but the following extracts will give some idea of its contents and its points of similarity with Gen.: Of the two protoplasts and, it is recorded .—The second pair, and, dwelt in Phœnicia, and inaugurated the worship of the sun.—Of the race of and were born three mortal children,, , and : .—Then followed a race of giants, of whom was born [] ( = ) , who founded Tyre. Of him we read: .—The further history of invention names (a) and (c) and ; (d) and  (or ): ; (e) and ; (f) and :. (g) Of was born ; and (h) of, the .—After them came others .—It is impossible to doubt that some traditional elements have been preserved in this extraordinary medley of euhemerism and archæology, however unfavourably it may contrast with the simplicity of the biblical record.]
 * (b) ;

IV. 25, 26.—Fragmentary Sethite Genealogy.

The vv. are the beginning of a Yahwistic genealogy (see above, p. 99), of which another fragment has fortunately been preserved in 5$29$ (Noah). Since it is thus seen to have