ANCIENT SCRIPTURAL HISTORY.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume I, Issue 16, 15 November 1861, Page 12

ANCIENT SCRIPTURAL HISTORY.

Chapter 4th. THE BUILDING OF BABEL. The descendants of Noah were found sitting together on the side to the Eastward, having one language; but by and bye, when they had become numerous, they went to search for a dwelling place for themselves. On their arrival at a suitable place, they determined to build a very lofty house, as a place of gathering for the whole, and that they might get a great name for themselves in lime to come. But God was not willing. His design was that they should be scattered abroad, that the land might quickly be filled with inhabitants. Besides which, if they all dwelt together, wickedness would hastily spring up. And so He confounded their language, so that one did not understand the conversation of another. And thus the people of the earth were divided. Nimrod, a grandson of Ham, dwelt at Babylon, in a groat city to t'lo side of the ■East. That land formerly l-ctoug-tf ;o Asr.hur, and when he was driven forth by Jsiairod,

he migrated to the North, to a river which flows into the Euphrates, and there built Nineveh. Egypt was settled by Mizraim, one of the sons of Ham. That was the land which hastened to forget God, and turn 10 idolatry. Although their knowledge of worldly things was great, what good did they derive from that, so long as God did not dwell in the heart? Enough, the race of man became depraved, and " the glory of the incorruptible God was changed into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts and creeping things." Also some of the descendants of Shem adopted other systems of false worship. They recognised gods in the sun, moon, and stars; and those things, together with fire, were worshipped by them. The earth was formerly enlightened, but now it is covered with darkness.