The Preface.
Moſes muſt needs be qualified, even without the help of Divine Revelation (which her certainly had) to write both of the Original, and all of thoſe who were related to them, being bred up in their Country; nay, in their Court till he was XL Years old; and well verſed in all the Wiſdom, that was to be found among them, Acts VII. 22. Which Wiſdom of theirs, I doubt not, was much augmented by Abraham's living among them, as I have obſerved upon XIII 2.) but eſpecially by Joſeph's long Government of that Country, for the ſpace of LXXX Years: Who was indued with ſuch an incomparable Spirit, that the wiſeſt Men among them learnt of him; for he taught their Senators Wiſdom, Pſalm CV. 22. And, in like manner, Moſes lived XL Years more among the Midianites, where, it appears by Jethro, there wanted not Perſons of great Knowledge. And from thence he might eaſily be inſtructed in all that the Arabians knew: Who were no mean People (it appears by the Story of Job and his three Friends, and Elihu, who is ſuppoſed by ſome to have that admirable Book) and were near Neighbours to the moſt famous Nations of the Eaſtern Countries; From whom, it is evidence by this Hiſtory, all Learning, Arts, and Sciences originally came.
