Bossuet's History of the World: The Third Age

We continue with Bossuet's twelve epochs of ancient history: the third age.


426 years after the deluge, when men walked every one in his own way, and grew forgetful of Him that made them, that great God, to stop the progress of so great an evil, in the midst of corruption begun to set apart a chosen people four Himself. 1921 BC Abraham was chosen to be the stock and father of all believers.  God called him into the land of Canaan, where he intended to establish his worship, and the children of that patriarch, whom he had resolved to multiply as the stars of heaven, and as the sand of the sea.  To the promise he made him of giving the land to his offspring, he added somewhat far more glorious, and this was that a great blessing which was to be extended to all the nations of the world in Jesus Christ proceeding from his race.

Quatre cens vingt-six ans aprés le deluge, comme les peuples marchoient chacun en sa voye, et oublioient celuy qui les avoit faits, ce grand Dieu pour empescher le progrés d’un si grand mal, au milieu de la corruption, commença à se separer un peuple éleû. Abraham fut choisi pour estre la tige et le pere de tous les croyans. Dieu l’appella dans la terre de Chanaan où il vouloit établir son culte et les enfans de ce patriarche qu’il avoit résolu de multiplier comme les étoiles du ciel, et comme le
sable de la mer. à la promesse qu’il luy fit de donner cette terre à ses descendans, il joignit [p. 14] quelque chose de bien plus illustre ; et ce fut cette grande benediction qui devoit estre répanduë sur tous les peuples du monde en Jesus Christ sorti de sa race.



It was that Jesus Christ whom are Abraham honours in the person of the high-priest Melchisedech who represents him; it is to him he pays the tithe of the spoil he had one from the vanquished kings; and it is by him or he is blessed.  Though possessed of immense riches, and of a power which equalled that of kings, Abraham preserved the primitive manners; he led always a plain and pastoral life, which, however, wanted not its magnificence; and this that patriarch showed  1856 BC  particularly by exercising hospitality to all men.  Heaven furnished him with guests; angels imparted to him the counsels of God; he believed, and in everything approved himself full of faith and piety.

C’est ce Jesus-Christ qu’Abraham honore en la personne du grand pontife Melchisedec qui le represente ; c’est à luy qu’il paye la dixme du butin qu’il avoit gagné sur les rois vaincus; et c’est par luy qu’il est beni. Dans des richesses immenses, et dans une puissance qui égaloit celle des rois, Abraham conserva les mœurs antiques: il mena toûjours une vie simple et pastorale, qui toutefois avoit sa magnificence que ce patriarche faisoit paroistre principalement en exerçant l’hospitalité envers tout le monde. Le ciel luy donna des hostes; les anges luy apprirent les conseils de Dieu; il y crut, et parut en tout
plein de foy et de pieté. 

Rebecca & Isaac. J-J Tissot

In his time Inachus,[1] the most ancient of all the kings acknowledged by the Greeks, founded the kingdom of Argos.  After Abraham we find Isaac his son, and Jacob his grand-son, imitators of his faith and simplicity in the same pastoral life.  God repeats to them also the same promises he had made to their father, and conducts them, as he had done him, in all things.   1759 BC Isaac blesseth Jacob, to the prejudice of Esau his elder brother, and though he deceived in appearance, he in effect executes the counsels of God.  Jacob, whom god protected, in everything excelled Esau.  An angel, with whom he had a mysterious wrestling, gave him the name of Israel, whence his children are called Israelites.  To him were born the 12 patriarchs, fathers of the 12 tribes of the Hebrew people; among others Levi, from whom were to precede the ministers in sacred things; Judah, from whom was to spring, together with the royal race, the Christ, king of kings, and lord of lords so; and Joseph, whom Jacob loved above all his other children.
[1] In Greek mythology, Inăchus, Inachos or Inakhos (Ancient Greek: Ἴναχος) was the first king of Argos. Inachus is the most ancient god or hero of Argos.[5] According to Robert Graves, he was a descendant of Iapetus. Argos is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world

De son temps Inachus le plus ancien de tous les rois connus par les grecs, fonda le royaume d’Argos. Aprés Abraham, on trouve Isaac son fils, et Jacob son petit-fils, imitateurs de sa foy et de sa simplicité dans la mesme vie pastorale. Dieu leur réïtere aussi les mesmes promesses qu’il avoit faites à leur pere, et les conduit comme luy en toutes choses. Isaac benit Jacob
au préjudice d’Esaü son frere aisné ; et trompé en apparence, en effet il exécute les conseils de Dieu. Jacob que Dieu protegeoit excella en tout au dessus d’Esaü. Un ange contre qui il eût un combat plein de mysteres, luy [p. 15] donna le nom
d’Israël, d’où ses enfans sont appellez les israëlites. De luy nasquirent les douze patriarches, peres des douze tribus du peuple hebreu: entre autres Levi, d’où devoient sortir les ministres des choses sacrées; Juda, d’où devoit sortir avec la race royale le Christ roy des rois et seigneur des seigneurs; et Joseph, que Jacob aima plus que tous ses autres enfans.

Joseph in prison. J-J Tissot

There new secrets of divine providence are disclosed.  We see before all things the innocence and wisdom of young Joseph, ever an enemy to vice, and careful to reprove it in his brethren; his mysterious and prophetical dreams; his brethren jealous, and jealousy a second time  1728 BC  the cause of a parricide; that great man sold; the fidelity he observes to his master, and his admirable chastity; the persecutions it draws upon him; his imprisonment and constancy; his predictions; his miraculous deliverance;  1715 BC  that famous interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams; the merit of so great a man acknowledged; his exalted genius and upright heart, and the protection of God, who gives him rules wherever he is; his foresight, wise counsels, and absolute power in the kingdom of the lower Egypt; and this the means of preserving his father Jacob and his family.

Là se déclarent de nouveaux secrets de la providence divine. On y voit avant toutes choses l’innocence et la sagesse du jeune Joseph toûjours ennemie des vices, et soigneuse de les réprimer dans ses freres; ses songes mysterieux et prophetiques; ses freres jaloux, et la jalousie cause pour la seconde fois d’un parricide ; la vente de ce grand homme ; la fidelité qu’il garde à son maistre, et sa chasteté admirable ; les persecutions qu’elle luy attire ; sa prison, et sa constance ; ses prédictions; sa delivrance miraculeuse ; cette fameuse explication des songes de pharaon; le merite d’un si grand homme reconnu; son génie élevé et droit, et la protection de Dieu qui le fait dominer par tout où il est; sa prévoyance ; ses sages conseils, et son pouvoir absolu dans le royaume de la basse Egypte ; par ce moyen le salut de son pere Jacob et de sa famille. 



That family favoured by God is thus settled in that part of Egypt whereof Tanis was the capital, and whose kings took all the name of Pharaoh.  1689 BC  Jacob dies and a little before his death he makes that celebrated prophecy, where, in discovering to his children the state of their posterity, he points out particularly to Judah the times of the Messiah, who was to spring from his race.

Cette famille cherie de Dieu s’établit ainsi dans cette partie de l’Egypte dont Tanis estoit la capitale, et dont les rois prenoient tous le nom de pharaon. [p. 16] Jacob meurt, et un peu devant sa mort il fait cette célebre prophetie, où découvrant à ses enfans l’estat de leur posterité, il découvre en particulier à Juda les temps du messie qui devoit sortir de sa race.

Moses and Pharaoh. J-J Tissot

The house of that patriarch in a little time becomes a great nation; this prodigious multiplication excites the jealousy of the Egyptians; the Hebrews are unjustly hated, and unmercifully persecuted:
 1571 BC God raises up Moses their deliverer, whom he saves from the waters of the Nile, and makes him fall into the hands of Pharaoh's daughter: she brings him up as her own son, and causes him to be instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.  In those days the people of Egypt settled in diverse parts of Greece.  The colony which Cecrops[1] brought from Egypt  1556 BC built 12 cities, or rather 12 towns, whereof he composed the kingdom of Athens, and there he established the gods together with the laws of his country.  A little after happened Deucalion's deluge in Thessaly, confounded by the Greeks with the universal flood.  Hellen,[2]   the son of Deucalion reigned in Phthia, a country of Thessaly, and gave his Name to Greece.  His people, before called Greeks, took ever after the name of Hellenes, though the Latins have preserved their ancient name.
[1]  Cecrops (/ˈsiːkrɒps/; Ancient Greek: Κέκροψ, Kékrops; gen.: Κέκροπος) a mythical king of Attica ; founder and the first king of Athens; a culture hero, teaching the Athenians marriage, reading and writing, and ceremonial burial.
[2]  Hellen was the son of Deucalion ; father of three sons: Aeolus, Xuthus, and Dorus , progenitors of primary tribes of Greece: Aeolus the Aeolians, Dorus the Dorians, and Xuthus the Achaeans and Ionians through his sons Achaeus and Ion. The ethnonym Hellenes dates back to the time of Homer. In the Iliad, "Hellas" (Ἑλλάς) and "Hellenes" were names of the tribe (also called "Myrmidones"), led by Achilles.

La maison de ce patriarche devient un grand peuple en peu de temps: cette prodigieuse multiplication excite la jalousie des egyptiens: les hebreux sont injustement haïs, et impitoyablement persecutez : Dieu fait naistre Moïse leur liberateur, qu’il delivre des eaux du Nil, et le fait tomber entre les mains de la fille de pharaon: elle l’éleve comme son fils, et le fait instruire dans toute la sagesse des egyptiens. En ces temps les peuples d’Egypte s’établirent en divers endroits de la Grece. La colonie que Cecrops amena d’Egypte fonda douze villes, ou plûtost douze bourgs, dont il composa le royaume d’Athenes, et où il
établit avec les loix de son païs, les dieux qu’on y adoroit. Un peu aprés arriva le deluge de Deucalion dans la Thessalie confondu par les grecs avec le deluge universel. Hellen fils de Deucalion regna en phtie païs de la Thessalie, et donna
son nom à la Grece. Ses peuples auparavant appellez grecs, prirent toûjours depuis le nom d’hellenes, quoyque les latins leur ayent conservé leur ancien nom.

Pharaoh's army pursues the Israelites.

About the same time Cadmus,[1]   the son of Agenor, carried a colony of the Phœnicians into Greece, and founded the city of Thebes in Bœtia.  The gods of Syria and Phœnicia came into Greece with him.  In the meantime Moses was growing up.   1531 BC When 40 years old he despised the riches of the court of Egypt; and, touched with the afflictions of his brethren the Israelites, he endangered himself for their relief.  But so far were they from taking the benefit of his zeal and courage, that they are exposed him to the rage of Pharaoh, who resolved his ruin.  Moses fled out of Egypt into Arabia, to the land of Midian, where his virtue, ever ready to succour the oppressed, found him a secure retreat.  This great man losing hopes of delivering his people, or waiting a better opportunity,  1491 BC had spent 40 years in feeding the flocks of Jethro his father-in-law, when he saw the burning bush in the desert, and heard the voice of the God of his fathers, Who sent him back into Egypt to bring his brethren out of bondage.  Then appear the humility, the courage, the hardness of Pharaoh's heart, and the terrible plagues God sends upon him; the Passover, and the next day the passage of the Red Sea; Pharaoh and the Egyptians buried in the waters, and the total deliverance of the Israelites.
[1]  Cadmus was credited by the ancient Greeks (such as Herodotus[5] c. 484 – c. 425 BC) with introducing the original Phoenician alphabet to the Greeks, who adapted it to form their Greek alphabet. Herodotus estimates that Cadmus lived sixteen hundred years before his time, which would be around 2000 BC.
[2] According to Apollodorus, Agenor was born in Memphis of Egypt


Environ dans le mesme temps Cadmus fils d’Agenor transporta en Grece une colonie de pheniciens, et fonda la ville de Thebes dans [p. 17] la Beocie. Les dieux de Syrie et de Phenicie entrerent avec luy dans la Grece. Cependant Moïse s’avançoit en âge. à quarante ans, il méprisa les richesses de la cour d’Egypte ; et touché des maux de ses freres les israëlites, il se mit en peril pour les soulager. Ceux-cy loin de profiter de son zele et de son courage, l’exposerent à la fureur de pharaon, qui resolut sa perte. Moïse se sauva d’Egypte en Arabie, dans la terre de Madian, où sa vertu toûjours secourable aux oppressez, luy fit trouver une retraite asseûrée. Ce grand homme perdant l’esperance de delivrer son peuple, ou attendant un meilleur temps, avoit passé quarante ans à paistre les troupeaux de son beaupere Jethro, quand il vit dans le desert le
buisson ardent, et entendit la voix du Dieu de ses peres qui le renvoyoit en Egypte pour tirer ses freres de la servitude. Là paroissent l’humilité, le courage, et les miracles de ce divin legislateur; l’endurcissement de pharaon, et les terribles chastimens que Dieu luy envoye ; la pasque, et le lendemain le passage de la Mer Rouge ; pharaon et les egyptiens ensevelis dans les eaux, et l’entiere delivrance des israëlites.