VII. ANTIQUITY OF INDIA.
Having presented a long list of analogies between the Hindoo and Jewish religions, we will proceed to prove the prior existence of the Hindoo system, and leave the reader to deduce his own inferences. "In times coeval with the earliest authentic records," says a writer, "the Hindoos calculated eclipses, and were venerated for their attainments in some of the arts and sciences." According to the learned astronomer Baily, their calculations in astronomy extended back to the remote period of seventeen hundred years before Moses; and some of the ancient monuments and inscriptions of India bespeak for its religion a very remote antiquity. Some of our modern learned antiquarians have expressed the opinion that the Sanscrit language of the Brahmins is the oldest language that can be traced in the history of the human race. They also state that this language was extant before the Jews were known as a nation; and neither it nor their religion has ever been known to change. These facts are sufficient to establish the existence of the Brahmin and Budhist systems of religion long prior to the earliest records of the Jewish nation.
Note.—Here we desire to call the attention of the reader to the very remarkable statement of Col. Dow in his "History of India." He tells us that "the Hindoos give a very particular account of the origin of the Jewish religion" (pref. v.). They say that a pious Hindoo by the name of Rajah Tara apostatized from the faith, for which he was banished to the West, where he established a system of religion, which became afterwards known as the Jewish religion. Tura only needs a change of one letter to make Tera, the father of Abraham. Let the reader make a note of this.