"After this they were dispersed abroad, on account of their languages, and went out by colonies everywhere; and each colony took possession of that land which they light upon, and unto which God led them; so that the whole continent was filled with them, both the inland and maritime countries. There were some also who passed over the sea in ships, and inhabited the islands." —Antiquities of the Jews, Book I, Chapter 5.
This account of course does not state specifically that any colony went to America, but it says that colonies went EVERYWHERE, and that some of the people went in ships to distant lands, and to places where God led them.
That two distinct races of civilized beings inhabited ancient America is testified to by a number of archaeologists and explorers. A correspondent to the St. Louis (Missouri) Globe-Democrat writing from Tombstone, Arizona, in 1895, says:
"The remarkable picture rocks and boulders, with strange symbols upon them, left by the pre-historic races of Arizona, have been the cause of much discussion among those who have seen them as to who these ancient hieroglyphic-makers were. These rock records may be divided into three different kinds, which, it is thought, were made by two different races. The first, or very ancient race, left records on rocks, in some instances of symbols only, and in other instances of pictures and symbols combined. The later race, which came after the first race had vanished, made only crude representations of animals, birds or reptiles, not using symbols or combinations of lines."
Chamber's Encyclopaedia, under the subject heading "Nicaragua" contains this statement:
"Nicaragua, like the states north of it, was a center of Aztec civilization; but the Aztecs were preceded by another race likewise civilized, who have left stone sculptures and monumental remains."
That the origin of the extinct race which formerly inhabited North America is believed by students of American antiquity to date back to the time of the building of the Tower of Babel the following gives evidence:
"One of the arts known to the builders of Babel was that of brickmaking. This art was also known to the people who built the works in the West. The knowledge of copper was known to the people of the plains of Shinar; for Noah must have communicated it, as he lived a hundred and fifty years among them after the flood. Also copper was known to the antediluvians. Copper was also known to the authors of the western monuments. Iron was known to the antediluvians. It was also known to the ancients of the West. However, it is evident that very little iron was among them, as very few instances of its discovery in their works have occurred; and for this very reason, we draw a conclusion that they came to this country very soon after the dispersion.—(Priest's American Antiquities, 1833).
The following is from Rev. D. Lowry's Reply to Official Inquiries respecting the Aborigines of America, written in 1848, and given in Schoolcraft's "Ethnological Researches," &c., vol. iii., published in 1853.
"In view of the best light and information which I have been able to collect on the subject, my opinion is that the earliest inhabitants of America were the descendants of Ham, the youngest son of Noah; and that THE FIRST SETTLEMENT WAS MADE SHORTLY AFTER THE CONFUSION OF TONGUES AT THE BUILDING OF THE TOWER OF BABEL. Moses tells us that about that period 'the Lord scattered the people abroad upon the face of the whole earth.' (Gen. 2: 8, 9). America, then, according to this portion of sacred history, was at that time re-occupied by man; for the writer could not have meant by 'all the earth' only about one-half of it."