The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-05-28
Traces 1f the Giants.
From Hardwickc's Science and Cos

Gel sbrltlee OF our own time, they "eIe
yeritabls races Of men of statue far ex-
ceeding even the Patagonians OF South
America. We learn from the scriptures
that giants lived before the flood; these
are probably the Titans of tradition, whose
daring impiety provoked the deluge. At
ter the flood We find gigantic races-the
Emim, Anakim. or Rephaim-iuhabiting
Palestine; and therefore we may infer
that either one of the wives of Noah's
sons was of gigantic stature, or that, COM
ing of this race, some of the children SUBJ
sequeutly reverted to it, in conformity
with . well-known law Of nature. What
ever doub. may exist upon the subject OF
the antediluvian~ giants, none whatever
can possibly exist regarding these Ana
kim, or sons of Onk, for We are expressly
told that the Israeli.es "felt as grasshop-
pers before them" and the height of one
of their kings is incidentally noticed.
The giants lived along the mountain
chains of Canaan, ruling an inferior race
known as Amorites. They had military
outposts in the valleys, and dominated
over che rich pastoral plains beyond Jor.
dan, especially Bashan, in one part of
which-Argob-were "sixty great cities
fenced with high walls, gates, and bars,
besides unwalled towns great many"
From these and many other facts it will
readily be seen that their Intellectual ca
pacities were fully equal TO their physical
development and still further proof of
this Is that one Of their capitals was called
Kirjath.SepLer, or "city of archives"
) oshua ca ptured and burnt these in his
third campaign. 1t will be seen how en-
inently appropriate to this great pastoral
race was the epithet "Shepherd kings"
and there seems no doubt that these are
the "Hykos" who conquered Egypt, and
are commcmorated upon the walls Of the
old temple Of Karnak.
The three celebrated capitals of the 81
ants were Ashtarath- Karniam, Kirjath-Se-
pher, and Kirjoth- Asba; Jebus (Jerusa-
lem) was also colony of the Rephaim,
and thence came Melchisedex, probably q
sort OF Canani.ish Zoroaster or Confucius.
The giants appear to have very rapidly
become extinct. As they were talented
in war and strong in person, this appears
extraordinary; but possibly the same eau
ses which induced the extirpation of the
mammoth and other animals may have af-
ected tie giant races Of antiquity. Sir S.
Baker is of the opinion that the elephant,
rhinoceros, and larger mammals caI
scarcely survive the present century, at
the present rate OF destruction. Years
after, Og, the last survivor Of the giants,
is found ruling over the old strong hold,
Bashan. The remnant took refuge
amongst the Philistines, whence issued,
in the time Of Saul and David, the giant
mpions-G oliah, Lahmi, and Sippa.
4 question presents itself: were the el-
ants confined to Palestine alone? We
have earlier (authentic) records Of the
history of Palestine than of any other
country, and finding giants there at very
remote period, We may not reasonably
premise that, if We had similar iuforma-
tion regarding other countries, we should
6nd gigantic races In them alsoI Bu,
we are not left altogether to conjecture
for oral tradition Especially Of Celtic na-
tions) and archaeology both favor the the.
org that giants we're widely distributed at
least over the countries which border the
Mediterranean. 1t may be objected, why
are their bones not discovered if they
were SO widely distributed !? To this il
may be replied, that until they are found
in Palestine, wnere we know the giant.
once existed, We. cannot logically dispute
the gigantic rates In other countries, on
the ground that 10 remains are tound.
! Respecting the archaeological proofs tc
which have adyerted, the philosophic
Schlege! remarks in his PHILOSOPHY Of
history" There exis, also monuments
or rsther fragments of cdifces, of the mos'
primitive antiquity, which, as they are
connected with the subject, are here de-
serving Of slight notice. ! allude t.
those cyclopean walls which arc to be
fund in several parts Of Italy, and which
those who have once seen will not easily
flrgct, nor the singular stamp of antiquity
they bear. In this very peculiar architec
ture We see, instead of the stones Of the
usual cubical or oblong form, huge frag-
ments of rock rudcly cut into the shape o.
an irregular polygon, and skilfully enough
joined together. Even the great and of.
ten.admired subterraneous acqueduct o.
ancient Rome is considered ass belonging
to the cyclopeau architecture, remains o.
which exist also near Argos, and in sev
eral other parts of Greece. These edifce.
were not built by the celebrated ma
tions that at later period occupied these
countries; for even they regarded then
as the work and production of a primitiv,
and departed race Of giants; and hence
the name the monuments received
When we consider how very imperfec
must have been the instruments of thes,
remote ages, and that they cannot be sup
posed to have possessed the knowledge il
mechanics which the Egyptians, for in
1 stance, displayed in the erection of thei
, obelisks, We can easily conceive how mel
8 were led to imagine that more vigorou
arms, aud other powers than those belong
e ing to the present race of men, were nee
: essary to the construction of those edifice
: Of rock"
: The cyclopeon remains in Italy an
0 Greece are apparently progressive. an
: yet perfectly distinct from the Etrusca
and Latin styles Of architecture. Tn