Historical Dissertation on Abaris

...and he strikes the crowd in the middle without a name,
Fadus, and Hebesus, and Rhoetus, and Abaris,
All of them unaware.

And Josephus (δ) also attributes this name to a certain mountain, upon which Moses departed from life, as can be read in Deuteronomy ch. XXXII, v. 49, which was situated opposite Jericho: "When," he says, "he arrived at the mountain called Abaris, this rises high opposite Jericho." The same Josephus (ε) also makes mention of it from Nicolaus of Damascus, when he says: "There is a great mountain in Armenia called Abaris, above the Minyas, on which it is said that many refugees were saved during the Deluge. And some man, carried on an ark, ran aground on the summit, and the remains of the wood were preserved for a long time." From this, Fuller Nicholas Fuller, an English scholar surmises that this mountain, since the remains of the βάρις boat or vessel of Noah were preserved in it for a long duration of time, gained that name Abaris from thence; and not only that mountain, but also the temple which was built in that place was so called, because perhaps the remains of that vessel were stored in that temple. Regarding this, therefore, I do not doubt whether Ἄβαρις is otherwise a proper name; but concerning this, I am uncertain whether this name was the proper name of our philosopher and not with better right an agnomen. But since it matters little whether Ἄβαρις was the proper name of our philosopher or not, there is no need for me to say more words on this matter. I believe I should speak briefly rather of the various names by which some writers claim our philosopher was called.

§. III.

Among those, therefore, who seem to attribute various names to Abaris, let the Greek Interpreter of Aristophanes (ζ) occupy the first place, who calls him Βάριν Baris: "And thus," he says, "just as..."

(γ) Aeneid, Book IX, v. 343, p. 693, ed. Amsterdam, 1690.
(δ) Antiquities of the Jews, Book IV, ch. VIII, p. 132, ed. Leipzig, 1696.
(ε) Ibid., Book I, ch. IV.
(ζ) Note: The original text cuts off here at the catchword.