Mixing together various texts of Scripture with notions derived from the philosophy of Descartes and the speculations of Whiston, he developed the theory that "the fountains of the great deep" were broken up by the direct physical action of the hand of God, which, being literally applied to the axis of the earth, suddenly stopped the earth's rotation, broke up "the fountains of the great deep," spilled the water therein contained, and produced the Deluge.

But his service to sacred science did not end here, for he prepared an edition of the Bible, in which magnificent engravings in great number illustrated his view and enforced it upon all readers.

Of these engravings no less than thirty-four were devoted to the Deluge alone.( 158) (157) Homo diluvii testis.
(158) See Zoeckler, vol.ii, p.

172; also Scheuchzer, Physica Sacra, Augustae Vindel et Ulmae, 1732.

For the ancient belief regarding giants, see Leopoldi, Saggio.