Origin of Nations

Ancient nations after Noah

Genesis chapter 10. His assignments became the basis for most later authors, and were as follows:^[25]

• • Gomer: "those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, [Galls,] but were then called Gomerites".

    • • Aschanax (Ashkenaz): "Aschanaxians, who are now called by the Greeks Rheginians".

      • Riphath: "Ripheans, now called Paphlagonians".

      • Thrugramma (Togarmah): "Thrugrammeans, who, as the Greeks resolved, were namedPhrygians".

  • Magog: "Magogites, but who are by the Greeks called Scythians".

  • Madai: "the Madeans, who are called Medes, by the Greeks".

  • Javan: "Ionia, and all the Grecians".

    • • Elisa: "Eliseans... they are now the Aeolians".

      • Tharsus (Tarshish): "Tharsians, for so was Cilicia of old called". He also derives the name of their city Tarsus from Tharsus.

      • Cethimus (Kittim): "The island Cethima: it is now called Cyprus". He also derives the Greek name of their city, which he spells Citius, from Cethimus.

  • Thobel (Tubal): "Thobelites, who are now called Iberes".

  • Mosoch (Meshech): "Mosocheni... now they are Cappadocians." He also derives the name of their capital Mazaca from Mosoch.

  • Thiras (Tiras): "Thirasians; but the Greeks changed the name into Thracians".

  • Chus (Cush): "Ethiopians... even at this day, both by themselves and by all men in Asia, called Chusites".

    • • Sabas (Seba): Sabeans

      • Evilas (Havilah): "Evileans, who are called Getuli".

      • Sabathes (Sabta): "Sabathens, they are now called by the Greeks Astaborans".

      • Sabactas (Sabteca): Sabactens

      • Ragmus (Raamah): Ragmeans

• • Mesraim (Misraim): Egypt, which he says is called Mestre in his country.

    • • "Now all the children of Mesraim, being eight in number, possessed the country from Gaza to Egypt, though it retained the name of one only, the Philistim; for the Greeks call part of that country Palestine. As for the rest, Ludieim, and Enemim, and Labim, who alone inhabited in Libya, and called the country from himself, Nedim, and Phethrosim, and Chesloim, and Cephthorim, we know nothing of them besides their names; for the Ethiopic war which we shall describe hereafter, was the cause that those cities were overthrown."

  • Phut: Libya. He states that a river and region "in the country of Moors" was still called Phut by the Greeks, but that it had been renamed "from one of the sons of Mesraim, who was called Lybyos".

  • Canaan: Judea, which he called "from his own name Canaan".

    • • Sidonius (Sidon): The city of Sidonius, "called by the Greeks Sidon".

      • Amathus (Hamathite): "Amathine, which is even now called Amathe by the inhabitants, although the Macedonians named it Epiphania, from one of his posterity."

      • Arudeus (Arvadite): "the island Aradus".

      • Arucas (Arkite): "Arce, which is in Libanus".

      • "But for the seven others [sons of Canaan], Chetteus, Jebuseus, Amorreus, Gergesus, Eudeus, Sineus, Samareus, we have nothing in the sacred books but their names, for the Hebrews overthrew their cities".

  • Elam: "Elamites, the ancestors of the Persians".

  • Ashur: Assyrians, and their city Niniveh built by Ashur.

  • Arphaxad: "Arphaxadites, who are now called Chaldeans".

    • • Sala

• • Aram: "Aramites, which the Greeks called Syrians".

    • • Uz: "Uz founded Trachonitis and Damascus: this country lies between Palestine andCelesyria".

      • Ul (Hul): Armenia

      • Gather (Gether): Bactrians

      • Mesa (Mesh): "Mesaneans; it is now called Charax Spasini".

  • Laud (Lud): "Laudites, which are now called Lydians".