Chapter 5 of 20 · 3747 words · ~19 min read

Part 5

3. =Mesopotamia=, called in Scripture Aram-naharaim, or "Syria of the two rivers," was a land of indefinite boundaries. The name means "between the rivers," and hence it was often applied to all the plain between the Tigris and Euphrates, including even Chaldea and a part of Assyria. A more frequent use of the name restricts it to the northwestern portion of the region between the rivers, above the place where they approach and separate again. The Sinjar hills, crossing, divide it into two sections, a higher and a lower, the former mountainous, and the latter mostly a great desert. The upper section contained the cities of Orfa (Edessa), formerly supposed to be the birthplace of Abraham; Haran, the patriarch's resting place on the way to Canaan; Nisibis and Amida, now _Nisibin_ and _Diarbekr_. The only time when Mesopotamia appears in Bible history as a kingdom was a brief interval during the period of the Judges. (Judg. 3:8.) Earlier it had been occupied by separate and warring tribes; later it was a part of Assyria.

4. =Chaldea= is also called Shinar and Babylonia. The name Chaldea, in its most accurate sense, belongs to the southern portion of the province, but is generally used with reference to all the Mesopotamian plain south of _Baghdad_. It is perfectly level, and by nature one of the most fertile places on the whole earth. Its earliest inhabitants, at least the ruling portion of them, were Cushites, of the stock of Ham. An early Oriental kingdom began at Ur (_Mugheir_) about B.C. 3900. It lasted, with varying fortunes, until B.C. 538. Babylon afterward became the capital, and in a later period was the greatest city of the East. (See diagram on page 93.) Other cities of Chaldea were Erech (_Orchoë_), Calneh, and Sepharvaim. Further details of its political history are given in the account of the Babylonian empire of Nebuchadnezzar, on page 92.

5. The desert of =Arabia= occupies more than half of the map of the Old Testament World. That portion of it included upon the map is a vast triangle, having for its base the 28th parallel of latitude, from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, the Euphrates on its northeastern side, and the border of the Lebanon chain of mountains for its western. It is called in the Bible "the land of Kedar." It is a high, undulating, dry plain, with few oases, and almost impenetrable to travelers. From the days of Abraham until the present, the caravans have gone around it upon the north, following up the Euphrates to Tiphsah (Thapsacus), and then turning southward rather than face its terrors. Only once in history is it related that an army crossed it. This was when Nebuchadnezzar, while ravaging Palestine, learned of his father's death, and crossed this great desert by the most direct route, in order to take possession of the throne.

III. LANDS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN.

These lands will receive more extended treatment in connection with other maps, so that we give them only a brief mention here.

1. =Asia Minor= scarcely enters the field of the Old Testament, except as the "land of the Hittites." It will be noticed under the topic of the Journeys of the Apostle Paul, page 117.

2. =Syria=, in the Hebrew Aram, is a name of indefinite signification, sometimes embracing all the territory north of The Wilderness of the Wandering, and therefore including Palestine and the provinces around it. But Syria Proper seems only to indicate the territory bounded by the Amanus and Taurus ranges of mountains on the north, by the Euphrates and the desert on the east, by Palestine, beginning with Mount Hermon, on the south, by the Mediterranean and Phoenicia on the west. It reaches the Mediterranean only near the mouth of the Orontes. It consists of three portions: On the north an elevated tract, never thickly populated, having Carchemish and Samosata as its principal cities; between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges of mountains a great valley, called Coele-Syria, "hollow Syria," forming the bed of the Orontes, flowing north, and the Leontes (_Litany_), flowing south; and on the east a level country reaching to the desert, containing the cities of Damascus on the south, Tiphsah (Thapsacus) on the north, and Tadmor (Palmyra) in the desert. During the times from Jeroboam to Jehoash, Syria was an independent kingdom, the rival of Israel, with which its political relations may be seen on the map on page 86. In the Old Testament period, Damascus was its principal city, and exercised sovereignty; but later, Antioch, in the north, became more prominent, and was the Greek and Roman capital of the province.

3. =Phoenicia= is a narrow strip of territory between the Mediterranean Sea and Mount Lebanon, north of Palestine and south of the Orontes. Its two great cities were, Zidon, the mother of Mediterranean commerce; and Tyre, her daughter. Its boundaries were never extensive; but its vessels traded with every land, and its colonies were planted all along the shores of the Mediterranean.

4. =Palestine= lies south of Phoenicia, between the Mediterranean and the desert. It will be described in connection with the Physical Map of Palestine, page 29, and Moab and Edom, near it, on pages 39 and 45.

5. South of Palestine is =The Wilderness=, a part of Arabia, in which the Israelites wandered during forty years. Its description may be found on page 42.

6. =Egypt= lies in the northeastern corner of Africa. See its description on page 41.

OUTLINE FOR TEACHING AND REVIEW.

1. Let the teacher state the EXTENT of the Old Testament World, and its comparison in size with the United States, as given in the description; the class taking down the figures in their note-books.

2. Let the teacher draw upon the blackboard the SEAS of the map, in presence of the class, describing each as it is drawn. If drawn in advance with an ordinary slate pencil, the mark cannot be seen by the class, but can be traced by the teacher with white chalk. Do not try to make the lines exact. A general sketch will answer far better than finished work. Write upon each its initial letter, but let the class give its full name; and at the same time follow the teacher by drawing the map on slates or in note-books. Review the names of the seas: _Caspian_, _Persian Gulf_, _Red Sea_, _Mediterranean_ or _Great Sea_, _Dead Sea_, _Lake Arsissa_ or _Van_, _Lake Urumiyeh_.

3. Draw next the most important of the MOUNTAIN RANGES, showing their general lines, in blue or green color, naming each as drawn, requiring the class to repeat its name, and to review at the close all the names: _Ararat_ (including _Masius_, _Niphates_, _Abus_), _Caspian_, _Zagros_, _Lebanon_, _Taurus_.

4. Draw the RIVERS in white chalk, and drill the class upon their names as the course of each is shown: _Araxes_, _Tigris_, _Euphrates_, _Orontes_, _Jordan_, _Nile_. Review the names of seas, mountains, and rivers, before beginning the next subject.

5. Show the LANDS in their three classes, and drill the class upon their names. (1.) MOUNTAIN LANDS: _Armenia_, _Media_, _Persia_. (2.) LANDS OF THE PLAIN: _Assyria_, _Elam_, _Mesopotamia_, _Chaldea_, _Arabia_. (3.) LANDS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN: _Asia Minor_, _Syria_, _Phoenicia_, _Palestine_, _Wilderness_, _Egypt_.

Review the entire map, from the beginning; then erase it, and call for the class to give the names as they are indicated by the pointer without marking.

ANCIENT WORLD, AND DESCENDANTS OF NOAH.

ONE of the most ancient and valuable accounts of the races of mankind is found in the tenth chapter of Genesis. It states the location and, in large degree, the relationship of the various families upon the earth, as they were known to the descendants of Abraham.

[Illustration: BIRS NIMROUD (SUPPOSED TOWER OF BABEL).]

In the interpretation of this "Table of Nations" certain facts and principles are to be borne in mind. 1. It is _incomplete_; not undertaking to name all the races of mankind, but only those in the Hebrew, Egyptian, and Assyrian sphere of interest. Neither the yellow, the brown, or the black races are represented upon it, and only a portion of the ruddy or white race. 2. It is _popular_ and not scientific. The Orientals never wrote with the precision of modern students. Hence find in this document terms employed in a general and indefinite manner. 3. It is, in reality, _geographical_ rather than racial. For example, when it says "the sons of Canaan," we are not always to infer a literal descent, but a location in the land of Canaan. The names upon this table are generally not those of individuals, but of tribes. In some instances relationship may be indicated; but generally propinquity of settlement is all that can positively be affirmed. 4. It arranges the nations _according to zones_, in a general direction from northwest to southeast; not by continents, as was formerly supposed. The nations of the Japhetic family are found in Asia and Europe; the Shemites, or Semites, in Asia; the so-called Hamitic races, in Asia and Africa. After the deluge an instinct of migration took possession of the human family. From the original home (long supposed to be near the Caspian Sea, but now uncertain as to locality) clans moved in all directions, and nations arose, occupying different lands.

I. THE JAPHETIC NATIONS.

These belonged to seven families, who are called "sons of Japheth" in Gen. 10:2; and seven others, who are spoken of as his grandsons in Gen. 10:3, 4. These statements are not necessarily to be understood literally. There may have been other sons and grandsons of Japheth; but these were the ones whose names are remembered as the founders of nations. The peoples descended from Japheth belong to what is called the Aryan or Indo-European race.

1. =Gomer= is named, in Ezek. 38:2-6, as a race opposed to Israel after the captivity. They were probably the people whom the Assyrians called _Gimirrai_, and the Greeks _Kimmerioi_. Their name is perpetuated in the _Crimea_, their early home. A branch of this race moving westward became the _Cimbri_, who were formidable enemies of Rome; and probably another, the _Cymry_, settled in the British Isles, and were the ancestors of the Welsh and the Irish. The Celtic races, to which the French partly belong, are descended from this family.

Three of the families descended from Gomer formed separate tribes, named, in the table of nations in Gen. 10:3, after Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. All of these had homes around or near the Black Sea.

(1.) _Ashkenaz_ is the name of a people spread out of _Mysia_ and _Phrygia_ in Asia Minor. "Ascanios," a Greek form of the word, occurs in Homer as the name of a Mysian and Phrygian prince. It is, however, true that, in Jer. 51:27, Ashkenaz is located in Western Armenia, whither this people had later migrated. Here, also, the Assyrians located them.

(2.) _Riphath_ was formerly supposed to point to the _Riphæn Mountains_, north of the Danube and west of the Black Sea, but this is very doubtful.

(3.) _Togarmah_ (Ezek. 27:14; 38:6) is identified with the land of _Armenia_, whose people have a tradition that they are descended from Targom.

2. =Magog= (called, in Ezek. 38 and 39, _Gog_, the prefix _Ma_ being thought to signify "land") is generally understood to designate the _Scythians_.

[Illustration: THE ANCIENT WORLD AND THE DESCENDANTS OF NOAH.]

3. =Madai= is everywhere in Scripture the word translated _Medes_, whose early home was south of the Caspian Sea, whence they marched westward, and conquered the lands as far as the Mediterranean.

4. =Javan= is the Hebrew term for the _Greeks_, as is indicated by various references in the Old Testament. It is especially applied to the Ionians (originally called Iafon-es, the descendants of Iafon, or Javan), who were the Grecian people, with whom the Israelites were brought into commercial relations.

Five lands and races are named as subdivisions of the family of Javan in Gen. 10:4, all of which were situated near each other.

(1.) _Elishah_ (or, as in Ezek. 27:7, "the isles of Elishah,") is supposed to refer to the _Æolians_, inhabiting the isles of the Ægean Sea, from which came the purple dye mentioned in Ezekiel's reference.

(2.) _Tarshish_ was formerly supposed to refer to _Tarsus_ in Cilicia of Asia Minor, on the authority of Josephus, but is now identified with _Tartessus_ in Spain, embracing the coast land from Gibraltar to the Guadalquiver.

(3.) _Kittim_, or _Chittim_, was the name applied to the island of _Cyprus_, of which one of the cities was called Kitium. The name Chittim was also loosely given by the Hebrews to the shores and isles of the Mediterranean.

(4.) _Dodanim_ (or, as in some copies of 1 Chron. 1:7, Rodanim). If the reading _Dodanim_ be preferred, this may point to the _Dardanians_, a name often applied in the classics to the people of Troy, the famous city of Homer. The other reading, _Rodanim_, which is preferred by some critics, is supposed to point to the isle of Rhodes, in the Ægean Sea, a home of the ancient Greeks. Thus both Javan and all his sons who founded families were connected with the Greek race.

(5.) _The Isles of the Gentiles_ (Gen. 10:5) in Hebrew refers not only to islands, but all lands bordering upon the sea. Here it refers to the Japhetic colonies on the coasts of the Mediterranean, the Black and the Caspian Seas.

5. =Tubal=, and 6. =Meshech=, are generally associated in Scripture. (Ezek. 27:13; 32:26; 38:2, 3; 39:1.) From their associations, they are to be sought near the Caspian and Black Seas, where Herodotus mentions the _Tibareni_ and the _Moschi_.

7. =Tiras= (1. Chron. 1:5) was believed by the Jews to refer to the _Thracians_, southwest of the Black Sea. There is nothing to oppose this view, but no evidence except the similarity of name in its favor.

II. THE HAMITIC RACES.

These are named with greater particularity, because they were those which rose to prominence early in the history, and those with which the Hebrews were brought into closer relations, either as enemies or as friends. Four principal races are given, some of which were greatly subdivided. The homes of these races were in Africa, Eastern Arabia, with a fringe of sea-coast along the eastern Mediterranean, and the great Mesopotamian valley, in which arose the earliest world empires. They have been sometimes called _Turanians_. It is by no means probable that all these nations should be regarded as the descendants of Ham, the son of Noah. In this list are evidently grouped together some races whose territory was contiguous, but whose physical appearance and language show no relationship.

1. =Cush= is, throughout the Bible, the word translated _Ethiopia_. Generally this refers to the region south of Egypt, now known as Abyssinia; but in Gen. 2:13, Isa. 11:11, and Ezek. 38:5, the reference must be to an Asiatic Cush, in Mesopotamia. The subdivisions of the Cushite tribes in Gen. 10:7-12, show that the earliest great Oriental monarchies were of this race. These subdivisions are as follows:

(1.) _Seba._ These were, probably, the Ethiopians of Meroë, on the Nile, anciently called _Saba_; in Isa. 43:3 and 45:14, connected with the Egyptians.

(2.) _Havilah._ This is supposed to refer to _Arabia_, or at least a part of it.

(3.) _Sabtah._ This may refer to the _Sabbatha_, or _Sabota_, of Pliny and Ptolemy, on the southern shore of Arabia.

(4.) _Raamah_, with whom are associated his sons or descendants, _Sheba_ and _Dedan_, occupied the eastern shore of Arabia, near the Persian Gulf.

(5.) _Sabtechah._ This is unknown, but, from the relation of the previous names, may have been in the southeastern portion of Arabia.

(6.) _Nimrod_ is named as a descendant of Cush (perhaps the only name of an individual in the list), and the founder of the early Babylonian empire.

2. =Mizraim= is the name everywhere used for _Egypt_ in the Hebrew. The word is in the dual form, representing the two divisions of the country, and corresponding to the two crowns on all the royal effigies. Several branches of this race are especially mentioned.

(1.) _Ludim._ Not the same with the _Lud_ of verse 22, but from its associations plainly in Africa. The location has been given as _Nubia_, but is very doubtful.

(2.) _Anamim._ An unknown people, whose identity was early lost in some other race.

(3.) _Lehabim._ These are elsewhere in Scripture called _Lubim_, and were the Libyans, or people of Libya, west of Egypt, on the southern shore of the Mediterranean.

(4.) _Naphtuhim._ Probably the _Na-Ptah_ of the Egyptian monuments, having their home at _Memphis_, south of the Delta.

(5.) _Pathrusim._ Often referred to in the prophets as _Pathros_, or Upper Egypt.

(6.) _Casluhim._ An unknown people, perhaps in the vicinity of _Goshen_.

(7.) _Caphtorim._ Generally supposed to refer to the people on the island of _Crete_. With these, and not with the _Casluhim_, should the _Philistim_ be connected. (See Deut. 2:23, Jer. 47:4, Amos 9:7.)

3. =Phut.= The word is several times translated _Libya_, and, from its association with other tribes, should probably be referred to that section in Northern Africa. (See Jer. 46:9; Ezek. 27:10; 30:5; 38:5; Nah. 3:9.) Some of these passages would indicate that there was also an Asiatic branch of this same family.

4. =Canaan.= The ancient inhabitants of Palestine and Lower Syria, from Gaza to Hamath. In their most flourishing period, just before the conquest by Joshua, they embraced six subdivisions or clans. (See map on page 36, and explanations.)

III. THE SEMITIC RACES. (Gen. 10:21-31.)

The descendants of Shem are placed last in the list of the table of nations, not because their founder was the youngest, but because out of their lines one family is chosen as the especial theme of the history, which thus receives a fitting introduction. Shem was the founder of five great races, and of many subordinate tribes.

1. =Elam= everywhere is recognized as the name of a province east of the Tigris and north of the Persian Gulf, called by the Greeks _Elymais_. The name was often applied, in later times, to the whole of Persia, whose capital stood within its territory.

2. =Asshur= is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. It was located on the Tigris, having Nineveh as its capital, and its people at one time were rulers of all the lands westward to the Mediterranean.

3. =Arphaxad=, or _Arpachshad_ (as in the margin of Gen. 11:10), has been supposed to be the ancestor of the Chaldeans, whose home was at the head of the Persian Gulf. The patriarch Abraham belonged to his race, and was born in "Ur of the Chaldees." Another of Arphaxad's descendants was _Joktan_, from whom arose thirteen tribes, named after _Almodad_, _Sheleph_, _Hazarmaveth_, _Jerah_, _Hadoram_, _Uzal_, _Diklah_, _Obal_, _Abimael_, _Sheba_ (the most important of all in after history, absorbing most of the rest), _Ophir_, _Havilah_, and _Jobab_. All these occupied the southeastern and southern sections of the great Arabian peninsula. The fact that some of these names have already been mentioned in the Hamite genealogies may indicate that the two races became mingled.

4. =Lud.= This is believed by most scholars to refer to the _Lydians_, who dwelt on the southwestern border of Asia Minor, and under their king, Croesus, became a powerful nation. Their history was short, as their empire was conquered by Cyrus the Great.

5. =Aram.= This is the word uniformly rendered _Syria_ throughout the Bible. The Arameans, or Syrians, occupied the region between Canaan and Phoenicia, on the east, the Euphrates on the north, and the great desert on the west and south. Four branches of this race formed separate tribes. _Uz_, the race of the ancient Job, was settled in the middle of North Arabia, near Nejd. _Hul_ and _Gether_ are supposed (but with slight evidences) to have occupied the country near Lake Merom, where the _Geshurites_ were afterward found. _Mash_, or, as called in 1 Chron. 1:17, _Meshech_, may have merged with the Meshech of the Japhetic line.

[Illustration: OUTLINE MAP FOR REVIEW.]

OUTLINE FOR TEACHING.

1. The principal authorities for the map on page 24, and its explanations, are: "Ethnic Affinities," by Canon George Rawlinson; E. H. Browne, in "The Speaker's Commentary"; J. G. Murphy's "Notes on Genesis"; Dillmann, "Commentary on Genesis"; and "The Races of the Old Testament," by A. H. Sayce. To these the student is referred for more thorough discussion of the subject.

2. In teaching, draw on the blackboard a sketch map (no matter how roughly) of the outlines of the coast, as given above, and then write on each place the name of the people occupying it. Take, first, the great divisions of Noah's family; then, the subdivisions; then, the minor tribes. Review the locations as each family is finished. Write on the board only the first syllable of each name, as an aid to memory, as _Ar_ for _Arphaxad_, _Cu_ for _Cush_, etc. If the names of each of the three great races are written in chalk of a different color, it will make the distinctions more readily understood.

3. If practicable, by means of a duplicating process, print a sufficient number of copies of the sketch map to supply the class or audience, and let each person, with pencil, place on the map the names of the tribes as they are located. This will greatly add to the interest of the lesson.

[Transcriber's Note: This family tree was originally one tree. It was separated into families to accommodate size issues.]

REVIEW CHART--THE TABLE OF NATIONS.

NOAH +---------------------+----------------------+ JAPHETH HAM SHEM (_Aryan Race_) (_Turanian Race_) (_Semitic Race_)

JAPHETH (_Aryan Race_) +---------+---------+------------+--------+-------+-------+ | | | | | | | Gomer Magog Madai Javan Tubal Meshech Tiras (_Celts_)(_Scythians_)(_Medes_) (_Greeks_) (_Thracians_) | | Ashkenaz (_Nysia and Phrygia_) Elishah (_Æolians_) Riphath (_Riphaean Mts?_) Tarshish (_Tartessus_) Togarmah (_Armenia_) Kittim (_Cyprus_) Dodanim (_Trojans_)

HAM (_Turanian Race_) +-------------+------+--------+ | | | | Cush Mizraim Phut Canaan (_Ethiopia_) (_Egypt_)(_Libya_)(_Palestine_) | | Seba Ludim (_Meroë_) (_Nubia?_) Havilah Anamim (_Arabia_) Sabtah Lehabim (_Sabbatha?_) (_Libya_) Raamah Naphtuhim (_Per. Gulf_) (_Na-petu_) Sabtechah Pathrusim (_Pathros_) NIMROD Casluhim-Philistim (_Philistia_) Caphtorim (_Crete_)

[Illustration: THE JEWS' WAILING PLACE, AT JERUSALEM.]

[Illustration: PHYSICAL MAP OF PALESTINE.]

PHYSICAL PALESTINE.

I. DIMENSIONS.