Works, Book 1 · Discourse 50
DISCOURSE L.
GENESIS 10. 5.
By these were the Isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands, &c.
WHAT was the sum and sense of these words we shewed heretofore, namely, That they contain a Chorographical Description of the dwellings of the Sons of Iaphet after that great dispersion from the Tower of Babel, together with the manner according to which they were seated in their several habitations. From whence we picked Five Rules to be as Guides and Lights unto us in finding out their several Countries.
1. That we must seek them in the Islands of the Gentiles, that is, in Countries divided by Sea from Egypt and Palaestine.
2. We must seek them all within some reasonable compass of the Earth, and not all the world over: Because that when this Division was made, the number of Mankind was very small; as we proved by weighing Sem's generations unto the days of Peleg, at whose birth it is said that the Earth was divided. Gen. 10. 25.
3. Those Nations whose Families are named by Moses are to be sought for in places most accessible and neighbouring to the Iews. For this I proved to be the reason why Moses did name their Families or Heads of Families, because the Iews were to have most dealing and commerce with them, by reason of their nearness and easiness of coming at them.
4. Where we find the Nation, there also we must look for the Families of that Nation.
5. Where we find any of the Families, there we must also look for the rest and for the whole Nation. This is very expressly contained in my Text: By these were divided the Isles of the Gentiles in their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. That other, which is the Third in order, I confirmed by the like in the Genealogies of Sem and Cham, in both which the Fathers of Nations neighbouring upon the Iews are reckoned up particularly, the other but generally.
These Rules then I will take for sure Grounds, and use them as a Land-compass in the discovery I now intend. But before I begin, I will add Five more, of less weight than the former, yet such as I hope will afford the like use that Cyphers have among Numbers, I mean, being joyned with the former will help us to a greater certainty.
The First then of these weaker Helps is from the use of the Prophets in naming two or more of these Nations together; which is a likely argument that they were seated both together, and were neighbouring one to the other. As we see of Meshech and Tubal, which commonly go together clean through the Prophets. And this Help Iunius seems to have used.
The Second Help is the fulfilling of Prophecies by Nations foretold under the Names of their Founders, the Sons of Iaphet. And
Thirdly, Because it is likely that in this Division there was a regard had by the wise Fathers for their future Colonies, we are to think that they ordered their partition so, that when they were to vent their Numbers and send forth new Colonies, they should not be forced to encroach on one anothers inheritance, or one to pass through the lot of another, but that they had either the Sea or empty land every one upon some of his borders. And this he that will mark shall see observed in the Original dwellings of the Sons of Sem, which are better known and more agreed upon than those of Iaphet.
The Fourth Help shall be the Testimony of the Ancients, especially of the Iews themselves.
The Fifth and last are the Remainders of ancient Names, which is the ordinary Help that every one follows. And thus we have encreased our Criteria to the number of Ten. Now that which shall be found agreeable to all or the greater part of these, if it will not be approved for Truth, I am sure there is no other means left to warrant a more likely conjecture or a greater certainty.
Let us come then to the Practice of our Rules: and First let us seek them in the Isles of the Gentiles, that is, (as I proved heretofore) in Countries divided by Sea from Palaestine and Egypt; especially from Egypt, because when Moses wrote this Book he was not yet come into Palaestine, and therefore used only such Names as the Iews were acquainted with in the land of Goshen. The Isles then of the Gentiles are all regions from the mountain Amanus and the Hircane Sea Westward.
Secondly, We must lay out some reasonable portion of the Earth to seek them in; and that we will define after this manner. 1. Our Eastern border shall be the land of Aram, that is Syria and Armenia the great, which was so called of Aram the Son of Sem: or, to speak more plainly, our Eastern border shall be from the mountain Amanus by the springs of Euphrates up to the West part of the Hircane Sea. 2. Our Southern border is without all doubt the Mediterranean Sea. 3. The Western border compasseth by the Ionian Sea and back of Macedonia up into the confines of Illyricum. 4. The North border is the river Danubius, the North part of Pontus Euxinus to the Caspian Sea.
Our Eastern border is confirmed by Moses in this Chapter, where he saith; That the posterity of Sem dwelled from Mesha Eastward. This Mesha is the mountain Masius which is part of the mountain Amanus; and this was the Western limit of Sem's posterity, and therefore must needs be the East border of Iaphet. Again in the 2 of Iudith, 25. we read that Olofernes took the borders of the upper Cilicia, and came even to the borders of Iaphet which are toward the South over against Arabia, that is, he came to the South-East borders of Iaphet in the lower Cilicia where is this mountain Amanus we speak of. Thirdly, Iosephus and the rest of the Ancients do all affirm thus much. And lastly, if we should go any further toward the East, it could no longer be called the Isles of the Gentiles in regard either of Egypt or Palaestine.
Our Southern border needs no proof at all.
Our Western border stands upon two Reasons. 1. It is not like that they went beyond them, because there is a great Sea between them and the next land. Now 2. that they went so far, we prove from the Seat of Tiras, whom all agree to be the Father of the Thracians, which are in the North-west part of this our plot, and so point out both how far they went toward the West and up into the North.
The rest of our Northern border, as also our whole plot, may be confirmed by comparison with the Original portion of the Sons of Sem, to which it hath almost a just and equal scantling. For the farthest of the Semites toward the East is Elam the father of the Persians; now Persia lies as far from Amanus and Masius into the East as Macedonia and the Confines of Illyricum lie into the West. The breadth between North and South is from the Caspian Sea unto Phoenicia or to the Persian gulf, which is also proportionable to ours. So that within this compass we hope to find the ancient and first Seats of all the Sons of Iaphet, who are seven in number, named in the second Verse of this Chapter, Gomer, Magog, Madai, Iavan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. And to these we must divide our plot into seven portions as equal as we can guess; for it is not like there was any great difference of quantity.
And here we must observe our Third Rule, To place those whose Sons are named by Moses in places accessible and neighbouring to the Iews. Now Moses names the Sons only of two of these seven, viz. of Gomer and Iavan. The Sons of Gomer are Askenaz, Riphath and Togarmah: And the Sons of Iavan are four, Elishah, Tarshish, Cittim and Dodanim. The places accessible and fit for the Iews commerce are those that lie upon the Mediterranean and the AEgean Seas, of the coasts of Asia.
Now in which of these we should seek for the Seats of the Sons of IAVAN, is a matter of no great difficulty; because there is nothing more certain than that Iavan was the Father of the*A Iavan (LXX. legunt foreign) Iones dicti, qui Homero Ia…nes, Iliad. foreign—Suidasforeign Grecians, whose Countries lie along upon the Mediterranean Sea. And because we must there seek the whole Nation where we find any of the Families, and we know that the house of Tarshish dwelt in Cilicia; we may be assured that all the Countries lying upon the Sea belong unto the lot of Iaphet, even from the Issicus sinus unto the end of Epirus, which was part of our*Mre Ionium. The Seat and portion of Tarshish. Western border. This portion then we must divide into four parts, much of a scantling, for the four Sons of Iavan.
The First part contains all Cilicia, and this was the dwelling of Tarshish; witness the City Tarsus, where S. Paul was born, which in Hebrew is called Tarshish, and it is that which Ionas was bound for when he fled from the face of the Lord: witness likewise the often naming of Tarshish in all Prophecies concerning Tyre, to whom it was a near neighbour: witness also the whole Sea upon that coast called Tarshish, because the Sons of Tarshish were Lords of that Sea. For Lucan and others report the Cilicians were great pirats, and domineer'd in all the Sea near them, whom afterward Pompey subdued and brought to better order; so that of that Victory*lib. 3. Pharsal. he saith,
Itque Cilix justâ jam non pirata carinâ.
Lastly, for thus placing of Tarshish we have the consent of*Antiq. l. c. 7. Iosephus and other ancients. As for the Septuagint, who often translate Tarshish the*Pass ye over to Tarshish Esay 23. 6. where the LXX. foreign, to Carthage. Ezech. 27. 12. for Tarshish the LXX. have foreign the Carthaginians. Carthaginians, they keep never a one of our Ten Rules, and therefore we must needs reject them; especially if they mean of the original Seat of Tarshish. But as for their Colonies, we will see afterwards.
*The Seat and portion of Cittim.The Second portion contains Caria, Lycia and part of Pamphilia; and this fell to Cittim or to the Cittaeans; for it is a name of the plural number, and so a name of a People; the singular would be Ceth or Citti, who is like to have been their founder. Reasons for placing the Cittaeans here are, 1. from Cetis a country in this tract spoken of by Ptolemy: 2. a people called Cetii by Homer in Odyss.δ. who thinks they were so called of a river Cetius in the same quarter: 3. because there can be no other place assigned them in all the portion of Iavan, as we shall see: and lastly, because their often naming in the Scripture argues they were not far from Palaestine.
The Third part of this division contains Achaia and part of Peloponnesus; The Seat and portion of Elishah.and this was the lot of Elishah. Witness a great part of this tract called Ellas, the river Elissus or Ilissus, the Elysii campi, Eleusis a city near to Attica, wherein was worshipped the Goddess Ceres, and hereof named Ceres Eleusina; witness likewise Elissus a city of Arcadia, Elis a city in Peloponnesus, and AEoles a colony of Achaia; all of them so named of Elishah: and to this in some agrees Iosephus and the other ancients, though some of them restrain our Elishah to the AEoles, who it is certain were but a colony from Achaia.
There remains the Fourth portion for the Fourth son of Iavan, The Seat and portion of Dodanim.which contains all Epirus and part of Peloponnesus; and here we must place the Dodanim or the Dodanites. For this also is a name of the plural number. Now to place this people here, we have two special Reasons. 1. Because they are never spoken of after in any place of the Bible; whereby it seems they dwelt far off from Palaestine and out of the Iews walk and knowledg: now the other Three are all spoken of, Tarshish and Cittim very often, because they were very near; Elishah but once in*Ch. 27. 7. Ezekiel, because he was farther off; but Dodanim never, because he was little known and farthest off. So that the common [*This or the like word was wanting in the MS. opinion] which places him in Rhodes, incurs many unlikelihoods. For Rhodes is an Island, whereas it is certain the Main was inhabited before the Islands. Again, Rhodes is a very small Isle, nothing answerable to the portions of the rest. And lastly, Rhodes is near and obvious to Iudaea, and yet this people we never here once named among the Prophets. But the occasion of this Errour grew from the changing of Daleth for Resh in the first Book of Chronicles, where is read Rodanim, ch. 1. 7. as also for our Riphath there is read Diphath in v. 6. which out of doubt was the Scribe's fault at the first, and never after amended. The other Reason for placing this people here is the Remainder of the very name in a City called Dodona, and the famous Oracle of Iupiter Dodonaeus, who was no other but this Fourth son of Iavan who was the Saturn of the Graecians, and all his sons the Ioves of their several families.
This was the Inheritance of Iavan, whom his sons the Grecians for his wisdom and providence called Prometheus, who (as*in his foreign. …. 1. Hesiod saies) was—foreign, Iapetus his good Son.
THE other whose sons are named by Moses, is Gomer; and to him therefore we must allot the next Regions, most accessible and fit to have commerce and traffick with Palaestine. And these will be those parts of Asia which lie upon the AEgean Sea and Hellespont Northward.Ch. 38. 6. And this agrees well with Ezekiel, who terms Gomer and Togarmah inhabitants of the sides of the North foreign. And it is manifest that the Iews called the lesser Asia the North, and the Kings thereof in*Chap. 11. Daniel the Kings of the North. We may therefore assign to these Gomerians all the North-East part of this Asia, containing Phrygia, Pontus, Bithynia, and a great part of Galatia; and this will be a portion answerable to that of Iavan. And this Iosephus will not deny us, Lib. 4.who affirms the Galatians to have been called Gomeraei; and Herodotus will tell us that a people called Cimmerii dwelt in this tract, who sent a Colony to Palus Maeotis, and gave name to Cimmerius Bosphorus. And*Lib. 5. c. 30. Pliny speaks of a town in Troas, a part of Phrygia, called Cimmeris. Which all have their name from this Gomer.
This tract then we must divide into three parts between the Three sons of Gomer, viz. Askenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.
The First shall be Phrygia major and some part of Galatia; The Seat and portion of Togarmah.which, following the opinion of Iosephus and others, we assign to Togarmah, of whom the Phrygians (saith Iosephus) were called Tygrammenes. As for the opinion of Iunius, who places Togarmah in Armenia minor, because of their Kings called Tygranes, and their Cities Tygranokartae; this cannot stand, because Armenia minor is too far out of our tract, and therefore he breaks our Fourth Rule, in placing the Son of Gomer out of the lot of Gomer, and rending him from the house of his father. And that Togarmah should be the Author of the Turks, is a Iewish toy lately devised. But it pleaseth Ionathan the Chaldee Paraphrast by likeness of the name to turn Thogarmah foreign Germania; and some go farther, and would have Thogarmah to be quasi Thegarmens or The germans. But this opinion breaks the most and chiefest of our Rules, and therefore cannot be approved, unless they mean of after-Colonies; of which we will see afterward.
The Second shall be Troas or Phrygia minor, wherein was the renowned City of Troy; and this we allot to Askenaz, because of the river Ascanius, and part of the tract called Ascania, The Seat and portion of Askenaz.and the name Ascanius used in those parts: witness Homer in his 2. Iliad.
foreign
foreign—
that is, Phorcys led the Phrygians, and divine Ascanius who came from Ascania. And it is as like the Greeks should turn Askenaz to foreign, as Coresh to foreign and Darjavesh to foreign so that for the termination [foreign,] no man need doubt. Iosephus would have Askenaz to be father to a people called foreign or Rheginenses, who were inhabitants of a City called Rhegium on the Sea-coasts of Italy over against Sicilia: but this is too far out of our walk, and breaks our Fourth Rule amain, by rending Askenaz quite from the house of his father, and placing him so far from his brethren: and it is against Iosephus his own testimony, who saith that the Gomeraei were inhabitants of Asia, and I am sure Gomer could be founder of no Nations but those his Sons were fathers of. But if I might be bold with Iosephus, I would for foreign read foreign, and understand the Rhaetii or Rhaetians a German people; and so he should agree with the opinion of the modern Iews, who call the*Vid. E…iam in Tishbi in fine litera & Aben Ezr. in Obad. The Seat and portion of Riphath. Germans Askenazim from Askenaz: but this must be understood of some ensuing Colonies, not of this Original Seat.
The third and last portion is Pontus and Bithynia, which remains for the Third Son, Riphath: witness Iosephus, who affirms that the Paphlagones who dwelt in these parts were called Riphathaei; and the Histories of*Plin. l. 6. c. 7. Solin. c. 27. Heathen men place here their Riphaei and Arimphaei; and Iunius thinks that the Amazones who were called AEorpatae were a Colonie from these quarters; and besides there is a river in these parts called Parthenius, corruptly as it should seem for Riphathenius. And this portion lies only open to the Euxine Sea, in ancient time called Pontus foreign, because it was unfrequented by the Greek Nations: which opportunely shews the reason why of those Three only Riphath is never spoken of afterward, because it lay out of the walk either of Iews, Tyrians, or Egyptians. And thus much for Gomer.
THAT which remains of Asia we must divide between Meshech, Tubal and Magog: For it is certain out of*Chap. 38. Ezekiel that Magog was seated in the North, because it is said that Gog of the land of Magog shall come out of his Northern quarters;Ver. 15. and out of the same Chapter we gather that Tubal and Meshech were his neighbours, in that he is called chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal; Ver. 2. 3.and these two Meshech and Tubal are both here and elsewhere always joyned together.
To Meshech therefore,The Seat and portion of Meshech or Mosoch, so the LXX. following the received opinion, we allot Cappadocia, the inhabitants whereof were once called Meschini, Moschi, Mossyni and Mosynoeci; witness aAn…iq. l. 1. c. 7.Iosephus, bContra Sethianos, haer. 39.Epiphanius, cNat. Hist. lib. 6. cap. 4.Pliny anddLib. 2. Vide etiam Clavem & Comment. Apocalypt. cap 9 vers. 16. Carmen Argonauticum. Also the chief City of Cappadocia was called Mazaca even to Tiberius his time, who called it Caesarea, and it was afterward the Episcopal See of the learned Basilius Magnus.
*The Seat and portion of Thubal.Now for Thubal, because he is neighbour to Meshech, we must allot that which lies on the South-East of the Euxine Sea, which contained the people Albani, Chalybes, and Iberi, who (Iosephus saith) were anciently called Thebeli; and Ptolemy places here a City called Thabilaca. And some think that Chalybes is a name corrupted from Thabyles, by losing the first letter, and after supplying … in stead thereof: for in Homer's time they were called foreign, when he saith that the Halizones came
*II. ….foreign, from Alybe, where are mines of silver: and from this Alybe I suppose came the name Albania. And all this is agreeable to the opinion of most Writers, but that some having mistaken the name Iberi in Iosephus, will have the Spaniards to be of Thubal: but we can yield them no more than this, that perhaps the Spanish Iberi were a Colony of the Iberians of Asia. And so we come to Magog;
Whom with the consent of all men we place North of Thubal, The Seat and portion of Magog.and make him the father of those Seythians that dwelt on the East and North-East of the Euxine Sea: and besides we have this argument from the report of*Nat. hist. l. 5. c. 23. Coele Syria habet Bambycen, quae alio nomine Hierapolis vocatur, Syrisv…rd Magog. Pliny, in that Scythopolis and Hierapolis, which these Scythians took when they overcame Syria, were ever after by the Syrians called Magog. And hence we may soon learn who is that tyrant Gog whereof Ezekiel prophesied, namely the Scythian Ottoman of the East, who at this day usurps a great part of Israel, of our Israel of the Gentiles. This is that Gog of the land of Magog, chief Prince of Meshech and Thubal. As for the name Gog, it signifies the very same with Magog, for Mem is but an Hemantick letter; and it pleased the Spirit of God to take away this first syllable, to distinguish between the people and the land of the people, calling the people Gog, and the land the land of Magog. And it is to be marked that he doth not call this Gog Prince of Magog, Ezek. 38. 2.but rather Gog of the land of Magog (for so foreign may be turned) and chief Prince of Meshech and Thubal. For those who have done us all this evil were no Princes in the land of Magog, but mere Vagabonds and mercenaries, whom their Country spewed out because they could not live at home. And yet these Savages at the first coming out made themselves Lords of Meshech and Thubal, of Cappadocia and Iberia: and here they contained themselves long before they attempted the conquest of the rest of Asia; witness those who write the History of their beginning. I would to God we might live Ch. 39. 3, 4, 6, 7.to see that joyful time which the same Ezekiel speaketh of, when the Lord shall make him fall upon the mountains of Israel, and smite the bow out of his left hand, and cause his arrows to fall out of his right hand: when he shall send a fire upon Magog, and among them that dwell carelesly in the Isles; that they might know that he is the Lord our God, even the Holy one of Israel.
There remain yet of the sons of Iaphet,The Seat and portion of Tira…. Madai and Tiras, and of the plot we first laid out, Thracia and Macedonia. If then the Thracians be of Tyras (as it is*Vid. Epiphan. advers. H…rel. l. 1. Hieronym. in Trad. Hebr. Thiras Thrac…s, quorum … . agreed they are, both because the name Thrax is little changed, and because they worshipped one*Epiphan. l. 1. Odrysus, who was no other than this Tiras) then it must needs follow that Macedonia is left for Madai, or else we must leave it empty, because we can assign it to none of the rest without great inequality of portions, nor yet find any other place for Madai.
Let therefore Macedonia be the lot of Madai; witness the ancient name AEmathia, as Lucan sings, Bella per AEmathios plus quam civilia campos.
If any man question how AE came in, I could ask him likewise how Eu came into Euphrates, which the Hebrews and those of Mesopotamia call Perath; or how AE into AEgyptus, which themselves and their neighbours the Arabians call Cuphti; or how AE into Ethiopia, which some think to be so called of Theops or Theophi. It may be that of the Hebrew foreign signifying regio the Greeks formed their foreign terra, and so Aimathia is as much as foreign Madai, the land of Madai; and AEgyptus foreign Cuphti, the land of Cuphti; and AEthiopia foreign Theophi, the land of Theophi, But howsoever it be, it is no unusual thing in the changing of a name out of one [*This or the like w…rd was wanting in the Ms. language] into another, to prefix a Vowel or Diphthong. But besides this name AEmathia, we read of a people in this tract called foreign, or (as some will) foreign Aristotle in his Book*foreign of Strange reports speaks of foreign in the borders of Paeonia; and hereabouts was that Praefectura Medica we hear of in the Roman stories. Lastly, Isocrates in one of his Orations names one foreign for King of these quarters, before (as he saith) they come to be a Greek nation.
It is the common opinion, I confess, that Madai was the Father of the Medes in Asia: but this I think will scarcely agree with Moses, to remove Madai so far from the rest of his brethren, and how can that be any part of the Isles of the Gentiles, which lies beyond Armenia the great and part of Assyria? Or what should any of the sons of Iaphet do among the sons of Sem? Indeed Iosephus saith that Madai was progenitour of that people which the Greeks called foreign but I am sure they called the Medes of Asia foreign. And what though the Hebrews called them Madai? this proves no more that there was the Original seat of Madai the son of Iaphet, than that Tarshish, whither Solomon's ships went once in three years to fetch gold and silver, was the first dwelling of Tarshish the son of Iavan. It may be their names were occasioned by these, either through Colonies, (which is the more unlikely,) or by the affinity of name, which the Iews corrupted to a name they were best acquainted with; which is an usual dealing of Nations of a diverse language with the names of their neighbours.
Thus then at length we have found the first Seats of the Sons of Iaphet, agreeable to the Rules we first laid down; and their Portions also are so laid out, that every one hath some part of his borders lying open to the Sea or toward empty land, that so they might vent their Colonies without disturbing their brethren.
NOW let us say something of their Colonies. And we'l begin with Tarshish, who lies open only to the Mediterranean Sea, and therefore is like to have sent his first Colonies that way; but whither it is hard to say: but,The Colonies of Tarshish. if I may guess, it is likely unto the first land Westward he found unpeopled, and that may be the South part of Italy, where dwelt the Elrusci, a name coming something near to Etarshishi. But howsoever it is certain that the Hetrurians came from Asia the less, and that they were a Greek Nation, and spake the Greek language. There is a Spaniard that hath lately written a Description of Old Spain, and will have Tarshish, whither Solomon's ships went with the Ships of Hiram king of Tyre, to be Tartesses in the South of Spain near to Hercules Pillars; and indeed Aristotle in his Strange reports saies that when the Phaenicians came first thither, they found so much Silver, that they were not able to carry it away, but were fain to make their Anchors and their Ship-furniture all of Silver. But if this Tartessus be that Tarshish, it seems the Phoenicians so called it, because it lay unto Carthage their new Tyre as old Tarshish in Cilicia lay to old Tyre, that is North-westward: or else they called it Tarshish, because they went to it by the Sea of Tarshish. The Septuagint, who often turn Tarshish the Carthaginians, seem to allude to the name, as though Carthago were Cartarshish a City of Tarshish: but Carthage was no Colony of Cicilia, but of Phaenicia.
Vrbs antiqua fuit, Tyrii tenuere coloni,
Carthago—
But it should seem of all these or some of these the whole Mediterranean Sea was called Tarshish, for the Chaldee Paraphrast almost always turns Tarshish foreign, that is, the Sea; whom Tremellius follows.
The Cittaeans lie open both to the AEgean and to the Mediterranean Seas,The Colonies of Cittim. and therefore might send Colonies both ways. And first it is likely that they peopled Crete and the Isles at the mouth of the AEgean Sea. But because the Prophecy of*Chap. 11 30. For th…re sh…ll come against him foreign ships of Chittim, or perhaps, ships from Chittim foreign as in Hol. 14. 3. foreign the lxx. (whom the Apostle follows) seem to have read foreign the fruit of our lips. Daniel, concerning the ships of Chittim that should come against Antiochus magnus, was fulfilled by the Romans; we must grant Italy also a Colony of our Cittaeans, which seems to be the East part thereof which lies toward Syria, and was anciently called Magna Graecia: and yet I suppose that these Cittaei went as high as Tyber unto the borders of their brethren the Hetrusci, and were those which were called Aborigines and Latini; and that part called Magna Graecia was filled with other Greek Colonies afterward and of more late time, because they spake the same Greek that other Greek nations did; but those Aborigines or Latini spake the ancient Ionian tongue, as Varro affirmeth: and it should seem besides that they were a Colony of the ancienter Ionians or Greeks because they kept their Father Iavan's name amongst them, calling him Ianus, whom the other Grecians seem to have by some mischance forgotten: even as the ancient Germans once worshipped Terra mater, as Tacitus says, called Erthus, and yet now they have no such name in all their language; whereas we, one of their Colonies, have still the name Earth. Munster and some others would have Ianus to be Noah, with a far-fetcht reason from … Vinum, because Noah planted a Vineyard and was drunken with the wine thereof. But this hath no likelihood at all, that the Greek nation alone should worship the Father of all mankind, whereas others remember only the Father of their own nations; as the Thracians Odrysus, the Arabians Sabin, Assabinus. And that name Ianus is so plain for Iavanus, that I wonder how they could miss it: And it may be that same Oenotrius, of whom Italy was called Oenotria; for both signify Vinosus, and besides that Oenotrius was one of the Surnames of Ianus. Furthermore, that the Romans were Iavanites or Grecians, methinks I could prove out of Rom. 10. 12. where S. Paul speaking particularly to the Romans, says after this manner, There is no difference between the Iew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him; where he seems to comprehend the Romans under the Grecians. But if any man will think otherwise, he shall have my leave.
But to return to that we are somewhat digressed from; Iunius expounding this *Dan. 11. 30.Prophecy of the ships of Chittim, would have the Romans ships called the ships of Cittim, because they came immediately from the coast of Cittim, that is Crilicia, in the havens whereof they used to lie. But Cittim is a name of the plural number, and therefore not the name of a Country, but of a People; how then could the Romans ships be called the ships of the Cittaeans, unless they had a priviledge that whatsoever ships come to their shores should be theirs? And again Cilicia, where the Roman navy used to lie, was the lot of Tarshish, not of Cittim; for Strabo says the Cetii or Cetians lay West from Cilicia, where we placed them.
Another Colony of Cittim Balaam will tell us of in Numb. 24. 24. where he says that ships shall come from the coasts of Chittim, and shall afflict the Assyrians,Macedones olim dicti Macetae; Gellius lib 9. cap. 3. Eustathius in Dionysium. Hesych. foreign and shall afflict the Hebrews: which is meant of Alexander King of Macedonia; whereby it seems that the Macedonians were called foreign from the mixture of the sons of Madai and Cittim, as it were foreign or foreign, and after foreign, even as for foreign & foreign we say foreign, and for foreign and so Macedonia is called from foreign or foreign, that is, Maccetims, for an, en & in are terminations plural in diverse languages. And that ye may fully believe that a Colony of Cittim went into Macedonia, ye shall read in 1 Maccab. 8. 5. Perseus king of Macedonia expresly called King of Cittim; which reading Iunius would fain change, if he had any authority, to make his opinion good, that those ships also are called ships from the coasts of Cittim, because they came out of the havens of Cilicia. And thus much of the Colonies of the Cittaeans.
Now to speak a word or two of the Colonies of the rest.The Colonies of Thogarmah. Of the off-spring of Gomer, who were of him called Cimmerii, and had a City in their lot called Cimmeris of these Cimmerians or Gomerians, Thogarmah lies only open by the AEgean Sea to the Mediterranean, and therefore sent his ancient Colonies that way, and gave original to the old Gaules whom the Grecians called foreign, and contractly foreign for foreign Cimbri: and of these Gaules proves Cambden came our ancient Britans, who yet retain the name of their Grandfire Gomer, and call themselves Cumrah.
Askenaz, The Colonies of Askenaz.another family of these Cimmerians, lies open to the North-west, and therefore sent his Colonies that way, and gave name to Cimmerius Bosphorus; and going along by Danubius, gave beginning to the Germans, whom Diodorus Sic…lus affirms to have their Original from the Cimmerians; and the Iews to this day call them Askenazim of Askenaz; and themselves retain the name of their Grandsire Gomer both in Cimbri, and calling themselves Germen, that is Gomeraeans: as the Syrians call the Aramaeans Armin, of which the Greeks form their Armenia; so of Gemren or Germen the Latines formed Germania; for en is a German plural, and it is no harder thing to form of Gomer Gemren, than of Brother Brethren; for we English are the Germans brethren, and therefore also the sons of Askenaz.
Riphath lies only open to the Euxine Sea Northward,The Colonies of Riphath. and West to Askenaz, and therefore sent his Colonies something Westward, but North of Askenaz; and so he gave beginning first to those Riphaei above the Euxine Sea, and after to the Rutheni and Prutheni, both which found of Riphath; for Pruthen is that but contractly for Riphathen, that is, Riphathaeans; for en (as I said) is a termination plural. We call them Prussians and Russians, and their language is the Polonian tongue or a dialect thereof, not the Askenazim or Dutch.
Meshech also lies only open Northward,The Colonies of Meshech, and therefore sent his Colonies beyond Palus Maeotis, who are of him called Muskovians.
Tubal lies on the North-west of the Euxine Sea,and Tubal, and therefore sent his ancient Colonies by it; but whither it is hard to say, but it is like Northward upon the East of the Muskovite.
Magog lies open to the North,and Magog. and hath scope enough, and might go, if he would, he and Tubal both, even as high as Nova Zembla.
There remain Tiras and our Iaphetian Madai: The Colonies of Madai.and Madai lies open both to the Adriatick Sea and to the confines of Illyricum and Moesia; but it is not like he went by Sea so long as he might by land, and therefore I think he gave beginning to the Illyrians and to the Moesians, for so Pliny calls them, which methinks comes near to Maethians; for … and … are changeable one for the other, as we see in Rutheni and Prutheni, whom we call Russians and Prussians, and Russia and Prussia for Ruthia and Pruthia.
Tiras lies open both to the North and the West;The Colonies of Tiras. but I think he went no further Northward than a River on the edge of Russia, which of him is called Tyras: his other Colonies went more Westward, and gave beginning to the Dacians, and Ge…ae, and their off-spring.
And thus we have seen the First Seats of the Off-spring of Iaphet, and also whither they have been since scattered over the face of this Western world. And now we have occasion to consider the Blessing of Iaphet, *G…. 27That God would enlarge him into the tents of Sem, and that‖Cham was the … of Canaan, … both of them being faulty towards Noah. Cham should be his servant: For there hath never yet been a son of Cham that hath shaken a sceptre over the head of Iaphet. Sem hath subdued Iaphet, and Iaphet subdued Sem; but Cham never subdued either. And this Fate was it that made Hannibal, a child of*That the Carthaginians were originally of … Stock or off-spring of Canaan (the son of Cham, whose posterity possessed all Asrick, besides some part of Asia,) is generally agreed; and S. Austin, (one of that country) in his Comment upon the Ep. to the Romans, relates, that when any of the people about Hippo or Carthage were asked What they were; they would answer in their Punick language, Chanani, that is, (saith he) Chananai, Canaanites. Canaan, cry out with the amazement of his soul, Agnosco fatum Carthaginis. (See Livy in l. 27. in fine.) The Saracens indeed once spoiled us, but they were no Chamites, but Arabians of the seed of Ishmael; and yet because a great number of their kind were after of the Moors and Chamish Arabians, we see they were in a moment shaken off by Iaphet, and made to keep themselves within their African limits.
And we may see likewise how God hath enlarged Iaphet into the tents of Sem, and how he that was once the God of Sem is now the Blessed God of Iaphet: For almost only the Off-spring of Iaphet, yea and all the Off-spring of Iaphet, are at this day Christians, only Magog except; whom he seems to have reserved, as he did some of the Canaanites in the land of Israel, to prove and punish us withal. But let us desire him That he would at length deliver us from this Belial, and that he would daily enlarge us more and more into the tents of Sem, that he would remember the Blessing, and never forget his Promises so often made to the Isles of the Gentiles. Hear, O Lord, the groanings of those who are in bondage, and let their cry come up unto thy Holy Seat. Why should the Heathen any longer rage, and gather themselves together against thy Christ? How long, Lord, how long wilt thou be angry with them for ever? It is enough, Lord, it is enough; Arise and send them an Ezra, send them now an Helper, and make thine Holy Name known in the midst of thy people.