Egypt and Ethiopia: " And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, behold, such is our expectation, whether we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria." We find another instance in the reproof, which Jeremiah addressed to his people: "And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea." Hence, by this phrase, the Hebrews meant not only those places which are on all sides surrounded by water, but also ports and harbours, and those countries which may be approached by sea. Now, such were in relation to them the countries of Europe, the peninsula of Asia, and those places on the east of the Euxine. These were the regions or habitations of those transmarine nations, which the Hebrews and Phoenicians regarded as bar barians: These, therefore, they called the isles of the Gentiles. In confirmation of this view, many passages of Scripture might be quoted; but I shall produce only one from the prophecies of Isaiah, where, in reference to the calling of the Gentiles and the restoration of the Jews, the prophet foretels," The Lord shall recover the remnant of his people from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea." In this remarkable prophecy, the islands of the sea, (which are the same with the isles of the Gentiles), are distinguished from the other countries from whence the chosen people were to be recovered; and by consequence may be justly reckoned the countries of Europe and the Lesser Asia. Nor is it reasonable to i f Is. xx, 6. h Michaelis Spicilegium, part i, p. 122. suppose, that the prophet, in his enumeration of the places where the Gentiles were to be favoured with the glad tidings of salvation, would omit those countries where the gospel obtained its brightest triumphs, and which have continued, through every succeeding age, the principal seat of the Christian church.k We are therefore to look for the settlements of Japhet and his sons, chiefly in the countries of Europe and the Lesser Asia. The sons of Japhet mentioned by Moses, are seven, who were probably the founders of as many nations. 1. The descendants of Gomer, the eldest son of the family, settled in that part of the Lesser Asia, which, lying toward the north-east, comprehends the countries of Phrygia, Pontus, Bithynia, and a great part of Galatia. Josephus,' the celebrated Jewish historian, says expressly, that the Galatians who lived in this tract, were called Gomerites. Herodotus mentions the Cimmerii as inhabiting the same region; Pliny" speaks of a town in Troas, a part of Phrygia, called Comara or Cimmeris; and Mela, of the Comari:-names which are obviously derived from Gomer. Michaelis considers them as the founders of the Celtic nations; and, in confirmation of his opinion, says that in their language they take the name of Kymr or Cimmerians.o In allusion to the same Hebrew term, the learned Bochart imagines, that the Greeks gave the name of Phrygia to a considerable part of the Lesser Asia. The root Gamar, he observes, signifies to consume, and that Well's Hist. Geog. vol. i, p. 60. Bochart. lib. iii, cap. 1, p. 147. 'Jewish Antiq. lib. i, c. 7. n Nat. Hist. lib. v, sec. 20. Spicileg. part i, p. 22. m Lib. iv, cap. 11, 12. its derivative Gumra or Gumro signifies a coal; whence the Greeks coming to know the import of these words, might thereby be induced to think that the name Gomer was imposed on these parts, as denoting a soil so black as if it had been burnt to a coal; and by consequence, might be induced to impose on the same countries a name of similar import, and call it guy, Phrygia or the burnt country, from guys, which in the Greek language signifies to roast. This conjecture carries along with it the greatest probability, both because there are instances of the same nature which may be pointed out in our progress, and because it is certain, that a part of this country the Greeks distinguished by a special name, Φρυγια κεκαυμένη, burnt Phrygia. That Gomer obtained for his inheritance those parts of Asia Minor, seems to be confirmed by the settlements of his three sons within the general lot assigned to the whole nation. To Ashkenaz was allotted the Lesser Phrygia or Troas, from whom the river Ascanius, the province Ascania, and the Ascanian Isles, mentioned by Pliny, certainly derived their names.¶ The true situation of this branch of Gomer's family may be inferred, with no small degree of certainty, from a passage in the prophecies of Jeremiah, where, predicting the fall of Babylon by the arms of Cyrus, he issues this order from the mouth of Jehovah, " Call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, and Minni, and Ashkenaz." But Xenophon informs us, that Cyrus having taken Sardes, sent Hystaspes with an army into I P See also Well's Hist. Geog. vol. i, p. 62. Bochart. Phal. lib. iii, cap. 8, p. 171. Plin. Natur. Hist. lib. v, sec. 41, 42. Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. v, sec. 40, 41, 43. * Jer. li, 27. the Phrygia that lies on the Hellespont; and that Hystaspes having made himself master of the country, brought along with him from thence, a great body of Phrygian horse and other soldiers, whom Cyrus united to his army, and conducted against Babylon. Hence, the kingdom of Ashkenaz lay in that part of Phrygia which is washed by the waters of the Hellespont and the Euxine sea. Rephat, the second son of Gomer, settled eastward from his brother in the adjoining country, which, according to Josephus, was from his name originally called Riphatea, but known to the ancients by the name of Paphlagonia. A part of this people were also seated in Pontus and Bithynia; and the whole nation were at first called Rephathæ, and afterwards by contraction, Riphæi. Some traces of this name may be found in the writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Apollonius, in his Argonautics, mentions a river called Rhebæus, which, rising in this tract, empties itself into the Euxine sea. This is the river which is called by other writers Rhebas. Stephanus mentions both the river and a country of the same name, whose inhabitants were called Rhebæi. This is the people whom Pliny denominates (more agreeably to the name of their forefather) Riphæi. The settlements of these two brothers, Michaelis thinks, are involved in much uncertainty.t Togarmah, the third son of Gomer, occupied the Greater Phrygia and a part of Galatia. The kingdom of Togarmah lay almost due north from Judea, on the shores of the Euxine, touching the east border of Rephat. * Anab. lib. i, c. 2, sec. 2, &c. s Bochart. Phaleg. lib. iii, cap. 10, p. 174. Well's Hist. Geog. vol. i, p. 64. John Edward's Perfection of Scripture, vol. iii, p. 66, &c. + Michaelis Spicileg. p. 66. This accords with the situation assigned to this family, both in the sacred Scriptures and in profane writings. Their relative situation to Judea is distinctly marked by the prophet in these words: “ Gomer and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands."" And again, And again, "They of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs, with horses, and horsemen, and mules." Togarmah, then, lay nearly due north from Judea; which is confirmed by every map of those regions: and we know from the testimony of many writers, that Cappadocia, which embraced a considerable part of the lot of Togarmah, was long celebrated for an excellent breed of horses and mules, and for expert horsemen. Some traces of the name of Togarmah may be discovered in the names by which some of the inhabitants of this tract were known to ancient writers. Strabo says the Trochmi dwelt in the confines of Pontus and Cappadocia. Cicero calls them Trogmi; and Stephanus, Trocmeni.w It is evident that all these names derive their origin from Togarmah; for they retain all the radical letters of the name of their progenitor but one; and though the Greeks, according to their usual custom, have transposed one of the letters, to render the sound more pleasing to their fastidious ear, still the affinity is obvious. Thus it is ascertained, from the true situation of the three great branches of Gomer's family, that his descendants occupied those countries which extend along the shores of the Hellespont and Black sea. But the sons of Gomer were not long satisfied with u Ezek. xxxviii, 6. Chap. xxvii, 14. w Well's Hist. Geog. vol. i, p. 65. Strabo, lib. iv, p. 131. Bocharti. Phaleg. lib. iii, c. 11, p. 177. |