Gomerite Nation
Most probably the Celts (cf. Herodotus 2:33), the Franks, or the Gauls, all of whom were closely related. Early sources translate this as Afrikey (Targum Yonathan. Cf. Targum on 1 Kings 20:22, 22:49, where this is the translation of Tarshish; see Genesis 10:4). This Afrikey, however, is not Africa, but Frikia or Phrygia (Arukh HaShalem; Buber on Pesikta Zutratha 26a. See note on Genesis 10:3, 'Togarma'). The Phrygians were an ancient nation who lived to the south of the Black Sea (cf. Iliad 2:862; Herodotus 7:30,31). They were originally known as Brigians (Herodotus 7:73). Linguistically, the Phrygians were related to the Armenians, but they may have also been related to the Franks, since there is a resemblance between the two names. Indeed, there are some ancient sources that identify Gomer with the Franks (Sefer HaYashar, p.26; Tol'doth Yitzchak).
The Phrygians were pushed out of their general land in the 8th century b.c.e. by the Cimerians, a people who originally lived in southern Russia (Crimea), to the north of the Black Sea (cf. Herodotus 4:11, 1:16, 1:103). It is therefore significant that the Talmud identifies Gomer with Germamia (Yoma 10a; Yerushalmi, Megillah 1:9). Germamia denotes Cimeria rather than Germany (cf. Arukh HaShalem). In ancient Assyrian, the Cimerians were indeed known as the Gimerrai, cognate to Gomer (in other places, however this is the translation of Togarma, see Targum on Ezekiel 27:14, 38:6). The Cimerians were seen as originally having been a Nordic people (Odyssey 11:12-19). Some sources identify them with the Cimbri of Jutland (around Denmark), a nation of Teutonized Celts.
Josephus writes that Gomer was the founder of the nation known as the Galatians (Antiquities 16:1; cf. Abarbanel). Galatia was in the same area as Phrygia and Cimeria, but it was renamed Galatia (from Gaul) when it was conquered by the Celts of Gaul.
Other ancient sources agree with this, writing that Gomer lived to the east of the Tina (Halys, cf. Herodotus 1:6) River (Sefer HaYov'loth 9:8).
