The Geography of the Seventy Nations
- Main article Seventy nations
Contents
Rabbinical designations
A table of Biblical versus Rabbinical names of the seventy nations as listed in the Jewish Encyclopedia.
The Sons of Japheth
- Gomer identified with Carthagena (; according to some sources, Gothia).
- Magog identified with Germania.
- Madai identified with Media.
- Yavan identified with Macedonia (according to some sources, Ephesus).
- Tuval identified with Bithynia.
- Meshekh identified with Mysia.
- Tiras identified with Thracia.
The Sons of Gomer
- Ashkenaz identified with Asia (preconsuiaris).
- Rifath identified with Adiabene.
- Togarmah identified with Germanicia (city in the province of Commagene).
The Sons of Yavan
- Elishah identified with ?olis (in Asia Minor).
- Tarshish identified with Tarsus (city in Asia Minor).
- Kittim identified with Italy (southern; according to some sources, Hellas).
- Dodanim identified with Dardania (a district in the southwestern part of Moesia).
The Sons of Cham
- Khush identified with Arabia.
- Mitzraim identified with Egypt.
- Put identified with Marmarica (between Egypt and Cyrenaica).
- Canaan identified with Canaan.
The Sons of Khush and Ra'amah
- Seva identified with Syene (the frontier town of Egypt to the south).
- Chavila identified with India (in Africa, south of Egypt).
- Savtah identified with Lembrit? (to the south of Meroe").
- Ra'amah identified with Libya (between Egypt and Ethiopia).
- Savtekha identified with Region on the eastern coast of Africa.
- Sheva identified with Mons Samaragdus (along the Red Sea).
- Dedan identified with Mazaces (in Mauritania).
Nimrod's Kingdom and His Foundations
- Erekh identified with Warka (on the left bank of the Euphrates; according to some sources, Charon in Media).
- Akkad identified with Cascara (on the Tigris; according to some sources, Nisibin).
- Khalneh identified with Nippur (unidentified by the Midrash; according to some sources, Ctesiphon).
- Rehovoth Ir identified with Probably a suburb of Nineveh.
- Khalach identified with Edessa.
- Resen identified with Ctesiphon.
The Sons of Mitzraim
- Ludim identified with Nomos Neut.
- 'Anamim identified with Mareot?.
- Lehavim identified with Nomos in North Egypt.
- Naftuchim identified with Pentascoimen.
- Pathrusim identified with Unidentified.
- Kasluchim identified with Pentapolis (Cyrenaica).
- Kaftorim identified with Cappadocia.
Modern Attempts at designations
Here are two reconstructions of the traditional geographical location of the Biblical nations around the time of First Temple.
Japheth, literally means "opened" or "expanded". Naturally in the sense that his descendents settled all Europe and the greater part of Asia, and later colonised and developed the Western Hemisphere previously ruled by Ham and Canaan, as Shem replaced Canaan in the Eretz Yisroel.
From Japheth derive the Indo-Europeans and the Medes. The early Aryans knew Japheth as Djapatischta (chief of the race); Greeks referred to Japheth as Iapetos or Japetos; East Indians called him Iyapeti or Pra-Japati; Romans deified him by the name Ju-Pater or Jupiter. The Saxons perpetuated his name as Iafeth, subsequently transliterated as Sceaf (pronounced sheef or shaif), and recorded in their early genealogies as the son of Noah the forebear of their various peoples (Anglo-Saxon Chronicles). The variant Seskef was used by the early Scandinavians.
The Japhetic tribes being furthest from the theocratic centre were last in attaining to historic eminance, and "enlarging" with much greater minuteness to detail the Hamitic and Arabian nations which were soonest developed and with which the Hebrews came most into contact in the initial stages of their journey through time.
History has recorded Japheth's geographical enlargement. The entire Western hemisphere of our globe is settled by Japhetic peoples, and East Indians are of the same stock. The record of Japheth's spread (enlargement) over the earth has been marred consistently by his destruction of the cultures which were already in existence wherever he arrived in sufficient force to achieve dominion. It happened in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, and only numerical superiority of the native population has hitherto preserved parts of Africa from the same fate. Indeed, in early historic times the pattern of events is repeated again and again, whatever cultural advances the pioneering Hamites had achieved tended to be swallowed up by the succeeding Japhethites. The "enlargement" of Japheth has continued to this day, an enlargement greatly accelerated geographically in the last few centuries -- frequently at the expense of the Hamites (or Canaanites) who first possessed the land.
Gomer, Nation that settled in eastern Europe near the Black Sea, he became the Gauls/French, Galatians, Gaels/Scots, Celts/Irish, Goths/Germans/Scandinavians, Saxons/Britons/Welsh, Dutch, Armenians, Romans and related groups.
Magog, Nation that settled first in Georgia, a region between the Black and Caspian Seas south of the Caucasus Mountains, he became the Synthians, Russians, Belorussians and Ukranians.
Madai, Nation that settled northwest of Persia proper, south and southwest of the Caspian Sea, east of Armenia and Assyria, and west and northwest of the great salt desert of Iran in the ancient kingdom of Media, now Iraq and the northern part of Iran. He is the father of the Medes and East Indians.
Yavan, Nation that became the Ionians and Greeks. His sons occupy Cyprus, Rhodes, and other islands and coasts of the Mediterranean and the coast of Spain, Italy and Portugal.
Tuval, The city of Tobolsk was named after him. Nation that settled near Cappadocia in Asia Minor and fathered the Bulgarians, Hungarians, Albanians, Romanians, other related groups.
Meshekh The city of Moscow (Muskovi) is named after him. Nation that Initially settled in northern Turkey south east of the Caspian Sea, he fathered the Poles, Finns, Czechs, Yugoslavs and other related groups.
Tiras, Nation that settled across the Propontis and fathered the Thracians, maritime groups, and possibly the Etruscans of Italy. Through his sons Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah, Gomer peopled much of Armenia and the Carpathian Mountains.
Ashkenaz, Nation that settled first in Armenia, migrating thence to Bithynia, the northern islands of Europe and European west coast: Germany, Scandinavia and Denmark.
Rifath, Nation that settled in Czechslovakia, Romania, and Turkey.
Togarmah, Nation whose earliest descendants settled in Armenia, Turkey and Germany. In the late eighth century BC, Assyria probably uprooted and transported most of those still living in Armenia.
Elishah, The Greek translation is "Hellas". Nation that settled in Greece.
Tarshish, Nation that settled in Spain.
Kittim, Nation that settled in Cyprus, other Mediterranean islands, and Macedonia.
Dodanim, Nation that settled Rhodes and the Dardanelles and was subsequently deified and worshipped as Jupiter Dodonaeus.
Ham, literally means "warm" or "passionate". Although Ham first established himself in Sumer, the land of Ham is Africa; more particularly Egypt (Psalms 78:51; 105:23; 106:22). His descendants, however, were first to leave the territory assigned them, emigrating from Asia to the islands and the Americas.The Shemites were still in the area at the time of Abram. It is the Canaanites who were "spread abroad" or driven out and scattered (Genesis 10:18) in the days of Peleg and later "divided" by the Gentiles or Japhethites when God "enlarged" them (Genesis 9:27; 10:5, 25).
Cham, Nation that settled first in Shinar, thence south Arabia, southern Egypt, the Sudan and northern Ethiopia.
Mitzraim, Nation that settled in upper and lower Egypt in North Africa.
Put, Nation that settled Libya and are the Cyrenaeans and North Africans.
Canaan settled in the land of Canaan. The Hamitic origin of his name means, "belonging to the land of red purple" after the murex sea shells from which this dye was extracted. In Akkadian it meant "red-colored wool". The Greeks renamed them "phoenicians" from the Greek "Phoniki" which means dark red. The Romans transcribed the Greek "phoenix" to "poenus", thus calling the emigres to Carthage "punic". In Hebrew it means "merchant", or "trafficer" -- "to bend the knee", "humiliate", "bring down low", or "vanquish". Genesis 10:18 said, "the families of the Canaanites (would be scattered, vanquished, or) spread abroad".
Seva, Nation that settled the west coast of the Arabian Peninsula, founding the nation of the Sabaeans, nowadays called Yemen.
Chavila, Nation that settled on the eastern coast of northern Arabia near present-day Kuwait.
Savtah, Nation that settled on the east coast of southern Arabia.
Ra'amah, Nation that settled on the east coast of southern Arabia, possibly in present-day Oman.
Savtekha, Nation that settled in Yemen.
Sheva, Nation that settled north of Yemen in a fertile land known as the "Spice Kingdom" whence the queen brought oil of spikenard as a gift to king Solomon.
Dedan, Nation that settled in the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf.
Ludim, Nation that settled Lybia on the northern coast of Africa.
'Anamim, Nation that settled in the Nile Delta but as little is known of this tribe they may have been devastated by the Ethiopic War.
Lehavim, Nation that settled in Libya but perhaps this tribe was destroyed in the Ethiopic War.
Naftuchim, Nation that settled in the Nile Delta and the western parts of Egypt. Early records refer to them as "they of the delta" or "marshland". Josephus says they were destroyed in the Ethiopic War.
Pathrusim, Nation that settled Pathros in upper Egypt.
Kasluchim, They are the Colchihans of the Egyptian town Chemnis, Panoplis, Nation settled in northern Egypt.
Philistines, These are the Philistines who migrated to and occupied the lower part of the Mediterranean coast belonging to Shem.
Kaftorim, They also migrated to the lower part of the Mediterranean coast belonging to Shem and are the Philistines.
Canaan receives his first Biblical definition in the Table of Nations as the father of Sidon and Heth, of the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgasites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. The five names following Sidon are familiar as the inhabitants of the "Promised Land" (Exodus 13:5). They occupied the area enclosed by the border of Genesis 10:19, running south from Sidon towards Gaza, through Gerar and across to the cities of the Dead Sea plain. No eastern limit is drawn. At the time of the conquest, the land as a whole was named Canaan (Numbers 35:10), a usage understandable in light of Canaan's place at the head of the peoples of Genesis 10:15-19.
The vast aggregate of peoples generally classified as Mongoloid, who settled the Far East are descendants of the Canaanites, including the people of the South Sea Islands, Eskimos and most of the native Indian tribes of North and South America.
Sidon, Nation that settled on the Mediterranean coast north of Tyre.
Cheth, Nation that became the Hittite nation, whose name was known to the Assyrians as the Khatti. The Hittites were apparently the first nation to smelt iron. The Armarna tablets contain letters that were sent from the Hittite emperor Subbiluliuma to the Pharoah Amenhotep IV. Rameses II also tells us how he engaged the Hittites in what was the earliest recorded battle involving massed chariots. This was the famous battle of Kadesh, and it appears that the Hittites got the better of the Egyptian forces. Heth's name was perpetuated in the Hittite capital Hattushash; modern Boghazkoy in Turkey. Rome's ancient rival, Carthage, was colonized through Canaan's sons Sidon and Heth.
Yevusite, Nation that settled around Jerusalem.
Amorite, Nation that settled east of Canaan by the Dead Sea and the Jordan (Joshua 24:11). They were to conquer Babylonia, subsequently producing one of the most famous kings in the ancient world, Hammui, whose own name contains the designation Amarru. God told Abraham, "Israel will return to Canaan when the iniquity of the Amorites is come to the full" (Exodus 15:16).
Girgashite, Nation that lived east of the river Jordan and the Sea of Galilee.
Chivite, Nation that dwelt at the base of Mount Hermon in the Valleys of Lebanon, and at Shechem (Genesis 34:2; Joshua 9:7-17; 11:19).
'Arkite, Nation that dwelt near Mount Lebanon.
Sinite, Nation that dwelt on the coast, west of Mount Lebanon.
Heth (Hittites) and Sin (Sinites) are the progenitors of Chinese and Mongoloid stock. "Hittite" in Cuneiform appears as Khittae, representing a once powerful nation from the Far East, preserved through the centuries in the more familiar Chinese term, Cathay. The Cathay were Mongoloids and considered a part of early Chinese stock.
"Sin", a brother of Heth, has many occurrences in variant forms in the Far East. The place most closely associated by the Chinese themselves with the origin of their civilization is the capital of Shensi, namely, Siang-fu or "Father Sin", on the Wei, a tributory of the Yellow River, near important gold and jade mines.
Moreover, those who came from the Far East to trade with the Scythians were called Sinae (Sin). Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer, referred to China as the land of Sinim or Sin. Reference to the Sinim in Isaiah 49:12 notes they came "from afar," Arabs called China Sin, Chin, Mahachin, or Machin. The Sin were spoken of as a people in the remotest parts of Asia. Their most important town was Thin, a great trading emporium in western China. This city is now known as Thsin or simply Tin, and it lies in the province of Shensi. The Sin became independent in Western China, their princes reigning there for some 650 years before they finally gained dominion over the whole land. In the third century B.C., the dynasty of Tsin became supreme. In 217 B.C., Prince Cheng, founder of the Ch'in Dynasty (from which the name "China" is taken) unified China and took the title of Shih Hwang-ti (First Emperor). Shih Hwang-ti built much of the Great Wall of China, and a network of roads and canals that converged on his capitol, near modern Sian, in Shensi province.
With respect to the Cathay people of historical reference, it would make sense to suppose that the remnants of the Hittites, after the destruction of their empire, traveled towards the east and settled among the Sinites who were relatives, contributing to their civilization, and thus becoming the ancestors of many Asian people groups including the Khazar or Ashkenazim "Jews". Still others migrated throughout the region and beyond, making up the present-day Mongoloid races in Asia and the Americas. What the Chinese call "Hsiung-nu" are the Turko-Mogul nomad tribes we know as "Huns".
China is unique among the great civilizations in that at no time in its long history has it produced a strong, priestly group. Chinese attitudes towards religion are a mixture of superstition and practicality. They have never persecuted on religious grounds and there are few Chinese martyrs.
Arvadite, Nation that settled on the Phoenician Island of Arad off the coast of Lebanon near Tripoli.
Tzemarite, Nation that settled the coast adjacent to the Arvadites
Chamathite, Nation that settled in Hamath, the chief city of upper Syria on the Orontes river.
Shemite, literally means "renown". His descendants settled in Arabia.
'Elam, Nation that settled a province east of Babylon and northeast of the lower Tigris and just north of Persia. He is the father of the Kurds and Iranians.
Asshur is the same name as Asher. Nation that is ancestor to the Assyrians or Northern Iraquis.
Arpakhshad, Nation that was the ancestor of the Chaldeans of Southern Iraq, Hebrews, Arabians, Amorites, and the Moabites/Jordanians.
Lud, Nation that is the ancestor of the Lydians who settled in Asia Minor and spoke an Indo-European language.
Aram, Nation that became the Aramaeans or Syrians and Lebanese.
Utz, Nation that settled in Northern Arabia, between Babylonia and Edom
Ever, means "emigrants" or "to vanish to the region beyond". Eber is the father of the Hebrews.
Peleg, comes from the root word "palag", which means (literally or figuratively) "division" or to split. He was the fifth generation after the Flood when the earth was divided by tongues.
Yoqtan, Only the purest Arabs (it is still maintained), are those Semitic Arabs descended from Joktan; whilst the Hamitic Arabs are referred to somewhat disdainfully as Musta 'rabs, that is, pretended Arabs.
Almodad, Nation whose settlement cannot be precisely determined, perhaps Yemen.
Sheva, Nation that became a Yemeni tribe of Arabs.
Chatzarmaveth, Nation on south-east Arabia.
Yerach, Nation on south-east Arabian coast.
Hadoram, Nation in southern Arabia.
[Uzalite Nation|Uzal]], Nation that dwelt in Yemen.
Diqlah, Nation on that settled in the north-eastern extremity of the Arabian peninsula.
Oval, Nation that became a Yemeni tribe.
Avimael, Nation that became a Yemeni tribe.
Sheva, Nation that became a Yemeni tribe.
Ofir, Nation on the coast of south-west Arabia.
Chavilah, Nation on the eastern shore of the gulf of Aquaba.
Yovav, Nation close by present-day Mecca.
Conclusion
There have been many attempts to trace the tradition biblical nations to modern day ethnic groups. It is most likely that a credible lineage is no longer possible to achieve and that it may not be all that important. As we will see further in Jewish literature the "seventy nations" are archetypes for distinct approaches to understanding, sometimes called "seventy paths" to G-d. That being said, we must not loose site of the connection to region, land, peoplehood, ethnicity and nationality for the purposes of determining legal jurisdiction.
