Now they were the grandchildren of Noah, in honor of whom names were
imposed on the nations by those that first seized upon them. Japhet, the
son of Noah, had seven sons: they inhabited so, that, beginning at the
mountains Taurus and Amanus, they proceeded along Asia, as far as the river
Tansis, and along Europe to Cadiz; and settling themselves on the lands
which they light upon, which none had inhabited before, they called the
nations by their own names. For Gomer founded those whom the Greeks now
call Galatians, [Galls,] but were then called Gomerites. Magog founded
those that from him were named Magogites, but who are by the Greeks called
Scythians. Now as to Javan and Madai, the sons of Japhet; from Madai came
the Madeans, who are called Medes, by the Greeks; but from Javan, Ionia,
and all the Grecians, are derived. Thobel founded the Thobelites, who are
now called Iberes; and the Mosocheni were founded by Mosoch; now they are
Cappadocians. There is also a mark of their ancient denomination still
to be shown; for there is even now among them a city called Mazaca, which
may inform those that are able to understand, that so was the entire nation
once called. Thiras also called those whom he ruled over Thirasians; but
the Greeks changed the name into Thracians. And so many were the countries
that had the children of Japhet for their inhabitants. Of the three sons
of Gomer, Aschanax founded the Aschanaxians, who are now called by the
Greeks Rheginians. So did Riphath found the Ripheans, now called Paphlagonians;
and Thrugramma the Thrugrammeans, who, as the Greeks resolved, were named
Phrygians. Of the three sons of Javan also, the son of Japhet, Elisa gave
name to the Eliseans, who were his subjects; they are now the Aeolians.
Tharsus to the Tharsians, for so was Cilicia of old called; the sign of
which is this, that the noblest city they have, and a metropolis also,
is Tarsus, the tau being by change put for the theta. Cethimus
possessed the island Cethima: it is now called Cyprus; and from that it
is that all islands, and the greatest part of the sea-coasts, are named
Cethim by the Hebrews: and one city there is in Cyprus that has been able
to preserve its denomination; it has been called Citius by those who use
the language of the Greeks, and has not, by the use of that dialect, escaped
the name of Cethim. And so many nations have the children and grandchildren
of Japhet possessed. Now when I have premised somewhat, which perhaps the
Greeks do not know, I will return and explain what I have omitted; for
such names are pronounced here after the manner of the Greeks, to please
my readers; for our own country language does not so pronounce them: but
the names in all cases are of one and the same ending; for the name we
here pronounce Noeas, is there Noah, and in every case retains the same
termination.
The children of Ham possessed the land from Syria and Amanus, and
the mountains of Libanus; seizing upon all that was on its sea-coasts,
and as far as the ocean, and keeping it as their own. Some indeed of its
names are utterly vanished away; others of them being changed, and another
sound given them, are hardly to be discovered; yet a few there are which
have kept their denominations entire. For of the four sons of Ham, time
has not at all hurt the name of Chus; for the Ethiopians, over whom he
reigned, are even at this day, both by themselves and by all men in Asia,
called Chusites. The memory also of the Mesraites is preserved in their
name; for all we who inhabit this country [of Judea] called Egypt Mestre,
and the Egyptians Mestreans. Phut also was the founder of Libya, and called
the inhabitants Phutites, from himself: there is also a river in the country
of Moors which bears that name; whence it is that we may see the greatest
part of the Grecian historiographers mention that river and the adjoining
country by the apellation of Phut: but the name it has now has been by
change given it from one of the sons of Mesraim, who was called Lybyos.
We will inform you presently what has been the occasion why it has been
called Africa also. Canaan, the fourth son of Ham, inhabited the country
now called Judea, and called it from his own name Canaan. The children
of these [four] were these: Sabas, who founded the Sabeans; Evilas, who
founded the Evileans, who are called Getuli; Sabathes founded the Sabathens,
they are now called by the Greeks Astaborans; Sabactas settled the Sabactens;
and Ragmus the Ragmeans; and he had two sons, the one of whom, Judadas,
settled the Judadeans, a nation of the western Ethiopians, and left them
his name; as did Sabas to the Sabeans: but Nimrod, the son of Chus, staid
and tyrannized at Babylon, as we have already informed you. Now all the
children of Mesraim, being eight in number, possessed the country from
Gaza to Egypt, though it retained the name of one only, the Philistim;
for the Greeks call part of that country Palestine. As for the rest, Ludieim,
and Enemim, and Labim, who alone inhabited in Libya, and called the country
from himself, Nedim, and Phethrosim, and Chesloim, and Cephthorim, we know
nothing of them besides their names; for the Ethiopic war note
which we shall describe hereafter, was the cause that those cities were
overthrown. The sons of Canaan were these: Sidonius, who also built a city
of the same name; it is called by the Greeks Sidon;
Amathus inhabited in Amathine, which is even now called Amathe by the
inhabitants, although the Macedonians named it Epiphania, from one of his
posterity: Arudeus possessed the island Aradus: Arucas possessed Arce,
which is in Libanus. But for the seven others, [Eueus,] Chetteus, Jebuseus,
Amorreus, Gergesus, Eudeus, Sineus, Samareus, we have nothing in the sacred
books but their names, for the Hebrews overthrew their cities; and their
calamities came upon them on the occasion following.