thræans, and Ethiopians: but among themselves their general patronymic was Cuth, and their Country Cutha. I shall take notice of them in their several migrations under each of these appellations. They were an ingenious and knowing people, as I have before observed, and at the same time very prolific. They combined with others of the line of Ham, and were enabled very early to carry on an extensive commerce, and to found many colonies; so that they are to be traced in the most remote parts of the earth. These settlements have been enumerated by Eusebius, Syncellus, and other writers, as far as they could be discovered. Nor must we wonder if they appear so numerous, and so widely extended, as it is perfectly consonant to their original history. For we are informed by Moses when he enumerates the principal persons by whom the earth was peopled, that Ham had 2 Syncellus. p. 46. 47. 48. Johan. Malala. p. 15. Euseb. Chron. p. 11. 12. See also Vol. ii. of this work, p. 489. 490. 494. See particularly the Chronicon Paschale. p. 29. 30. 2 Genesis. c. 10. On account of the comparative smallness to be observed in the line of Japhet, that encouraging prophecy was given, that Japhet should one day be enlarged. God shall enlarge Japhet. This, within these few centuries, has been wonderfully completed. 3 thirty and one immediate descendants, all of them heads of families, when Shem had but twenty-six; and fourteen only are attributed to Japhet. A large body of this people invaded Egypt, when as yet it was in its infant state, made up of little independent districts, artless and unformed, without any rule or polity. They seized the whole country, and held it for some ages in subjection; and from their arrival the history of Egypt will be found to commence. The region between the Tigris and Euphrates, where they originally resided, was styled the country of the Chusdim or Chasdim, but by the western nations Chaldea. It lay towards the lower part of the Tigris, to the west, and below the plain of Shinar. On the opposite side, to the east, was the province of Elam, which country they seem soon to have invaded, and to have occupied the upper part. This consisted of that fine region called afterwards Susiana, and Chusistan, which was watered by the Ulai, Chobar, and Choaspes, and by other branches of the Tigris. When the Persians gained the sovereignty of Asia, it was from them denominated Persis. Some have thought Elam was 3 Most of the Fathers make the number thirty-two, counting Canaan; so that the total of the three families they suppose to have been seventy-two. VOL. IV. Persis; but Elam lay to the south, and Persis was only another name for Cutha, for the Persians were the Cuthites of that country under a different appellation. The prophet Isaiah distinguishes these nations very accurately, when he mentions a return of the captives from ✦ Elam, Chus, and Shinar. This country is said to have been also called Scutha; and the author of the 5 Chronicon Paschale mentions Scuthæ in these parts, who were so called even in his days; but he supposes that the name Scutha was given to the region on account of I know not what, Scythians from the north. Josephus, whose language had a greater affinity with the Chaldaïc, and to whom the history of the country was better known, expresses it Cutha; and speaks of a river Cutha, which was probably the same as the Choaspes. Hence we have another proof, and, I think, very determinate, that what the Grecians styled Scutha was Cutha, the land of C. 11. v. 11. Thus far is true, that Susiana was originally a part of Elam. See Daniel. c. 8. v. 2. but it was dismembered, and on that account esteemed a separate region. S Και εμειναν εν Περσιδι οι αυτοι Σκύθαι εξ εκείνε έως της νυν. p. 47. Arrian mentions a region called Scuthia near the Persian Gulf. Έχει δε και αυτη (Σαββαθα) συγχρησιν των πέραν εμπορίων, Βαρυγάζων, και Σκυθίας, και της παρακείμενης Περσίδος. Arriani Periplus apud Geog. Gr. minores. vol. 1. p. 15. 6 the Cuthites. It extended a great way eastward, and was in great measure bounded by Media to the north. When Salmanasser had taken Samaria, and carried the people into captivity, he repeopled it with a colony from Cutha, Media, Babylonia, and other conquered nations. And to this the Samaritans allude, when they give an account of themselves in Josephus. 7 Σαλμανα σαρης, 18 των Ασσυρίων βασιλευς εκ της ΧΟΥΘΙΑΣ ήμας κατήγαγε και Μηδιας ενθάδε. Salmanasser, the king of the Assyrians, brought us hither from the countries of Cutha and Media. In process of time, through conquest, the empire of the Persians was greatly enlarged, and Cuthia made but a part of it. Hence, in another place, Josephus, speaking of the people of Samaria coming from Cuthia, makes it but a portion of Persis. He calls it here Cutha, and says, Esi de auтn (ʼn Xxlα) (ή Χεθα) χώρα εν Пegoid; the province of Cutha, of which I have been speaking, is a region in Persis. This is one of the countries styled Cushan in Scripture; for there are certainly more than one referred to by the sacred writers: by other people it was rendered Ethiopia. Having thus traced the 8 * See 2 Kings. c. 17. v. 24. Men of Babylon and Cutha, Scythæ or Cuthites, to their original place of residence, and ascertained their true history, I shall proceed to describe them in their colonies, and under various denominations. OF CUSHAN, STYLED ETHIOPIA. As I have repeatedly mentioned Cushan, or Ethiopia, and it is likely to continually recur again; I think it will be proper to describe the countries of this name, and the people, who were in like manner denominated: for, to the best of my knowledge, I never yet saw this properly performed. It is well known, that the Ethiopians were Cuthites or Cuseans. 9 Εκ μεν Χες, Χεσαιοι· Στοι Αιθίοπες εισιν. Chus is the person, from whom the Cuseans are derived. They are the same people, as the Ethiopians. So also says Eusebius : 10 X25, & Aidiomes. Chus was the person from whom came the Ethiopians. The name is supposed to have been given to this people from their com -9 Zonaras. p. 21. Syncellus. p. 47. Aidiomes, we note (Xuc) ετι και νυν ὑπὸ ἑαυτων τε και των εν τη Ασία παντων Χουσαίοι καλεν Ta. Josephi Antiq. 1. 1. c. 6. p. 22. 10 Chron. p. 11. Εκ της φυλης το Χαμ Χως ονοματι, Αιθιο. Chron. Pasch. p. 36. Negud vos Xus тY Àilioños. Malala. p. 18. |