The history of the world

§. IX. Of the foure Sonnes of IAVAN: and of the double signification of Tharsis, either for a proper name or for the Sea.

OF Elisa or Elipha, came the Aeoles: and of this Elisa all the Greekes were called Hellenes, sayth Montanus. Melanchton makes Elisa the Father of [unspec 50] the Aeoles in Asia side: others of Elis in Peloponnesus, or of both. And seeing the Greekes were descended in generall of Iauan, it is pro∣bable that the Aeoles and the Elei, tooke name of Elisa, his eldest Sonne. Ezechiel in the 27. speaking of Tyre, nameth the Isles of Elisa. Hyacynthus* 1.1

& purpur a de insulis Elisae facta sunt operimentum tuum: Blue Silke and Purple, brought from the Isles of Elisa, was thy couering: The Chaldaeans for Elisa write Italia: but the Vulgar, the Tigurine, the Geneua, and Iunius, keepe the word Elisa: and so I thinke they might doe with reason. For there was not found any such Purple Dye in Italie in those dayes nor since, that I can read of: but those Isles of Elisa, were by a better coniecture the Isles of Greece; and the best Purple was found afterward at Tyre it selfee and before that, among the Cyclades, and on the Coast of Getulia.

Tharsis, the second Sonne of Iauan, inhabited Cilicia, of which Tharsis is the Metro∣polis. Montanus for Tharsis in Cilicia, vnderstands Carthage in Africa; but (reseruing the respect due to so learned a man) he was much mistaken in that coniecture. The [unspec 10] Chaldaean Paraphrast puts Carthage for Tharsis, but it hath no authoritie, nor warrant of reason therein. So likewise, where it is written, that the Ships of Salomon went euery three yeeres to Tharsis, and brought thence Gold, Siluer, Elephants teeth, &c. the Chaldaean Paraphrast translates Tharsis (Africa.) But Salomons Ships were pre∣pared in the Red Sea at Esion Gaber, in the Bay of Elana, neere vnto Madian, where Iethro (Moses Father in Law) inhabited; a Prouince of Arabia Petraea, Idumaea, or of the Chusites; and they sayled to the higher part of the East India. For it had beene a strange Nauigation to haue spent three yeers in the passage betweene Iudaea and Car∣thage, or any other part of Africa, which might haue beene sayled in six or ten daies. And if so great riches might haue beene found within the bounds of the Mediterran [unspec 20] Sea, all other neighbouring Princes would soone haue entertained that Trade also. But this enterprize of Salomon is in this sort written of in the first of Kings: Also King SALOMON Made a Nauie of Ships in Esion Gaber, which is beside Elath and the brinke of the Red Sea in the Land of Edom: and HYRAM sent with the Nauie his seruants, that were Mariners, and had knowledge of the Sea, with the seruants of SALOMON: and they came to Ophir, and fet from thence 420. Talents of Gold, &c. But as the Nations about Pontus thought no Sea in the World like vnto their owne, and doubted whether there were any other Sea but that only: (whereof it came, that Pontus was a word vsed for the Sea in generall) so, because the Israelites and the Phoenicians knew no o∣ther Sea then that of the Mediterran in the beginning; and that the people of Thar∣sis [unspec 30] had the greatest Ships, and were the first Nauigators in those parts with such Ves∣sels, they were therefore called men of the Sea: and the word Tharsis vsed often for the Sea. And whereas it is said that the Ships of Salomon went euery three yeeres to Tharsis, that phrase is not strange at all; for we vse it ordinarily wheresoeuer wee na∣uigate, (namely) that the Kings Ships are gone to the Sea, or that they are set out e∣uery yeere, or euery three yeere to the Sea, and therefore Tharsis was not therein named, eyther for Carthage, Africa, or India, but vsed for the Sea it selfe. But in this place Tharsis is truly taken for Tharsis, the chiefe Citie in Cilicia, founded by Tharsis the second sonne of Iauan, or by his Successours in memorie of their first parent. To this Citie arriued Alex. Macedon, before he gaue the first ouerthrow to Darius, and [unspec 40] casting himselfe into the Riuer to bathe and wash his bodie, he fell into an extreme Feuer, and great danger of death: and in this Citie of Tharsis was Saint Paul borne. Now this agreeth with the reason and nature of a Plantation. For (Gomer and his other sonnes inhabiting Asia the lesse, and that part of Syria adioyning) Iauan, who was to passe ouer the Sea into Greece, tooke the edge of the same Coast, and first planted the Iones on that shore: gaue the Islands betweene Asia the lesse and Greece, to Elisa, and left Tharsis vpon the Sea-side in Cilicia; of whom that Citie tooke name.

The third sonne of Iauan was Cethim, of whom were the Romans and Italians, saith 〈◊〉〈◊〉, but I allow better of Melanchtons opinion, who makes Cethim the Fa∣ther [unspec 50] of the Macedonians. Cethim is a voice plurall (saith he) and signifieth percusso∣res, though in that respect it may be meant by either. But it seemeth more probable, that the place of Esai. 23. (according to Melanchton) had relation to Alexander and the Macedonians: Hac calamitas ab ESAI praedicta est, quicapite vicessimo tertio inquit,

〈◊〉〈◊〉 esse euersores Tyriex terra Cittim, This calamitie (sayth MELANCHTON) was foreshewed by ESAI the Prophet, who in the three and twentieth Chapter pronounced, that the Destroyers of Tyre were to come out of Cittim. And although the children of Israel esteemed all men Islanders, which came vnto them by Sea, and separate from that Continent; (and so also Cittim might be taken for Italie, saith Beroaldus) yet wee must take the first performance of the former Prophesie, which tooke effect with the destruction of the Tyrians by Alexander, who after seuen Moneths siege entred that proud Citie, and cut in pieces 7000. principall Citizens; strangled 2000. and changed the freedome of 13000. others into bondage and slauerie. Now, that Ma∣cedon was taken for Cethim, it appeareth plainly in the first of the Maccabees, in these [unspec 10] wordes. After that ALEXANDER the Macedonian, the Sonne of PHILIP, went forth of the Land of Cethim, and slew DARIVS King of the Persians and Medes. IOSEPHVS sets Cethim in the Isle of Cyprus, in which (sayth hee) there remaineth the Citie Ci∣tium, the Countrey of Zeno the Philosopher (witnesse Laertius) which Citie Pintus vpon Ezechiel affirmeth, that it stood in Saint Hicromes time. So it may be that all the Islands in ancient times by the Hebrewes were called the Islands of Cethim: and in that sense might Cyprus bee so called also; and yet because Tharsis was the very next Port to Cyprus, and directly ouer against it, it is also very probable, that Cethim dwelt by his brother Tharsis: and finding that Island too streight for his people after they were increased, and that the rest of the Coasts, both on Asia side and Greece, were in∣habited [unspec 20] by his Father and Brothers, he sent Colonies ouer the Aegaean Sea, and inha∣bited Macedonia.

Dodanim the fourth sonne of Iauan, and the youngest Brother (by the most opi∣nions) sate downe at Rhodes, as neere Cethim, Tharsis, and Elisa, as he could. For Do∣danim and Rhodanim are vsed indifferently by many Translators: the Hebrew (D) and the Hebrew (R) are so like, as the one may easily bee taken for the other, as all Hebricians affirme. There is also found in Epirus the Citie of Dodona, in the Pro∣uince of Molossia. And as Cethim, when he wanted soile in Cyprus: so Dodanim (sea∣ted in a farre lesse Island) did of necessitie send his people farther off; and keeping a∣longst the Coast, and finding Peloponnesus in the possession of Elisa, hee passed a little [unspec 30] farther on the Westward, and planted in Epirus. And though the Citie of Dodona was not then built, or (perchance) not so ancient as Dodanim himselfe, yet his Poste∣ritie might giue it that name in memorie of their first parent, as it happened all the World ouer. For names were giuen to Cities, Mountaines, Riuers, and Prouinces, after the names of Noahs children, and grand-children; not in all places by them∣selues, but by their successours many yeeres after: euery of their Families being de∣sirous to retaine among them by those memories, out of what branch themselues were taken, and grafted elsewhere. And because great Kingdomes were often by new Conquerers newly named, and the greatest Cities often fired and demolished: therefore those that hoped better to perpetuate their memories, gaue their owne [unspec 40] names, or the names of their Ancestors, to Mountaines and Riuers, as to things (af∣ter their iudgements) freest from any alteration.

Thus then did Iauan settle himselfe and his children, in the edge and frontier of Asia the lesse, towards the Sea-shore: and afterward in Greece, and the Islands, and neighbour Prouinces thereof, as Iapheth their Father had done in the body of the lesser Asia, together with Iauans brethren, Gomer, Magog, Madai, Tubal, Mesech, and the rest round about him. And in like sort did 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (the sonne of Cham) people Ba∣hylonia, Chaldaea, and the borders thereof towards the West and Southwest: and the sonnes of Chush (all but Nimrod, who held Babylonia it selfe) trauailed Southward in Arabia foelix, and Southwestward into Arabia petraea: the rest of his children holding [unspec 50] the Regions adioyning to Nimrod. Mizraim the brother of Chush in like manner tooke the way of Aegypt: and his brother Canaan the Region of Palestina adioyning. The Sonnes of Canaan had their portions in Canaan, of whom all those Nations came, which were afterward the Enemies both to the Hebrewes, and to those of the

sonnes of Shem, which spred themselues towards the West, and the borders of the Mediterran Sea: of which I shall speake hereafter. But first of the sonnes of Cham or Ham, which were foure:

• ...Chush,
• ...Mizraim,
• Phut, and
• ...Canaan.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.