ARACH, a City of Chaldæa, built by Nimrod the Grandson of Cush, Gen. x. 8. This in all probability is the town of Aracca, placed by Ptolemy in the Susiana upon the Tigris below the place of its confluence with the Euphrates. Ammian calls it Arecha. From this City it is that the Arectæan plains1, which abound with Naphta, and some times take fire, derive their name. From this City of Chaldæa it is, probably that the Arabians have taken the name Iraca or Eraca, a large province of Asia, which is extended along the two shores of the Tigris, in like manner as Egypt includes the two coasts of the Nile.
The length of Iraca is measured from Takrith to Abadan, where the Tigris discharges itself into the Persian Gulf2, and is an extent of twenty days journey: Its breadth is taken from Cadisic to Habran, and is of eleven days journey. The Capital of this province under the Chaldæans and Assyrians was Babylon, under the Princes of the name of Cosroës Madain, and under the Arabians, Bagdat. This is the province which is called Chaldæa or Babylonia by the Greeks and Latins.
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