Japheth

JAPHETH, the son of Noah. He is commonly named the third in order of Noah’s sons. Japheth was born in the 500 Gen. v. 31.year of Noah. Moses says expressly, that he was the eldest of Noah’s sons¹, according to the translation of the Septuagint and Symmachus. The same Moses says, that Ham was the youngest of the three. Gen. ix. 24. When Noah knew what his younger son had done unto him. Lastly, Moses says, that Gen. xi. 10.Shem two years after the Deluge, was but an hundred years old. He was not born therefore till the 502 year of Noah: so that Japheth was the eldest of the three.

Europe and a part of Asia was Japheth’s portion. His descendants possessed all Europe and the Isles in the Mediterranean, as well those which belong to Europe, as others which depend on Asia. They had all Asia minor, and the northern parts of Asia above the sources of the Tigris and Euphrates. Noah, when he blessed Japheth, Gen. ix. 27.said to him, God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. This blessing of Noah was accomplished, when the Greeks, and after them the Romans, carried their conquests into Asia and Africk, where were the dwelling and dominions of Shem and Canaan.

Gen. x. 5.The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The Scripture says, That they peopled the Isles of the Gentiles, and settled in different countries, each according to his language, family, and people. We are of opinion, that Gomer was the father of the Cimbri, or Cimmerians; Magog of the Scythians; Madai of the Macedonians or Medes; Javan of the Ionians and Greeks; Tubal of the Tibarenians; Meshech of the Muscovites or Russians; and Tiras of the Thracians. But we shall speak in particular of these descendants of Japheth under their proper titles. By the Isles of the Gentiles, the Hebrews understand the Isles of the Mediterranean, and all the countries separated by the Sea from the continent of Palestine; whither also the Hebrews could go by Sea only, as Spain, Gaul, Italy, Greece, Asia minor.

Hesiod. Theogonia.Japheth was known by profane Authors under the name of Iapetus. The Poets make him to be the father of Heaven and Earth, or of Titan and the Earth. His habitation was in Thessaly, where he became celebrated for his power, and violence. He married a Nymph, whose name was Asia; by her he had four sons, Hesperus, Atlas, Epimetheus and Prometheus, who are all very famous in the fabulous history of the Ancients. The Greeks believe, that Japheth was the father of their race, and acknowledged nothing more ancient than him; from whence comes the proverb, As old as Japheth; or, that Japheth alone is understood to signify one who is extremely aged. It is very probable likewise, that Neptune was confounded with Japheth. There is some resemblance in their name. Neptune is the God of the Sea, as Japheth is Lord of the Isles of the Gentiles. Saturn divided the whole World between his three sons, Jupiter, Pluto, and Neptune; thus Noah distributed the whole Earth between Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Jupiter is the same as Ham or Ammon; Pluto is concealed under the name of Shem; and Japheth under that of Neptune. See Bochart, M. Huet, F. Morin, &c.

Besides the seven sons of Japheth above mentioned, the Septuagint, Eusebius, the Alexandrian Chronicle, and St. Austin give him an eighth, called Eliza, who is not named either in the Hebrew or the Chaldee. The Arabians likewise affirm Japheth to have had a son, of whom there is no mention in this place; viz. Cozar, who fled, as they say, to the banks of the Wolga, where he built a city, and gave it his own name. There are some Authors who maintain, that the Israelites of the ten Tribes carried into captivity by the Kings of Assyria, went into the land of Cozar, and advanced as far as Tartary and China. But the Hebrews assert, that Cozar was only the grandson of Japheth by Togarma. This account is in Josephus the son of Gorion, but it is no where to be seen in the Hebrew Text.

Arnobius the younger, on the hundred and fourth Psalm, says, that Japheth possessed the river Tigris, and two hundred Countries or Provinces, which spake three and twenty languages; so that these three and twenty languages, joined with the other languages of the sons of Ham and Shem, make in all seventy two; and that all the countries peopled by the three sons of Noah, are in number a thousand.

Bibl. Orient. p. 470. See Numb. ix. 10, 11. 2 Macc. xiii. 51.The Mussulmen place Japheth among the Prophets sent by God: they believe him to be Noah’s eldest son, and that his father after the Deluge gave him for his allotment the Provinces which lie to the east and north of the Mountains of Armenia, upon which the Ark rested.

Before Japheth departed, to go into the country which was given him for his inheritance, Noah made a present to him of a stone, which the Eastern Turks call Giudè*-* Tasch and Senk-Jede, upon which he wrote the great name of God; by virtue whereof, he who possessed this stone might bring down rain from heaven at discretion. This pretended stone has been long preserved among the people of the Mogul’s country.

The Eastern people affirm Japheth to have had eleven male children; namely, 1. Gin, or Sin, or Tchin, the father of the Chinese. 2. Seklab, the father of the Sclavonians, or ancient Chalybes. 3. Manschuge, from whom are derived the Goths and Scythians, otherwise called Gog and Magog or Jagiouge and Magiouge. 4. Gomari or Gomer, mentioned by Moses, whom we believe to be the father of the Cimbri and Germans. 5. Turk, the founder of the people known under the general name of Turks. 6. Khalage, a race of those people called Turks. 7. Kho-zar, from whom the Kozarians are descended. See above CHOZAR or COZAR. 8. Ros or Rous, father of the Russians or Muscovites. 9. Soustan. 10. Gaz. 11. Tarage, from whom came the Turcomans. Japheth married his eleven sons to their own sisters, that so the country which they were to have in possession, might be the sooner peopled. In effect, the northern Provinces are supposed to have been first peopled.

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