MEDES, Inhabitants of the Countrey of Media. ‘Tis commonly thought, that Media was peopled by the Descendants of Madai, Genes. x. 2. מדי Madai. Esther i. 3, 14, 18, 19, x. 2. Dan. v. 28. vi. 3, 12, 15. viii. 20. Strabo, l. i. & l. xi.Son of Japheth. Esther and Daniel commonly put Madai for the Medes, and so generally all the Interpreters understand it. The Greeks maintain, that this Countrey takes its Name from Medus the Son of Medea; and truly if what has been said before under the Article of MADAI is to be relied on, or if this Son of Japheth peopled Macedonia, we must then seek another Original for the People of Media. And indeed it is pretty difficult to comprehend, that Japheth, who, as the Scripture says, is Gen. x. 5,the Father of those People who have peopled the Islands of the Nations, should send Madai very far into Asia, beyond the Euphrates, to a Countrey so distant from those that were peopled by his other Sons. But if Madai and his immediate Descendants have not peopled Media, yet at least we cannot but allow, that some of his Posterity may have carried his Name thither, since we find it so often given to Media, from the Time of the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, and from the Transportation of the ten Tribes, and the Destruction of Samaria, which happened under Salmanasser, in the Year of the World 3283, before Christ 717, before the Vulgar Æra 721. The Expedition of the Argonauts, in which was the Rape of Medea, happened in the Year of the World 2760, about 40 Years before the taking of Troy; so that there is nothing impossible in this Conjecture of the Greeks, that Media has taken its Name from Medus the Son of Jason and Medea; nor nothing contrary to Scripture, which speaks of the Medes from the Time of Salmanasser, in 3283, and often since that Time, in the Times of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Judith, Esther and Tobit. From the Expedition of the Argonauts, to the taking of Samaria, are five Hundred and twenty three Years.
The Borders of Media have not always been the same, but it has taken in sometimes a larger, and sometimes a narrower, Extent. Ptolemy makes the Limits to the North to be a Part of the Caspian Sea, and the Mountains of the same Name, and1 Judith i. 1.the Cadusians; to the West the greater Armenia; to the East the Countries of the Parthians and Hyrcania; and to the South Persia, Susiana, and a Part of Assyria. The capital City of Media was Ecbatane, of which Mention is made in the Book of Judith. The Author of this Book makes King Arphaxad, whom we take to be the same as Phraortes, to have at least improved and adorned this City, if not to have been the first Founder of it. Yet Herodotus2 says expressly, that it was Dejoces that first undertook this Work. But as the Undertaking was very great, it is probable he left enough to his Successor Phraortes to compleat, so as to make him be called the Builder of it, and so to verify what is said in Scripture. See ECBATANE before. Rages was also in Tob. i. 14. iii. 7, &c. 2 Kings xvii. 6. xviii. 11. Isai. xiii. 17, 18.Media; and Salmanasser made the ten Tribes of Israel, which he carried beyond Euphrates, to inhabit the Cities of Media.
Isaiah describes the Medes to us, as the Instruments and Executioners of God’s Decrees against Babylon. Behold I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard Silver, and as for Gold they shall not delight in it. Their Bows also shall dash the young Men to Pieces, and they shall have no Pity on the Fruit of the Womb; their Eye shall not spare Children. And Babylon the Glory of Kingdoms, the Beauty of the Chaldees Excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. See also Jerem. xxv. 25.Chap. xxi. 2, 3, &c. of the same Prophet. Jeremiah speaks of the Misfortunes which were also to happen to the Medes. He foretels to them, that they also in their Turn were to drink of the Cup of the Wrath of God; and ‘tis likely it was Cyrus, who made them suffer the Evils they were here threatned with. But Darius the Mede succeeded to the Kingdom of Belshazzar King of Chaldæa, and Cyrus succeeded Darius. Dan. v. 31. Dan. xiii. 65.But Daniel, who informs us of this Succession, tells us no Particulars of it; though the other Prophets, who speak of the Affairs of the Medes and of Babylon, sufficiently shew that these Revolutions were not effected without War. However this be, since Darius the Successor of Belshazzar, all the Kings of Babylon assume the Title of Kings of the Persians and Medes, or Kings of the Medes and Persians.
A Chronological List of the Kings of the Medes. World.Year of the
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Dejoces is chosen King of the Medes in the Year of the World 3294, before Jesus Christ 706, before s Herodot. l. i. Year of the World. 3347.the Vulgar Æra 710, before the Beginning of Cyrus 150; according to Herodotus, thirty seven Years after Arbaces had set the Medes at Liberty, in the Year of the World 3257, before Christ 743, before the Vulgar Æra 747. Dejoces reigned fifty three Years, and had for Successor Phraortes his Son, in the Year of the World 3347, before Jesus Christ 653, before the Vulgar Æra 657. He reigned twenty two Years, and died at the Siege of Ninive. 3369. Cyaxares Son of Phraortes, reigned from the Year of the World 3369, to 3409, during forty Years. While he was at the Siege of Ninive, the Scythians made an Irruption into his Dominions, in the Year of the World 3370, before Christ 630, before the Vulgar Æra 634, and they continued Masters of ‘em for twenty eight Years, to the Year of the World 3398, before Christ 602, before the Vulgar Æra 606. Then Cyaxares drove them out of Media. He died in the Year of the World 3409, before Christ 591, before the Vulgar Æra 595.
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Astyages his Son, named Ahasuerus, Daniel ix. 1, succeeded him in 3409. and reigned thirty five Years. He died in the Year of the World 3444, before Christ 556, before the Vulgar Æra 560. 3444. Darius the Mede succeeded him in the Kingdom of the Medes, in 3444. He is called Cyaxares in Xenophon, and Astyages in the Greek Text of Daniel. He succeeded Belshazzar his Nephew in the Kingdom of Babylon, or of the Chaldees in 1448, and died in 1466, before 3466. Christ 556, before the Vulgar Æra 560. He left the Kingdom to Cyrus his Nephew, who reunited the two Monarchies of the Persians and Medes, in the Year of the World 3466, before Christ 534, before the Vulgar Æra 538.
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