Gen. x. 3. רִיפַת Riphat. 1 Chron. i. 6. דִיפַת Diphat.RIPHATH, or Riphat, second Son of Gomer, and Grandson of Japhet. He is call’d Diphath in the Chronicles. The Resemblance of the two Hebrew Letters רResh and דDaleth is so much, that they are very often confounded. The Learned are not agreed about the Country that was peopled by the Descendants of Riphath. The Chaldee and Arabick take it for France; Eusebius for the Country of the Sauromatæ; the Chronicon Alexandrinum for that of the Garamantæ; Josephus for PaphlagoniaMela l. 1.. Mela assures us, that antiently the People of this Province were call’d Riphatæi, or Riphaces; and in Bithynia, bordering upon Paphlagonia, may be found the River Rhebeus, a People call’d Rhebantes, and a Canton of the same Name. These Reasons have prevail’d with Bochart to believe, that Riphath peopled Paphlagonia. Others think he peopled the Montes Riphei, and this Opinion seems the most reasonable to us, because the other Sons of Gomer
ἁλμυρῷ ποταμῷ. peopled the northern Countries towards Scythia, and beyond the Euxine Sea.