Gen. ii. 14. Chiddekel.TIGRIS, a famous River, which takes its Source in Armenia, and discharges itself in the Persian Gulph. Moses calls it Hiddekel. The Ancients called it Diglito, and to this Day it is called Tegil, or Tigil. Josephus, the Chaldee Paraphrast, the Arabian and Persian Translators, call it Diglat. Pliny says, that at its Fountain, and as far as it Plin. l. 6. c. 27.runs smoothly, ‘tis called Diglito; but when it becomes more rapid, they give it the Name of Tigris, which, in the Language of the Medes, signifies an Arrow. He adds, that it takes its Rise in the greater Armenia, in the midst of a Plain called Elegosine. It enters into the Lake Arethusa, and passes cross it, without so much as mingling its Waters with it. After which it meets with the Mountain Taurus, where it plunges into the Earth, passes under the Mountain, and comes out again on the other side. The Cave at which it enters is called Zoroanda: And, for a Proof that it is the same River, and not any other, that comes out again on the other side, it throws out at its coming forth, what had been cast into it at its plunging into the Cave: Thus says Pliny. Ptolemy also places the Spring of the Tigris in the Middle of Armenia, at thirty-nine Degrees and a half of North Latitude.
Strab. l. 12. p. 359.But Strabo seems to have taken for the Fountain of the Tigris, its coming forth again out of Mount Taurus; since he places it out of Armenia, and says that it springs to the South of Mount Niphates, which makes a Part of Mount Taurus. The Tigris to the East, and the Euphrates to the West, are the Boundaries of Mesopotamia, which lies between these two Rivers. After having passed through a large Tract of Land from North to South, these two famous Rivers discharge themselves into the Persian Gulph. At this Day they unite in one common Channel, but Plin. l. 6. c. 27, 28.formerly they came into it separately, as Pliny observes; and in his time the Footsteps of the ancient Chanels were still to be seen. The Tigris took its Rise in the Land of Eden, and was one of the four Rivers Genesis ii. 14.that watered the Earthly Paradise. The Tigris overflows its Banks at the Beginning of the Spring, occasioned by the melting of Ecclus. xxiv. 25.great quantities of Snow from the Mountains of Armenia.