Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

Japhethite wrote: ↑Sun Apr 24, 2022 2:24 am I don't agree the Hebrew names came from Greek names/words.

1st river compasses the land of Gold.
2nd river compasses the land of Cush "Ethiopia", and Ethiopians are from the silver age in a Classical/Egyptian source.
So 4 rivers are a type of 4 world ages (gold, silver, brazen, iron) as well as 4 quarters of world (forming a Cross).
Josephus' meanings of the 4 rivers names also confirm types of 4 world ages.
There are also confirmation matches of the 4 rivers & 4 ages in a number of other nations myths around the world.

There was no such system with 4 world ages at the time.
Which ones are you referring to? Hindu Yugas?

You speak as if "The Land of Gold" is a known place, which it isn't, and "Ethiopia" refers to more than 5 distinct areas in contemporaneous writings. From Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa to Sudan/Northeast Africa, there is no such thing as a defined "Ethiopia".

The oldest mention of it is in Homer, but the oldest *known* second-hand reference is to Hecateus of Miletus, who said it was situated to the East of the Nile, all the way to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Sorry but the 4 world ages is found in many nations around the world. I will have to dig out my lists to prove it if/when I have time. Yes Hindu Yugas. Greek Ages (Hesiod, Ovid etc). Daniel. Mexican 4 Suns. Navaho. See also 4 castes, 4 colours/metals, 4 quarters in MacKenzies Pre-Columban America book.

Cush "burnt/dark/black" (son of Ham "hot"). Ethiopians "burnt faces".

Here is the 4 rivers & 4 ages & 4 quarters & 4 castes in many cultures. Decide for yourself if they are connected and are pre-Homer.

Apache: black/east, white/south, yellow/west, blue/north.
Cherokee: red/east, white/south, black/west, blue/north.
Navaho: white/east, blue/south, yellow/west, black/north.
Navaho: In the age of beginning 4 streams flowed from the earth's center to the 4 cardinal points.
Sioux: 4 ages/legs.
"Hopi Predict a 25 year period of purification followed by End of 4th World and beginning of the 5th."

Mexican/Aztec: 4 suns/worldages (Stone of 4 suns).
American: north/black, west/red, east/white, south/yellow.
Yucatan: 4 Bacabs: Kan/east/yellow, Muluc/north/white, Ix/west/black, Cauac/south/red.
Maya: white/north/whitebeing, yellow/south/belly, red/east/serpentbeing, black/west/disembowlled.
American/Mexican: red/north, blue/green/west, yellow/east, white/south.
Olmec: gold, silver, jade, turquoise (ref P Kolosimo)?
Aztec: representation of Aztlan (4 compass points)?
Tlalocan source of rivers that nourished earth?
Cross of Quetzalcoatl?
Aztec: Tonacatecuhtli drove 4 roads thru centre of earth after cataclysm to disperse flood waters of the deluge (ref M Jordan)?
Mexico: 4 ages: white/water/Babel/4800, gold/yellow/winds/4010, red/fire/4801, black/5042/famine/tulan/rainedblood/terror.

4 chiefs/parts earth (Bochica).

Peru: Cuzco 4 parts/divions/quarters.
Peru: Empire 4 parts/quarters (one part called Antisuyo).

Fon/African: red/side, white/side, green/front, black/behind.
Benin/Fon/Voodoo: 4 day creation week (Cotterel).

Celtic: 4 ages: silver, gold, bronze, iron.
Celtic: 4 ages: white, red, yellow, black.
Celtic: gold, silver, brass/copper, crystal (Corra/Maeldune)?
Celtic cross?
Celtic: 4 land TDD: Murias, Finias, Falias, Gorias?
Celt: black/north, white/south, dun/west, purple/east.
Irish: 4 provinces (Mide/Meath 5th)?
4 leaf clover?
Milesius looking over the 4 quarters?

Eddaic/Norse: 4 streams from Audhumla/Ymir (ref Cooper)?

Western/European/Classical/Christian:
4 rivers Hyperborea in Mercator map?
Atlantis cross?
"The 4 Rivers of Paradise on the pillars at Chartres Cathedral".
Krantor: 4 continents (Eur, Asia, Afr, Amer)?
"Nile, Euphrates, Tigris, Ganges" (Josephus/Philipot)?
"The Cross made of palm, cedar, olive, cypress representing the quarters" (ref Cooper/Brewers, compare Ethelwerd)?
"INRI = yew, ash, elder, yew"?

Italy/Roman: 4 quadrata/quarters Rome & Jerusalem.

Greek: 4 rivers Thera?
4/5 world ages Ovid/Hesiod: yellow/gold/Kronos/Lykian, white/silver/Zeus/Ethiopia, red/bronze/copper/Carian/rainflood, (heroic/heroes,) black/iron.

Egyptian: 4 Canopic gods/sons of Horus: red/north/viscera, white/south/stomach/intestine, west/dark/black/liver/gall, east/gold/green/heart/lungs?
Egypt: north/Moeris, west/Rhampsinitus, east/Asychis, south/Psammeticus (Herodotus).
4 races in Egyptian: Rot/red/Egyptian, Namu/yellow/Mideastern, Tamahu/white/Libyan, Nahsu/black/Nubian?

Biblical: "the river of Eden and its 4 branches" (Havilah/Pishon/multitude, Cush/Gihon/whatarisesfromtheeast, Asshur/Hiddekel/Tigris/swift/narrow, Perath/Euphrates/dispersion/flower).
Pseudepigrapha says 3 sons Noah divided 4 region post-flood earth leaving 1 quarter unallocated/unihabited?
Bible: 4 kings: Elam/east, Shinar/south, Ellasar/Arioch/north, Goiim/Tidal/west (Gen 14).
Cross of Jesus points to all 4 quarters of world.
Jesus garment parted in 4 parts.
4 beasts Daniel (lion, bear, leopard, beast/dragon/composite).
4 metals Daniel (gold, silver, brass/brazen/bronze, iron/clay).
4 horsemen of the Apocalypse/Revelation 6?
4 generations of 100 years Abraham (Genesis).

4 rivers Islam: Euphrates, Nile, Nahrawan, Balkh.

Semitic: east/qedem/front, south/right/jamin, north/nertrak/left, west/hind/akharru?

Sumerian: Shubur/east, Sumer/south, Uri/north, Martu/Amurru/west?
Sumerian/Akkadian: Akkad/Uri, Elam, Subartu/S&G, Amurru/Phoenicia/west?
Mesopotamia: "to water the 4 regions of the earth" (ref Heidel).
4 rivers Karduniash (Tigris, Euphrates, Surappi, Ukni).

Iranian: 4 cups from 4 rivers (Oxus, Indus, Euphrates, Danube).
Iran: 4 tree/metals: gold, silver, steel, iron-compound.

Indian: 4 rivers Vedic (Vanguhidaitya, Rangha, Haptahendu, Haetumant).
Indian: 4 rivers Vedic (Oxus, Indus, Helmand, Aras/Euphrates).
Indian: picture of Krishna & Radha has 4 sides river, snake, 2 trees, man & woman, etc like Biblical Eden?
Swastika?
Indian: 4 Yugas/Ages Narayana: krita/satya/white/perfect/1/4800, dvapara/red/3600, treta/yellow/quarter/2400, kali/black/dark/iron/half/1200.
Indian: 4 castes: kshatriya/red, brahmin/white, visya/vipra, shudra/black.
Ceylon: yellow/north, blue/south, red/west, white/east.

Tibet: green/north, yellow/south, red/west, white/east.

Chinese/Buddhist: 4 kings heaven or 4 rivers of Mt Sumeru: gold/Li, silver/Ma, agate/Chao, crystal/Wen.
China: north/black/tortoise/kidney/bladder/winter/cold/water/Mercury, south/red/bird/heart/intestine/yellow/spleen/summer/fir/sun/Mars, west/white/tiger/lung/smallintestine/autumn/wind/metal/Venus, east/azure/blue/dragon/green/liver/gall/spring/wood/Jupiter/rain.
Chinese version: "Kun-lun source of 4 great rivers which flowed in 4 directions", (ref Larousse).
China: "within the 4 seas"?
4 kings heaven: pure/1st, vast, sea, age/last.

Java: black/north, red/south, yellow/west, white/east, mixed/centre.