Editing Meshech

{{Short description|Biblical figure, son of Japheth (Genesis 10)}}
{{for|the Hebrew captive of Babylon originally named Mishael|Meshach}}

[[File:Noahsworld map.jpg|thumb|The World as known to the Hebrews. This 1854 map <ref>From ''Historical Textbook and Atlas of Biblical Geography'' by Coleman (1854)</ref> locates Meshech together with Gog and Magog, roughly in the southern Caucasus.]]

In the Bible, '''Meshech''' or '''Mosoch''' ({{langx|he|{{Script/Hebrew|מֶשֶׁך}}}} ''Mešeḵ'' "price" or "precious") is named as a son of [[Japheth]] in [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 10:2 and [[1 Chronicles]] 1:5.

Another Meshech is named as a son of [[Shem]] in 1 Chronicles 1:17 (corresponding to the form ''Mash'' in Genesis 10).

==Historical interpretations==

Meshech is mentioned along with [[Tubal]] (and [[Rosh (biblical figure)|Rosh]], in certain translations) as principalities of "[[Gog and Magog|Gog]], prince of [[Magog (Bible)|Magog]]" in [[Ezekiel]] 38:2 and 39:1, and is considered a [[Japhetite]] tribe, identified by [[Flavius Josephus]] with the [[Cappadocia]]n "Mosocheni" ([[Mushki]], also associated with [[Phrygia]]ns or [[Bryges]]) and their capital [[Mazaca]]. In [[Hippolytus of Rome]]'s chronicle (234 AD), the "[[Illyrians]]" were identified as Meshech's offspring. In addition, [[Georgians]] have traditions that they, and other Caucasus people such as  [[Armenians]], share descent from Meshech (Georgian: [[Meskheti]]), [[Tubal]], and [[Togarmah]].

In 1498, [[Annio da Viterbo]] published fragments known as ''Pseudo-Berossus'', now considered a forgery, claiming that Babylonian records had shown a son of Japheth called [[Samothes]] had begun settling what later became [[Gaul]] in the 13th year of [[Nimrod]]. Later historians such as [[Raphael Holinshed]] (1577) identified Samothes as Meshech, and asserted that he first ruled also in Britain.

Beginning from the 16th century, some European scholars proposed the idea that the Muscovites had stemmed from Meshech. [[Walter Raleigh|Sir Walter Raleigh]] (c. 1616) attributes this opinion to [[Philipp Melanchthon]] (1497–1560) and to [[Benito Arias Montano]] (1571), and it was also followed later by [[Jonathan Edwards (theologian)|Jonathan Edwards]] (1703–1758).
Moreover, according to a legend first appearing in the ''[[Kievan Synopsis]]'' (1674),<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110717192257/http://www.velib.com/book.php?avtor=t_235_1&book=9671_35_32 «История российская» В. Н. Татищев]}} {{in lang|ru}}</ref> [[Moscow]] (''Moskva'') was founded by King Mosokh son of Japheth (i.e. Meshech), and was named for him and his wife, Kva. In this legend, they are also said to have had a son, Ya, and daughter, Vuza, who gave their names to the nearby [[Yauza River]].<ref>[http://www.moscow-city.ru/download/source/zima_Guide_engl.pdf/Engl_13.pdf ''The First Records of Moscow''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216083524/http://www.moscow-city.ru/download/source/zima_Guide_engl.pdf/Engl_13.pdf |date=2007-12-16 }}</ref>

According to [[Archibald Sayce]], Meshech can be identified with Muska, a name appearing in Assyrian inscriptions, and generally believed to refer to the Mushki.<ref>{{cite journal |author=A. H. Sayce |author-link=Archibald Sayce |title=Archaeological Commentary on Genesis |journal=[[The Expository Times]] |volume=8 |date=October 1896 – September 1897 |issue=2 |pages=82–85 |doi=10.1177/001452469600800208 |s2cid=221079606 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BhSgfJWi0vEC&q=meshech+muska&pg=PA84 |access-date=April 23, 2015|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Most reference books since Flavius Josephus generally identify Meshech in Ezekiel's time as an area in modern Turkey.<ref>''International Dictionary of Historic Places: Southern Europe''  Trudy Ring, Robert M. Salkin, Sharon La Boda - 1994 - Page 288 1884964028 "The Hebrew Bible also mentions both Tubal (Tabal) and Meshech (Muski)"</ref>

[[File:The_World_as_Peopled_by_the_Descendants_of_Noah_Shewing_the_Countries_Possessed_by_Shem,_Ham_&_Japhet_and_their_posterity_after_the_confusion_of_tongues..jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Robert Wilkinson (cartographer)|Robert Wilkinson]]'s 1823 map of the descendants of Noah's sons which identifies Meshech with [[Italy]]]]

==See also==
* [[Moschia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Sons of Noah}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Hebrew Bible nations]]
[[Category:Book of Genesis people]]
[[Category:Japheth]]
[[Category:Noach (parashah)]]