Conjectures Avith regard to the dimensions of the garden have differed as widely as those which assign its locality. Ephraem Syrus maintained that it sur- rounded the whole earth, while Johannes Tostatus re- stricted it to a circumfei-ence of thirty-six or forty miles, and others have made it extend over Syria, Arabia, and Mesopotamia. But cf speculations like these there is no end.
III. Identijications of the Site. — It would be difficult, in the whole history of opinion, to find any subject which has so invited, and at the same time so coin- pletel}' baffled conjecture, as the garden of Eden. The three continents of the Old World have been subjected to the most rigorous search ; from China to the Canary Isles, from the Slountains of the Jloon to the coasts of the Baltic, no localitj' which in the slightest degree corresponded to the description of the first abode of the human race has been left unexamined. The great rivers of Europe, Asia, and Africa have in turn done service as the Pison and Gihon of Scripture, and there remains nothing but tiie New World wherein the next adventurous theorist may bewilder himself in the mazes of this most difficult question. Upon the ques- tion of the exact geographical position of Eden dis- sertations innumerable have been written. Man}' au- thors have given descriptive lists of them, with argu- ments for and against each. The most convenient presentation of their respective outlines has been re- duced to a tal)ulated form, with ample illustrations, by the Rev. N. Morren (annexed to his translation of the vounger Rosenmiiller's Biblical Geography of Central 'Asia. p. 91-98, Edinb. 183G). He reduces them to nine principal theories, as follows (numbered as in the fol- lowing table ; comp. Kalisch, Genes: s, p. 100 sq.)
i, the opinion which fixes Eden in Armenia we have placed first, because it is that which has obtained most general support, and seems nearest the truth. (See No. vi.) For if we may suppose that, while Cain moved to the East (Gen. iv, IG), the posterity of Seth remained in the neighborhood of the primeval seat of mankind, and that Noah's ark rested not very far from the place of his former abode, then Mount Ararat in Armenia becomes a connecting point between the ante- diluvian and post-diluvian worlds (Gen. viii, 4), and
EDEN
54
EDEN
Names.
1.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
Edkx.
Armenia.
Konieh.iiiBab- ylonm.
Country near the Caspian Sea.
Bactria.
Syria.
Country be- tween the (ian[;esaniJ Nile.
Baniian.
India.
Cashmere.
PiSHON.
The Phasis.
IVestern inoutli of the Shiil el- Arab.
The Araxes.
The Sihon, or Jaxartes.
The Chrysor- rhoas.
The Ganges,
The Nilab, or Lesser Sind.
The Irabatti.
The Phasia.
GlHON.
The Araxes.
fiur./H liRiull. of the Shai ol-Arah.
rhe Oxus, or Jihun.
The Oxus, or Jiluui.
The Orontes.
The ^•lle.
The Hinnend.
The Ganges.
The Oxus.
HinniiKEL.
The Ticris.
The Tigris.
I'he Ti-ris.
The Ti-ris.
The Tigris.
The Ti-ris.
River of Bah-
The- Indus.
The Ti-vis.
rilRAT.
n.e Euphra-
The Eujilirates
['he Euphrates.
The Euphrates.
The Euphra- tes, ilavilah, in
The Eujihra-
River of Cud-
The Euphrates.
The Euphrates.
I'olchis.
Arabia Felix.
:Mnvala, on tht
Chworasmia.
India.
Cabul.
Ava.
Cnkhis.
west of tin
Arabia.
Caspian.
Clsh.
'.riiui of tlK
'hu^istan, or
'liowrasniia,ot
Hindu-cush.
- assiotis.
Viibia nnil
Jusha.
rhe extrcnn
Bactria.
Cossa-i.
Susiana.
the east of th. Caspian.
Abyssinia.
South.
ASSHIIK.
Assyria.
\ssyria.
Assyria.
\ssyria.
\ssyria.
Assyria.
.lazarah.
Assyria.
Assyria!
the names of the Phrat, Hiddekel, etc., ■would readily be given to rivers, which, after the great deluge, seem- ed to flow in channels somewhat corresponding to the Paradisiacal streams. The opinion in question was first systematically propounded by Keland, and is held by Calmet, and by his American editor, Prof. Robin- son, who, however, understands I)y Cush, Chusistan. Prof. Stuart takes the Pishon for the Kur, and Cush for Cushi-Capcoch, i. e. the northern part of the region between the Caspian Lake and the Persian Gulf (//e6. Chrest on Gen. ii, 10 -14). The Cossa3i, wliom Eeland finds in Cusli, lived near Media, in the tract-now call- ed Dilem, south-west of the Caspian Sea. Link takes the Gihon for the Cur or Cyrus, and Cush for the C.;u- casus. Verbrugge coincides with Reland, exeunt that he takes the Gihon to be the Gyndes, which flowed between Armenia and Matiana.
ii. This opinion was most elaboratel}' defended by Iluet, bishop of Avranchcs ; but it is also maintained by Calvin, I3ochart, Wells, Steph. jMorinus,Vorst, etc. Hales was of this sentiment in tlic first edition of his ChfOHologij, but in the second he follows the opinion of Reland. The Shat el-Arab is the name of the united streams of the Euphrates and Tigris. Ainsworth says, "It is probable that the united rivers emptied them- selves into the gulf at tliis period (in ancient times) 1)3^ j several distinct mouths, of which the first or greatest ■was at Teredon, the Ostium Tigris Occidentale of Ptol- emy, and the moutli of the Euplirates, according to Nearchus ; the second Avas the Pasitigris of Pliny, probalily the Shat el-Arab, and the Ostium Tigris Ori- cntale of the Alexandrian geographer." Cush the}' compare with the Cutlia of 2 Kings, xvii, 24 ; and Hav- ilah with the Cliaulataioi of Eratosthenes in Straljo, xvi, 7G7. Grotius thinks the Pishon is the Pasitigris, and the Gihon the Xahr JLilikali, or tlie Chaboras. Hottingcr agrees with Grotius as to tlie Pishon, l>ut takes the Gihon for the Naln* Sura. Ilopkinson makes the Pishon and Gihon to be the two canals of the Eu- phrates, the Nahr Malikah, and the Nahr Sares or Sura.