A fourth passage focuses on the division of the earth among Shem and his sons:
“To Shem emerged the inheritance of the entire centre of the region that is in the centre of the inhabited earth, from the frontier of Egypt and the Red Sea to this sea of Phoenicia and Syria. And Shem and his children also possessed these known locations: Palestine, all of Arabia, Phoenicia, Syria, all of Mesopotamia, Hyrcania, Assyria, the land of Sennaar and Babel, all the land of Persia and the lands that surround it, with Northern India and the remainder of the eastern regions.”65
Initially, the region of Shem is described fairly generally as the centre of the earth, as the land between Egypt and Phoenicia/Syria. Thereafter, this geographical zone is broken down into several countries and regions, including Persia and India which lie further east.
Perhaps because this geographical description was followed by fairly literal copies of
Jubilees’ descriptions of the shares of Ham and Japheth (Jubilees 8:22-30), Tisserant66
62 In Georg. Sync. Chron. 21.17 (trans. 29). Cf. also Joh. Mal. Brev. I 2 (ed. 5.36-8; trans. 3) who dates the union of
the “sons of Seth” with the “daughters of men” to AM 2122.
63 Rather than God’s restriction of the lifespan of mortals to 120 years, as Adler and Tuffin suggested. 64 See 15.3.
65 Chron. 1234, vol. 1, 43.19-26T.
66 Tisserant 1921, 82-6. His opinion was adopted without criticism by Vanderkam 1989, 53-4 (trans.) and
identified this excerpt as an adaptation of Jubilees 8:12 and 21, created by the Anonymous Chronicler himself. Although the link with Jubilees is (partially) correct, a comparison of the accounts in Jubilees and Chron. 1234 with a passage from Michael reveals that the Syriac witnesses again depend upon a common source.
Jub. 8:12-6, 21 (trans. 52-4) Mich. Syr. Chron. II 2 (8-9T; vol. 1: 17-8V)67
Chron. 1234, vol. 1, 43.19-26T
In the book there emerged as Shem’s lot the centre of the earth which he would occupy as an inheritance for him and for his children throughout the history of eternity: from the middle of the mountain range of Rafa, from the source of the water from the Tina River. His share goes toward the west through the middle of this river. One then goes until one reaches the water of the deeps from which this river emerges. This river emerges and pours its waters into the Me’at Sea. This river goes as far as the Great Sea. Everything to the north belongs to Japheth, while everything to the south belongs to Shem. It goes until it reaches Karas. this is in the bosom of the branch which faces southward. His share goes toward the Great Sea and goes straight until it reaches to the west of the branch that faces southward, for this is the sea whose name is the Branch of the Egyptian Sea. It turns
To the sons of Shem arrived (ܬܛܡ̣̇ ) the inheritance (of) the entire region that is in the centre of the inhabited earth,
from the frontier of Egypt and Rhinocorura
and the Red Sea, and from the sea of Phoenicia and Syria
To Shem emerged (ܬܩܠܣ̣ ) the inheritance of the entire centre of the region that is in the centre of the inhabited earth,
from the frontier of Egypt and the Red Sea to this sea of Phoenicia and Syria.
from there southward toward the mouth of the Great Sea on the shore of the waters. It goes toward the west of Afra and goes until it reaches the water of the Gihon River to the south of the Gihon’s waters along the banks of this river. It goes eastward until it reaches the Garden of Eden, toward the south side of it – on the south and from the east of the entire land of Eden and of all the east. It turns to the east and comes until it reaches to the east of the mountain range named Rafa. Then it goes down toward the bank of the Tina River’s mouth.
(…)
He knew that a blessed and excellent share had come about for Shem and his children throughout the history of eternity: all the land of Eden, all the land of the Erythrean Sea, all the land of the East, India, (that which is) in Erythrea and its mountains, all the land of Bashan, all the land of Lebanon, the islands of Caphtor, the entire mountain range of Sanir and Amana, the mountain range of Asshur which is in the north – a blessed and spacious land. Everything in it is beautiful.
to the eastern limit of the inhabited earth.
And these are their known regions: Palestine, Arabia, Phoenicia, Syria, all of Mesopotamia and Hyrcania, Assyria, the land of Sennaar of Babel and of the Qarduyē, all of Persia and the regions in its vicinity, with Northern India, Bactria and the remainder of the eastern regions.
And Shem and his children also possessed these known regions: Palestine, all of Arabia, Phoenicia, Syria, all of Mesopotamia, Hyrcania, Assyria, the land of Sennaar and Babel, all the land of Persia and the lands that surround it, with Northern India and the remainder of the eastern regions.
Although there are some minor similarities between the Syriac witnesses on the one hand and Jubilees on the other – Chron. 1234 even preserves Jubilees’ use of the verb “to emerge” – the Syriac account is very different from the Ethiopic. This is due to the fact that the Syriac account is not a direct adaptation of Jubilees 8:12-6, 21 either, but an
adaptation of materials from the Chronicle of Hippolytus of Rome (d. 235), more specifically from the Diamerismos (Διαμερισμὸς τῆς γῆς), the part that discussed the division of the earth among the descendants of Noah.68 This is demonstrated by the
shared vocabulary between the three source, especially Michael’s reference to the Qarduye, the Kurds (?), a corruption of Κορδυλία neither of which were unfortunately mentioned by the Anonymous Chronicler.
Hipp. Chron., §188, 193-4 (ed. 10, 30)
Mich. Syr. Chron. II 2 (8-9T; vol. 1: 17- 8V)69
Chron. 1234, vol. 1, 43.19-26T The dwelling-place of all the
sons of Shem is from Bactria to Rhinocorura, which separates Syria and Egypt and the Erythraean sea from the mouth of [the river] at Arsinoe of India.
These are the names of the lands of the sons of Shem: Persia with the nations that surround it (σὺν τοῖς ἐπικειμένοις αὐτῇ ἔθνεσιν), Bactria (Βακτριανή), Hyrcania, Babylonia, Kordulia, Assyria, Mesopotamia, Arabia Archaia,70 Elam, India, Arabia
Felix, Koile Syria, Commagene and Phoenicia, which is of the sons of Shem.
To the sons of Shem arrived the inheritance (of) the entire region that is in the centre of the inhabited earth, from the frontier of Egypt and Rhinocorura and the Red Sea, and from the sea of Phoenicia and Syria to the eastern limit of the inhabited earth.
And these are their known regions: Palestine (ܝܢܝܛܣܠܐܦ), Arabia, Phoenicia, Syria, all of Mesopotamia and Hyrcania, Assyria, the land of Sennaar of Babel and of the Kurds (Qarduyē, ܐ̈ܝܘܕܪܩ), all of Persia and the lands that surround it (ܗܝ݀ܪܕܚܕ ܐܬܘܪ̈ܬܐܘ̣ ), with Northern India, Bactria (ܐܢܝܪܝܛܩܒ) and the remainder of the eastern regions.
To Shem emerged the inheritance of the entire centre of the region that is in the centre of the inhabited earth, from the frontier of Egypt and the Red Sea to this sea of Phoenicia and Syria.
And Shem and his children also possessed these known regions: Palestine, all71 of Arabia,
Phoenicia, Syria, all of Mesopotamia, Hyrcania, Assyria, the land of Sennaar and Babel, all the land of Persia and the lands that surround it ( ܐܬܘܪ̈ܬܐܘ ܗܝ݀ܪܕܚܕ), with Northern India and the remainder of the eastern regions.
68 Interestingly, Scott 1997, 309-10 has argued that Hippolytus himself might have adapted this Jubilees’
tradition.
69 See also Barhebr. Chron. Syr. 7:27-8:4 (ed. Bedjan 1890); 7 (trans. Budge, 1932). 70 As opposed to Arabia Nova?
Although Michael and the Anonymous Chronicler clearly share a common source, they applied the information to a different event. Whereas the Anonymous Chronicler used this passage to describe the first division of the earth, Noah’s division of the land among his sons, Michael applied it the second division, which occurred after the death of Noah, according to Andronicus, Michael and the Anonymous Chronicler in year 120 of Peleg.
Hippolytus’ involvement in the transmission of this tradition confirms Witakowski’s conclusion that certain materials from the Diamerismos in Hippolytus’ Chronicle were available in Syriac.72 It must, however, be pointed out that Witakowski did not note the
presence of this passage in Michael and only connected its equivalent in Barhebraeus’
Chronicum Syriacum to Hippolytus, describing this excerpt as a list of countries, which,
together with the descriptions of the Hamites and Japhethites and of their shares, belonged to a whole that was “of a composite character”73 and based on particular
passages from Hippolytus’ Chronicle (“§§138-154; 84; 193f and other §§ and/or intermediate stages”74).
Although he did discuss Chron. 1234 and its description of the land of the Shemites as well, Witakowski merely dismissed the passage as based on Jubilees.75 It is clear, however,
that the Anonymous Chronicler shares a common source with Michael, and that Barhebraeus relied on Michael for this information. This common source remains unidentified. Since only Syriac fragments of Hippolytus’ Diamerismos have survived in Syriac historical, apocryphal and exegetical texts, it is most unlikely that a complete Syriac translation of Hippolytus’ Chronicle ever existed. This is also suggested by the rarity of references to Hippolytus as a chronicler.76
Michael’s and the Anonymous Chronicler’s common source was most likely a Syriac Christian who was living in the Near East, judging from the altered order of the lands,
72 Witakowski 1993, 649-51. Others are extant in chronicles, apocrypha, ethno-geographical treatises and
biblical commentaries.
73 Witakowski 1993, 646: “unit R”. 74 Witakowski 1993, 650.
75 Witakowski 1993, 647 and 652. 76 See chapter 6.
with priority being given to the Near Eastern lands of Palestine, Arabia, Phoenicia, Syria and Mesopotamia. There may be a connection to a source that was used by Syncellus whose chronicle preserves a passage in which the same materials from Hippolytus’
Chronicle, are arranged in the exact same order as in the two Syriac accounts.
Hipp. Chron., §188, 193-4 (ed. 10, 30)
Georg. Sync. Chron. 49.20- 50.5 (trans. 64)
Mich. Syr. Chron. II 2 (8-9T; vol. 1: 17-8V)
Chron. 1234, vol. 1, 43.19-26T
The dwelling-place of all the sons of Shem is from Bactria to Rhinocorura, which separates Syria and Egypt and the Erythraean sea from the mouth of [the river] at Arsinoe of India.
These are the names of the lands of the sons of Shem: Persia with the nations that surround it (σὺν τοῖς ἐπικειμένοις αὐτῇ ἔθνεσιν), Bactria (Βακτριανή), Hyrcania, Babylonia, Kordulia, Assyria, Mesopotamia, Arabia Archaia, Elam, India, Arabia Felix, Koile Syria, Commagene and Phoenicia, which is of the sons of Shem.
All these descendants of Shem inhabit the region [stretching westwards] in length from Bactria and India up to Rhinocorura, which marks a boundary for Syria, Egypt and the Erythraean Sea extending from its mouth at Arsinoë in India, and [stretching southwards] in breadth from Persia and Bactria down to India. These are the names of the countries: Persia and the nations in it, Bactria, Hyrkania, Babylonia, Kodrualia (sic), Assyria, Mesopotamia, Arabia Felix, Koile Syria, Commagene, and Persia proper.77
To the sons of Shem arrived the inheritance (of) the entire region that is in the centre of the inhabited earth, from the frontier of Egypt and Rhinocorura and the Red Sea, and from the sea of Phoenicia and Syria to the eastern limit of the inhabited earth. And these are their known regions: Palestine, Arabia, Phoenicia, Syria, all of Mesopotamia and Hyrcania, Assyria, the land of Sennaar of Babel and of the Kurds, all of Persia and the lands that surround it, with Northern India, Bactria and the remainder of the eastern regions.
To Shem emerged the inheritance of the entire centre of the region that is in the centre of the inhabited earth, from the frontier of Egypt and the Red Sea to this sea of Phoenicia and Syria.
And Shem and his children also possessed these known regions: Palestine, all of Arabia, Phoenicia, Syria, all of Mesopotamia, Hyrcania, Assyria, the land of Sennaar and Babel, all the land of Persia and the lands that surround it, with Northern India and the remainder of the eastern regions.
77 Helm 1955, 30 indicates that Syncellus’ καὶ ἡ φυσικὴ Περσίς is a corruption of Hippolytus’ καὶ ἡ Φοινίκὴ ἥπερ
These verbal agreements, albeit circumstantial, suggest that Annianus may have played a role in the transmission of Hippolytus’ materials. In this respect it is worth noting that Annianus is mentioned by Jacob as a chronicler between Hippolytus and Metrodorus on the one hand and Andronicus on the other.78 Which Syriac chronicler transmitted these
excerpts to Michael and the Anonymous Chronicler remains unclear, but John of Litharb remains a candidate.