![]() In light of this, perhaps we must conclude that the information presented to us in these verses does not actually reflect real-world geography. The problem is that there are no significant rivers in South Arabia, and all attempts to link Pishon to one of the torrents of that region have been unconvincing. Joktan’s sons and their descendants were tribal people who settled in the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. The land of Havilah, “where the gold is,” is most likely connected to the “Havilah” listed as one of the sons of Joktan (a descendant of Noah). ![]() Cush can ostensibly be found somewhere in Africa. ![]() The verses provide us with hints as to their locations, but these serve only to confuse us further: Pishon surrounds the land of Havilah, while Gihon surrounds the land of Cush. In contrast, we are unfamiliar with the identities of the first two rivers listed here, and what is more, they are not mentioned thereafter in all of Tanakh. Two of these four rivers are well known to us: the Tigris and the Euphrates. The Torah describes the Garden of Eden using concrete geographical terminology:Ī river issues from Eden to water the garden, and it then divides and becomes four branches. The name of the first is Pishon, the one that winds through the whole land of Havilah, where the gold is… bdellium is there, and lapis lazuli. The name of the second river is Gihon, the one that winds through the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris, the one that flows east of Asshur. Where is this mysterious place? Is it some supernatural realm that does not truly exist in the world as we know it, or can we actually pinpoint its location on a map, given enough information? ![]() Revava - The Riva Koschitzky z"l Torah Enrichment ProgramĪs we begin the yearlong cycle of Torah reading with Parashat Bereishit, it is striking that most of the action in the parasha centers around a unique setting: the Garden of Eden.Publications: Philosophy and Current Affairs.Show - Main navigation Hide - Main navigation ![]()
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