day actually prove to be possible.^122 The Asian theory was not only much
stronger in that it involved no need to revive Atlantis, but it was closer
to older and more familiar speculations about the North Asian location of
Arzareth and the possible Arctic track to America. Here, Garcı ́a employed
another tedious method of finding Hebrewisms in Native American rites and
languages—a systematic presentation of an array of clues and evidence drawn
primarily from biblical sources, but also from classical texts and contemporary
studies, most notably those of Juan de Torquemada ( 1562 – 1624 ).^123 Among
other things, he claims that the root “Mexi” came from the Hebrew word
“Messiah.” “The word ‘Mesi,’ which is actually Hebrew,” in the Mexican
language indicates “the commander, the head, the captain.”^124
Asking “How could those tribes go to the Western Indies crossing such an
immensity of water and infinity of land?” Garcı ́a’s answer sticks to the con-
crete: “From Grand Tartary they could go via land until Mongolia and from
there, pass the Straits of Anian, which are very narrow and go to the kingdom
of Anian that is already the Tierra Firme of New Spain.”^125 The “Straits of
Enian,” separating Asia and America, appear on Ortelius’s map as a sea above
the China Sea (Mare Cin), just north of Japan. They are apparently named after
a locale named Ania, found just south of Arzareth. The kingdom of Anian, or
Anian Regnum,appeared first in a 1559 map of Asia made by Giacomo (Jacobo)
Gastaldi (c. 1500 – 1566 ). This Italian cartographer, whose map was the basis
upon which Ortelius created his own map of Tartary, decided that the locale
“Aniu,” mentioned by Marco Polo, was a kingdom north of China important
enough to have the straits between Asia and America named after it.^126 They
appear on maps by several major cartographers, such as Hondius, Mercator,
and Ortelius. The straits inspired several expeditions attempting to find a path
between Asia and the Americas. Henry Hudson ( 1570 – 1611 ), for instance, was
among those who tried to reach the straits from the American side.^127 The
Streto de Anian also appeared on an “accurate” map by Bolognino Zalteri (fl. c.
1555 – 1576 ) as very narrow straits parting northeast Asia from Mesoamerica,
somewhere in the area of Panama. Zalteri’s (distorted) map was probably the
inspiration behind the expedition of Lorenzo Ferrer de Maldonado, who “dis-
covered” the straits in 1588. Maldonado was greatly concerned with the “secu-
rity hazard” that such an easy path to Panama could pose to Spain’s assets in
the Americas. “The Strait of Anian is fifteen leagues, and can easily be freed in
a tide of six hours, and those tides are very rapid,” he commented in a 1588
letter to Philip II of Spain ( 1527 – 1588 ).^128 Several decades later, Ben-Israel
commented that “among the miracles the Blessed be He did with the ten
tribes, he also created this Strait known as the Strait of Anian, so they can
remain separated and hidden from the nations.”^129
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