India.” The Hamite races, soon after their arrival in Africa, began to spread
north, east, and west. Three branches of the Cushite or Ethiopian stock,
moving from Western Asia, settled in the regions contiguous to the Persian
Gulf. One branch, called the Cossaeans, settled in the mountainous district
on the east of the Tigris, known afterwards as Susiana; another occupied
the lower regions of the Euphrates and the Tigris; while a third colonized
the southern shores and islands of the gulf, whence they afterwards
emigrated to the Mediterranean and settled on the coast of Palestine as the
Phoenicians. Nimrod was a great Cushite chief. He conquered the
Accadians, a Tauranian race, already settled in Mesopotamia, and founded
his kingdom, the Cushites mingling with the Accads, and so forming the
Chaldean nation.
(2.) A Benjamite of this name is mentioned in the title of Psalm 7. “Cush
was probably a follower of Saul, the head of his tribe, and had sought the
friendship of David for the purpose of ‘rewarding evil to him that was at
peace with him.’”
- CUSHAN probably a poetic or prolonged name of the land of Cush, the
Arabian Cush (Habakkuk 3:7). Some have, however, supposed this to be
the same as Chushan-rishathaim (Judges 3:8, 10), i.e., taking the latter part
of the name as a title or local appellation, Chushan “of the two iniquities”
(= oppressing Israel, and provoking them to idolatry), a Mesopotamian
king, identified by Rawlinson with Asshur-ris-ilim (the father of
Tiglathpileser I.); but incorrectly, for the empire of Assyria was not yet
founded. He held Israel in bondage for eight years. - CUSHITE (1.) The messenger sent by Joab to David to announce his
victory over Absalom (2 Samuel 18:32).
(2.) The father of Shelemiah (Jeremiah 36:14).
(3.) Son of Gedaliah, and father of the prophet Zephaniah (1:1).
(4.) Moses married a Cushite woman (Numbers 12:1). From this
circumstance some have supposed that Zipporah was meant, and hence
that Midian was Cush.
- CUSTOM a tax imposed by the Romans. The tax-gatherers were termed
publicans (q.v.), who had their stations at the gates of cities, and in the
public highways, and at the place set apart for that purpose, called the
“receipt of custom” (Matthew 9: 9; Mark 2:14), where they collected the