(4.) From Asia Minor many Jews moved into Greece and Macedonia,
chiefly for purposes of commerce. In the apostles’ time they were found
in considerable numbers in all the principal cities.
From the time of Pompey the Great (B.C. 63) numbers of Jews from
Palestine and Greece went to Rome, where they had a separate quarter of
the city assigned to them. Here they enjoyed considerable freedom.
Thus were the Jews everywhere scattered abroad. This, in the overruling
providence of God, ultimately contributed in a great degree toward opening
the way for the spread of the gospel into all lands.
Dispersion, from the plain of Shinar. This was occasioned by the
confusion of tongues at Babel (Genesis 11:9). They were scattered abroad
“every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations” (Genesis
10:5, 20,31).
The tenth chapter of Genesis gives us an account of the principal nations
of the earth in their migrations from the plain of Shinar, which was their
common residence after the Flood. In general, it may be said that the
descendants of Japheth were scattered over the north, those of Shem over
the central regions, and those of Ham over the extreme south. The
following table shows how the different families were dispersed:
JAPHETH
|
——————————————————————————————————
| | | | | | |
Gomer Magog Madai Javan Tubal Meshech Tirax
| | | | | | |
Cimmerians Caucasians Medes and | The Tibareni The Mosch The
and and some Persian | and and the Thracians
Armenians Scythians tribes | the Tartars Muscovites
|
——————————————————————
| | | |
Elishah Tarshish Chittim Dodanim
| | | |
The Greeks Etruscans Cyprians The Rhodians
and and
Romans Macedonians