The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

the provinces Commagene, Phoenicia, and Palestine,
to which Judea belongs, except for the Saracens and
the Nabateans. Commagene, the first province of Syria,
received its name from the city of Commaga, which was
once considered to be the capital there. North of it lies
Armenia, to the east Mesopotamia, to the south Syria, to
the west the Mediterranean. 18. Phoenix, brother of Cadmus,
came from Egyptian Thebes into Syria and ruled
over Sidon, and thisprovincewas called Phoenicia after
his name. In this province Tyre is located, of which Isaiah
speaks (Isaiah 23). East of it lies Arabia, south of it the
Red Sea.
19. The city of Philistis is the capital of the province
of Palestine. It is now called Ascalon. From this city all
of the surrounding region receives the name ‘Palestine.’
East of it lies the Red Sea, on the southern side it is
bordered by Judea, in the north it is bounded by the
borders of the Tyrians, in the west it comes to an end at
the Egyptian border.20. The Palestinian region Judea
(Iudaea)issocalled after Judah, from whose tribe it had
its kings. Previously it was called Canaan (Chanaan),
after a son of Cham (i.e. Ham), or else after the ten tribes
of the Canaanites, whose territory the Judeans occupied
after they had expelled them. It stretches lengthwise
from the village Arfa up to the village Julias, which is
inhabited in equal parts by a community of Judeans
and of Tyrians.Initswidthitstretchesallthewayfrom
Mount Libanus (i.e. Mount Lebanon) to Lake Tiberias
(i.e. the Sea of Galilee). 21. Inthecenter of Judea is
the city Jerusalem, as if it were the navel of the whole
region. It is a land wealthy in various resources, fertile
in fruits of the earth, renowned for its waters, rich in
balsam-trees. Hence, thanks to the benefits of its natural
goods, the Judeans considered it the land flowing with
milk and honey promised to their forefathers, because
in this place God offered them a foreshadowing of the
Resurrection.
22. Samaria is a region in Palestine that received its
name from a certain city called Samaria, which was once
aroyal residence in Israel; nowadays it is known as Sebastia,
a name that is derived from Augustus (cf. ,
“august”). This region lies in the middle between Judea
and Galilee; it begins in the village called Eleas and ends
in the territory called Agrabath. The nature of its territory
resembles and in no way differs from that of Judea.
23.Galilee (Galilaea)isaregion in Palestine which is so
called because it produces lighter-skinned people than
The Etymologies XIV.iii.18–iii.30 287
Palestine does (cf. , “milk”). It has two parts, an
upper and a lower, which are nevertheless connected
and border on Syria and Phoenicia. Its earth is rich, fertile,
and rather abundant in produce. 24. Pentapolis is
aregion located where Arabia borders on Palestine. It
derives its name from the five wicked cities that were
consumed by heavenly fire (see Wisdom 10:6, Vulgate,
and cf. v.5 below). Once this land was more fertile than
Jerusalem, but today it is deserted and scorched, for due
to the wickedness of its inhabitants fire descended from
heaven that reduced this region to eternal ashes (Genesis
19:24–25). 25.Akind of shadow and image of it is visible
to this day in its ashes and trees, for in this area there
is flourishing fruit with such an appearance of ripeness
that it makes one want to eat it, but if you gather it, it
falls apart and dissolves in ashes and gives off smoke as
if it were still burning. 26. Nabathea is a region named
after Nabaioth, son of Ishmael. It lies between Judea and
Arabia; rising from the Euphrates it stretches to the Red
Sea – it is part of Arabia.
27. Egypt (Aegyptus), which was formerly called
‘Aeria,’ later took its name from Aegyptus, brother of
Danaus, who reigned there. In the east it is adjoined
by Syria and the Red Sea, to the west lies Libya, in the
north the Mediterranean, while in the south it extends
toward the interior, reaching Ethiopia, a region unaccustomed
to rain and unacquainted with downpours.
28. TheNile alone waters it when it overflows and renders
it fertile with its flood; whence it is rich in produce
and feeds many parts of the earth with grain. Furthermore,
it overflows with other articles of trade to such an
extent that it fills the world with indispensable merchandise.
Egypt ends at Canopea, named after the helmsman
of Menelaos, Canopus, who is buried on the island that
marks the beginning of Libya and the mouth of the Nile.
29.Seres is a city of the east after which both the Seres
and their region (i.e. China and East Asia) are named.
The area bends from the Scythian Ocean and the Caspian
Sea to the eastern Ocean. It is rich in a renowned foliage,
from which silk-fleece is gathered, which the Seres sell to
other peoples for the manufacture of garments. 30.The
river Bactrus itself gave its name to Bactria. The parts of
it that are further out are surrounded by the range of the
Propanisus, while those facing us terminate at the source
of the river Indus; the river Ochus is the boundary for
the remaining parts. Bactria exports camels of the greatest
strength, whose feet never wear out.