the eldest son of Ham, and father of Nimrod. Though we know of no other person in Scripture who is indicated by this name, yet there are several countries which are called by it; but whether the same man may have dwelt in all of them at different times, or whether there were some other men of this name, we are unable to say.

The Vulgate, Septuagint, and other interpreters, both ancient and modern, generally translate Cush, Ethiopia; but there are many passages in which this translation cannot take place.

Cush is the name of the country watered by the Araxes. They who, in translating the passage relative to the situation of Eden, made Cush Ethiopia, gave rise to the unwarrantable opinion which Josephus and several others have entertained, that the river Gihon was the Nile. Cuth is the same as Cush; the Chaldees generally putting the tau where the Hebrews use the shin.

But Ethiopia in the Hebrew is frequently called Cush; St Jerome tells us that the Hebrews call the Ethiopians by this name, and the Seventy gave them no other. Jeremiah (xiii. 23) asks, "can the Cushman, or Ethiopian, change his colour?" In Ezekiel (xxxix. 10) the Lord threatens to reduce "Egypt to a desert, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Cush or Ethiopia?" and in Isaiah (xi. 11) it is said, "he will recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and Pathros, and from Cush." All these marks agree with Ethiopia properly so called, which lies to the south of Egypt.

Bochart has shown very clearly that there was a country called the land of Cush in Arabia Petraea, bordering upon Egypt; that this country extended itself principally along the eastern shore of the Red Sea, and at its extremity to the point of the sea, inclining towards Egypt and Palestine.

Thus there are three countries of the name of Cush, described in Scripture, and all confounded by interpreters under the general name of Ethiopia.