Togarmah


Togarmah is a figure in the Generations of Noah in the Book of Genesis that represents the peoples known to the Hebrews. Togarmah is among the descendants of Japheth and is thought to represent some people located in Anatolia. Medieval sources claimed that Togarmah was the legendary ancestor of several ethnic groups in the Caucasus, including Armenians and Georgians.

Biblical attestations and historical geography

Togarmah is listed in as the third son of Gomer, and grandson of Japheth, brother of Ashkenaz and Riphath. The name is again mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel as a nation from the "far north". mentions Togarmah together with Tubal as supplying soldiers to the army of Gog. mentions Togarmah together with Tubal, Javan and Meshech as supplying horses to the Tyrians.
Most scholars identify Togarmah with the capital city called Tegarama by the Hittites and Til-Garimmu by the Assyrians. O.R. Gurney placed Tegarama in Southeast Anatolia.

Later traditions

Several later ethnological traditions have claimed Togarmah as the legendary ancestor of various peoples located in western Asia and the Caucasus. Jewish historian Flavius Josephus and the Christian theologians Jerome and Isidore of Seville regarded Togarmah as the father of the Phrygians. Several ancient Christian authors, including Saint Hippolytus, Eusebius of Caesarea, and bishop Theodoret, regarded him as a father of Armenians. Medieval Jewish traditions linked him with several Turkic peoples including the Khazars.

Armenian and Georgian traditions

Another Togarmah, this one being the son of both Tiras and Gomer, is mentioned by Armenian Moses of Chorene and Georgian Leonti Mroveli who regarded Togarmah as the founder of their nations along with other Caucasian peoples.
According to Moses of Chorene's History of Armenia and to Leonti Mroveli's medieval Georgian Chronicles, "Thargamos" was thought to have lived in Babylon, before he received the "land between two Seas and two Mountains" in his possession. He then settled near Mount Ararat and divided his land among his sons:
  1. Hayk - first son of Thargamos, inherited Mount Ararat and founded the Armenian nation.
  2. Kartlos - settled in north-east from Ararat, founder of Kartli who united other brothers and founded the Georgian nation.
  5. Lekos ancestors of the "Lek" tribe of the North Caucasus.
  6. Heros - settled in the eastern part of Ararat
  7. Caucas - settled beyond the Caucasus Range, ancestor of the Ingush and Chechens.
  8. - settled between the Black Sea and Likhi Range

    Jewish traditions

Togarmah was linked to several medieval Turkic peoples by Jewish traditions. The Khazar ruler Joseph ben Aaron writes in his letters:
He then goes on to enumerate ten names, which Korobkin reconstructs as:
  1. Agyor
  2. Tiros
  3. Ouvar
  4. Ugin
  5. Bisal
  6. Tarna
  7. Khazar
  8. Zanor
  9. Balnod
  10. Savir
The anonymous Jewish author of the medieval historical chronicle Josippon lists the ten sons of Togarmas as follows:
  1. Kwzar
  2. Pyṣynq
  3. ˀln
  4. Bwlgr
  5. Knbynˀ
  6. Ṭwrq
  7. Bwz
  8. Zkwk
  9. ˀwngr
  10. Tolmaṣ .
An 11th-century Yemenite Jew created for the Josippon an Arabic translation, wherefrom Pritsak extracts and reconstructs these names:
  1. al-Khazar
  2. al-Bajanāq
  3. al-Ās-Alān
  4. al-Bulġar
  8. Khyabars
  9. Unjar
  10. Ṭalmīs.
Meanwhile, from that same Arabic translation, Kánnai extracts and reconstructs eleven names:
  1. Khazar
  2. Badsanag
  3. Asz-alân
  4. Bulghar
  5. Zabub
  6. Fitrakh
  7. Nabir
  8. Andsar
  9. Talmisz )
  10. Adzîgher
  11. Anszuh
In the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, the three "children" are listed as:
  1. Abihud
  2. Shāfaṭ
  3. Yaftir
And the ten "families" are listed as:
  1. Cuzar
  2. Pasinaq
  3. Alan
  4. Bulgar
  5. Kanbinah
  6. Turq
  7. Buz
  8. Zakhukh
  9. Ugar
  10. Tulmes
Another medieval rabbinic work, the Book of Jasher, give the names:
  1. Buzar
  2. Parzunac
  3. Elicanum
  4. Balgar
  5. Ragbib
  6. Tarki
  7. Bid
  8. Zebuc
  9. Ongal
  10. Tilmaz ).
In the 18th century, the French Benedictine monk and scholar Calmet placed Togarmah in Scythia and Turcomania.