Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

DURING lorn CENTURY: ARABIA 741
(= Buz of the Old Testament), in connection with which
the country of Khazu (= Khazo of the Old Testament *),
and the places Ilpiati (Ptolemy's .Olaphia), Dikhran (the
Dacharenians of Ptolemy), Oataba'a, Gauan (comp. Guti
above), Ikhilu, Yadi'u (comp. above), and others— all situated
in Yemama and neighborhood — are mentioned.
Ashurbanapal : Campaign
against the Arab tribes Kedar
(Qidrai) and Nebaioth (Nabayati) — which took "the great
king " at least into the North Arabian Jof. The land of
Mash there mentioned and also playing an important role in
connection with Nimrod's journey across Arabia, extended
beyond the Jof, a fact which was clearly demonstrated by
Ed. Glaser in his sketch of the " Geography of Arabia "
(pp. 309, seqq.). To Glaser also belongs the credit of first
having recognized the true location of Bazu (- Buz).
Ill
The numerous data given in the Old Testament concerning
the names of countries and tribes in Arabia are rather
general ;
but the statements contained in the South Arabian
and the Babylono-Assyrian inscriptions put those of the
Old Testament in an entirely new light. Indeed from a
study of the oldest West-Semitic proper names 2 and the
conceptions of God, it becomes now evident that even the
origin of the children of Israel is much more closely connected
with North Arabia than we have hitherto ventured to
suppose, that therefore the knowledge of Arabia, as derived
from inscriptions and from the archaeological exploration of
the country, has a more direct and important bearing upon
Biblical science than the knowledge of Egypt and Assyria.
First, considering the genealogies as given in the tenth
1
2
Engl. Version : Hazo.
For a full treatment of this subject see chap. iii. of mv "Ancient Hebrew
Tradition," pp. 56—117.