In the Bible,Meshech orMosoch (Hebrew:מֶשֶׁךMešeḵ "price" or "precious") is named as a son ofJapheth inGenesis 10:2 and1 Chronicles 1:5.
Another Meshech is named as a son ofShem in 1 Chronicles 1:17 (corresponding to the formMash in Genesis 10).
Meshech is mentioned along withTubal (andRosh, in certain translations) as principalities of "Gog, prince ofMagog" inEzekiel 38:2 and 39:1, and is considered aJaphetite tribe, identified byFlavius Josephus with theCappadocian "Mosocheni" (Mushki, also associated withPhrygians orBryges) and their capitalMazaca. InHippolytus of Rome's chronicle (234 AD), the "Illyrians" were identified as Meshech's offspring. In addition,Georgians have traditions that they, and other Caucasus people such asArmenians, share descent from Meshech (Georgian:Meskheti),Tubal, andTogarmah.
In 1498,Annio da Viterbo published fragments known asPseudo-Berossus, now considered a forgery, claiming that Babylonian records had shown a son of Japheth calledSamothes had begun settling what later becameGaul in the 13th year ofNimrod. Later historians such asRaphael Holinshed (1577) identified Samothes as Meshech, and asserted that he first ruled also in Britain.
Beginning from the 16th century, some European scholars proposed the idea that the Muscovites had stemmed from Meshech.Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1616) attributes this opinion toPhilipp Melanchthon (1497–1560) and toBenito Arias Montano (1571), and it was also followed later byJonathan Edwards (1703–1758).Moreover, according to a legend first appearing in theKievan Synopsis (1674),[2]Moscow (Moskva) was founded by King Mosokh son of Japheth (i.e. Meshech), and was named for him and his wife, Kva. In this legend, they are also said to have had a son, Ya, and daughter, Vuza, who gave their names to the nearbyYauza River.[3]
According toArchibald Sayce, Meshech can be identified with Muska, a name appearing in Assyrian inscriptions, and generally believed to refer to the Mushki.[4]
Most reference books since Flavius Josephus generally identify Meshech in Ezekiel's time as an area in modern Turkey.[5]
