"Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog ..." Ezekiel 38:2:: Magog --> the Scythians --> Russians
To figure out the different countries who have a role to play we need to start at the beginning with the Table of Nations in Genesis 10:2. This is where we first see these names appear.
Many ancient sources have clearly identified "Magog" as referring to the "Scythians" which were the ancestors of the Russians.
One of the earliest references to Magog was by Hesiod, "the father of Greek didactic poetry" who identified Magog with the Scythians and southern Russia in the 7th century B.C. Hesiod was a contemporary of Ezekiel.
In the 5th century B.C. Herodotus of Harlicarnassus, known as "Father of History" wrote extensively about the the Scythians, and how they terrorized the southern steepes of Russia from the 10th century B.C. to the 3rd Century B.C.
"No one confronting them can escape on foot, and if they wish not to be discovered it is impossible to engage with them. The reason is that they do not build towns or fortresses, but all of them are mounted archers and carry their homes with them... How can they fail to be invincible, and immune from attack?" - Herodotus, 5th century B.C.
Another well known source is Josephus Flavius, who records that the Magogians were called "Scythians" by the Greeks.
"Magog founded the Magogians, thus named after him, but who were by the Greeks called Scythians."
"But even the Scythians, who delight in murdering people and are little better than wild beasts, nevertheless think it their duty to uphold their national customs." - Josephus Flavius, 1st century A.D.
Philo, is another in the 1st century who identifies Magog with southern Russia.
The Great Wall of China, in an 8th century reference, was called: Sud Yagog et Magog "The Rampart of Gog and Magog."
"..... Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee." Ezekiel 38:3-6
Persia = Iran The main ally listed is Persia. The identification of "Persia" includes the descendents of Elam, the 1st son of Shem and is modern Iran. The name "Persia" is first encountered as Parsua in Assyrian texts of the 9th century B.C. The official name of the country became Iran in 1935, as a cognate of Aryan.
Cush = Ethiopia This refers to the land south of Egypt, usually translated Ethiopia. Originally Cush referred to a piece of territory lying between the 2nd and 3rd cataracts of the Nile. Later it became a broader area known as Nubia. In broad, connotative usage, it is generally viewed as embracing "Black Africa".
Phut (or Put) = Libya The 3rd son of Ham. Josephus identifies him as the founder of Libya whose inhabitants were originally known as "the Putties." In a connotative sense, it is associated with "North Africa" populated by the Berbers and tribes distinct from Cush, and thus, reaches from Libya to Mauratania and the Mahgreb: Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco.
Togarmah = Turkic Tribes / Armenia Another son of Gomer. The Assyrians called them Til-Garimmu, a name derived from the Hittite city of Tegarama and carried into classical times as Gauraema. (modern Gurun), 70 miles west of Malayta. The city was destroyed by Sennacherib in 695 B.C. Josephus refers to them as Phrygians. The Armenians still refer to themselves as "The House of Togarmah" even to this day, although they are only one of the Turkic people descending from these ancient tribes. The tribal associations also appear to include Turkey and Turkestan.
Meshech & Tubal = ancient Anatolia / Turkey Meshech: The 6th son of Japath; identified with the ancient Mushki of the Assyrians and the Muschoi of the classical Greek writers. The Assyrian inscriptions describe them as inhabiting Phrygia in Northern Anatolia (modern Turkey). Herodotus identifies the Mushki with the mountains southeast of the Black Sea or the Northeast part of Turkey. Josephus also identifies the descendents of Meshech as dwelling in Eastern Turkey. Many also link the names with Mushkovi, the old name for Russia.
Tubal: The 5th son of Japath and brother of Meshech. 9th century B.C. Assyrian inscriptions refer to it as Tabal, West of Meshech in Eastern Anatolia. Geographical neighbors, they became allies against the Assyrians in 713 B.C. The classical Greek writers called them the Tibareni and the Moschi. Herodotus also places them both along the Southeast shores of the Black Sea. Some associate it with Tobolsk of Russia.
China seeks Russia alliance to counter US dominance
Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:39:07 GMT
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (L) meeting with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping
Looking to form a counterbalance to the power of the US, Beijing called on Moscow, as one of the emerging market economies, to enter into an alliance with China seeking to increase their leverage in global affairs. Speaking after talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping hailed the strength of bilateral ties with Russia as a success and went on to express the Beijing government's support for Russia's growing power on the global stage. "We are in favor of Russia playing an important role in international and regional affairs," Xi said, stressing that "we will surely support you." "In our opinion, China and Russia should in the future facilitate the establishment of a multi-polar world and democratization of international relations," the Chinese official added. The visit by the Russian official comes as Moscow and Beijing seek to put the rivalries of the Cold War behind them and rise as counterweights to the global dominance of the US. Officials from both countries describe their trade and political ties as better than ever before. In response to the Chinese official's remarks, Putin referred to China as Russia's "strategic partner in the full sense of this word." The Russian prime minister went on to offer Moscow's support for China's stance on Taiwan, saying, "We have always supported China on the most sensitive issues, including the Taiwan problem." Beijing considers Taiwan, which became the base for the self-styled Republic of China headed by Chiang Kai-shek when the Chinese Communist forces defeated the Chinese Nationalist Party in 1949, as an indivisible part of its territory and seeks reunification with the island.
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Israel serious about attacking Iran: British diplomat
Tue, 23 Mar 2010 20:51:36 GMT
Deputy director of British Foreign Office's International Security Directorate, Nicholas Hopton
A senior British official claims that fresh sanctions on Iran are necessary to prevent more "dangerous" scenarios like an Israeli strike on Iran. Nicholas Hopton, deputy director of the Foreign Office's International Security Directorate, said Britain viewed sanctions as the only leverage that could force Iran to negotiate over its nuclear program. Hopton urged Brazil to join countries that support new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. He outlined the "very direct message" he was taking to Brasilia on the matter, in comments to reporters late Monday in Sao Paulo. "This is about trying to encourage Iran to engage in a real dialogue. Since 2006 we've been trying to have a real dialogue, and the Iranians have been playing games," he said. "Either you have a pre-emptive Israeli strike, and they're very serious when they talk about that possibility, or you have a situation where Iran should get a nuclear weapon and other countries in the region feel very threatened by it, can decide to follow the same path, and very soon you've got a much more fragile Middle East than you've got at the moment, with much more risk of nuclear conflagration," he said. Tehran, which is a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has repeatedly declared that its nuclear program aims producing electricity and isotopes for medical applications. The IAEA inspectors have found no evidence of diversion of nuclear materials from civilian to military applications. Israel, which reportedly possesses the sole nuclear arsenal in the Middle East, has repeatedly voiced its determination to halt Iran's nuclear program, even through military means.
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