| <p> ( ראשׁ , <i> ''''' rō'sh ''''' </i> ; Ῥώς , <i> ''''' Rhṓs ''''' </i> , variant (Q margin) κεφαλῆς , <i> ''''' kephalḗs ''''' </i> ; [[Vulgate]] (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) <i> capiris </i> ): </p> 1. [[Rosh]] and Its Renderings: <p> This name occurs in the prophecies against [[Gog]] in Ezekiel 38:2 , Ezekiel 38:3 and Ezekiel 39:1 , where the King James Version has "Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of [[Meshech]] and Tubal." This translation is due to <i> ''''' rō'sh ''''' </i> being the common [[Hebrew]] word for "head" or "chief" (compare the Greek variant and the Vulgate), and is regarded as incorrect, that of the Revised Version (British and American), "Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal," being preferred. </p> 2. Identification with Russia: <p> The identification of Rosh is not without its difficulties. [[Gesenius]] regarded it as indicating the Russians, who are mentioned in Byzantine writers of the 10th century under the name of Ῥῶς , <i> ''''' Rhṓs ''''' </i> . He adds that they are also noticed by Ibn Fosslan (same period), under the name of <i> ''''' Rûs ''''' </i> , as a people dwelling on the river Rha (Volga). Apart from the improbability that the dominion of Gog extended to this district, it would be needful to know at what date the Rus of the [[Volga]] arrived there. </p> 3. Probably the [[Assyrian]] Rasu: <p> [[Notwithstanding]] objections on account of its eastern position, in all probability Fried. Delitzsch's identification of Rosh with the <i> ''''' mât ''''' </i> <i> ''''' Râši ''''' </i> , "land of <i> ''''' Râsh ''''' </i> " of the Assyrian inscriptions, is the best. [[Sargon]] of [[Assyria]] (circa 710 BC) conquered the countries "from the land of Rasu on the border of [[Elam]] as far as the river of Egypt," and this country is further described in his Khorsabad Inscription, 18, as "the land of <i> ''''' Râšu ''''' </i> , of the boundary of Elam, which is beside the Tigris." Assyria having disappeared from among the nations when Ezekiel wrote his prophecies, [[Babylonia]] was probably the only power with which "Gog of the land of Magog" would have had to reckon, but it may well be doubted whether the [[Babylonian]] king would have allowed him to exercise power in the district of <i> ''''' Râšu ''''' </i> , except as a very faithful vassal. It may here be noted that the Hebrew spelling of Rosh presupposes an earlier pronunciation as <i> ''''' Râsh ''''' </i> , a form agreeing closely with that used by the Assyrians. See Fried. Delitzsch, <i> [[Wo]] lag das Paradies? </i> 325. </p> | | <p> ''''' rosh ''''' , ''''' rōsh ''''' ( ראשׁ , <i> ''''' rō'sh ''''' </i> ): A son or grandson of [[Benjamin]] ( [[Genesis]] 46:21 ). </p> |
