Gomer

Gomer

Gomer (גֹּמֶר, Standard Hebrew Gómer, Tiberian Hebrew Gōmer, IPA2| go'mer ) is the eldest son of Japheth, and father of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah mentioned in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible. ("Genesis" x. 2, 3; "I Chronicles" i. 5, 6).

The eponymous Gomer, "standing for the whole family," as the compilers of the "Jewish Encyclopedia" expressed it, is also mentioned in Book of Ezekiel xxxviii. 6 as the ally of Gog, the chief of the land of Magog.

The Persian historian Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (c. 915) recounts a Persian tradition that Gomer, lived to the age of 1000, noting that this record equalled that of Nimrod, but was unsurpassed by anyone else mentioned in the Torah.

Traditional identifications

He is traditionally identified with the Cimmerians (Akkadian "Gimirru", "complete"), who dwelt on the Eurasian steppes. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, some Welsh antiquarians posited that the Welsh people were descended from the Cimmerians and from Gomer. The argument was based on false etymology based on the fact that the Welsh people are called Cymry in the Welsh language (Cymraeg). The name Gomer (Joseph Harris (Gomer), for instance) and the Gomerian theory became fashionable for a time but the latter has long since been discredited. Josephus placed this legendary Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Anatolian Galatia ("Antiquities of the Jews", I:6): "For Gomer founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites)." "Galatia" takes its name from the ancient Gauls (Celts).

Gomer's descendants

Three sons of Gomer are mentioned in "Genesis" 10, namely Ashkenaz, Riphath (spelled "Diphath" in "I Chronicles") and Togarmah.

Ashkenaz

The children of Ashkenaz have been identified with the Scythians (Assyrian "Ishkuza"). It has been conjectured that the term in the original Hebrew was "Ashkuz", but that it became "Ashkenaz" when the Hebrew letter "waw" was accidentally miscopied as the similar-looking letter "nun" at some early stage of the transmission.

Riphath

Riphath most likely settled somewhere in what is now TurkeyFact|date=December 2007, but not much is known. Irish Genealogy traces itself to Ibath, son of Gomer (Most likely a form of Riphath).

Togarmah

Ancient Armenian and Georgian legend lists Togarmah as the ancestor of the people originally inhabiting that region. According to Khazar records, Togarmah is regarded as the ancestor of the Turkic-speaking peoples.

In Hosea

Gomer is also the name of the adulterous wife of the prophet Hosea, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Hosea. Some analysts have suggested that this marriage is really a figurative or prophetic reference to a union between the "lost tribes of Israel" with the above-mentioned people of Gomer, following the Assyrian deportation.

The relationship between Hosea and Gomer has been posited to be a parallel to the relationship between God and Israel. Even though Gomer runs away from Hosea and sleeps with another man, he loves her anyway and forgives her. Even though the people of Israel worshipped other gods, God loved them anyway and took them back. In the Bible she says that she became a prostitute because she had to pay for the food for their children for Hosea didn't receive any money from being a prophet.

ee also

*Japhetic
*Hunor and Magor


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  • GOMER — (Heb. גֹּמֶר), the firstborn son of Japheth; the father of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah (Gen. 10:2–3; I Chron. 1:5–6); and the name of a nation (Ezek. 38:6). Gomer is nowadays identified with the Gi mir ra a of the Assyrian sources who are the …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Gomer — m Biblical: name (meaning ‘complete’ in Hebrew) borne by a son of Japheth and grandson of Noah. It was taken up by the Puritans, and is still in occasional use in America, where it has been reinforced by the homophonous English surname Gomer.… …   First names dictionary

  • gomer — (del ár. and. «ḡumári») adj. y n. Gomel. * * * gomer. (Del ár. hisp. ḡumári, y este del ár. ḡumārah, Gomara). adj. Se dice del individuo de la tribu berberisca de Gomara. U. m. c. s. pl. || 2. Perteneciente o relativo a esta tribu …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Gomer — Go mer, n. (Gun.) A conical chamber at the breech of the bore in heavy ordnance, especially in mortars; named after the inventor. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gomer — Go mer, n. A Hebrew measure. See {Homer}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gomer [1] — Gomer, Sohn Japhets, von welchem der phrygisch armenische Stamm um das Schwarze Meer abstammen soll, von denen dann zunächst Askenas, am Nordabhang des Kaukasos, Riphat, nördlich von diesem an den Quellen des Don u. der Wolga u. Thogarma vom… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Gomer [2] — Gomer (Gomor, jüd. Ant.), Maß für trockene Dinge, 10 G. = 1 Epha, etwa 1/2 Metze …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Gomer — Gomer, biblischer Name (Völkertafel: 1. Mos. 10, 2. 3) eines von Japhet abstammenden Volkes, unter dem die Kimmerier in der heutigen Krim zu verstehen sind. Nach andrer Ansicht sind damit die Kappadokier gemeint, die von den Armeniern »Gamir«… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Gomer — Gomer,   im Alten Testament 1) eine Völkerschaft Kleinasiens (1. Mose 10, 2); 2) Name der Frau des Propheten Hosea (Hosea 1, 3) …   Universal-Lexikon

  • GOMER — fil. Iaphet. Gen. c. 10. v. 2. et 3. Caput Gomeritarum prope Syriam, habitantium. An potius Gallorum, qui et ipsi Gomeritae dicti? Ioseph. Antiqq. l. 1. Euseb. Zonaras, Isid. Dupleix. Mem. Gall. l. 1. c. 1. De hoc vide inprimis Bochart. Geogr.… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

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