Togarmah

the third son of Gomer, Gen 10:4. The learned are divided as to what country he peopled. Josephus and St. Jerom were of opinion, that Togarmah was the father of the Phrygians: Eusebius, Theodoret, and Isidorus of Seville, that he peopled Armenia: the Chaldee and the Talmudists are for Germany. Several moderns believe that the children of Togarmah peopled Turcomania in Tartary and Scythia. Bochart is for Cappadocia: he builds upon what is said in Eze 27:14, “They of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs,” that is, at Tyre, “with horses and horsemen and mules.” He proves that Cappadocia was famous for its excellent horses and its asses. He observes also, that certain Gauls, under the conduct of Trocmus, made a settlement at Cappadocia, and were called Trocmi, or Throgmi. The opinion, says Calmet, which places Togarmah in Scythia and Turcomania, seems to stand upon the best foundation.

Togar´mah is the Hebrew name of Armenia. The Armenians consider themselves to be descended from Gomer, through Torgom, and therefore they call themselves the house of Torgom. The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah (Gen 10:3; 1Ch 1:6).

Armenia was, according to Strabo, distinguished by the production of good horses. This account harmonizes with the statement that the house of Togarmah traded in the fairs of Tyre in horses, and horsemen, and mules (Eze 27:14). The situation of Togarmah was north of Palestine: ’Gomer and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters’ (Eze 38:6).

A descendant of Japheth, Gen 10:3, supposed to have given his name to the region of Asia afterwards called Armenia, Eze 38:15,16 . It was celebrated for its horses and mules; and the men of Togarmah, like the modern Armenians, were an industrious, peaceable, and trafficking people, Eze 27:14 .\par

Togar’mah. A son of Gomer, of the family of Japheth, and brother of Ashkenaz and Riphath. Gen 10:3. His descendants became a people, engaged in agriculture, breeding horses and mules to be sold in Tyre. Eze 27:14 . They were also a military people, well skilled in the use of arms. Togarmah was, probably, the ancient name of Armenia.

Son of Gomer, brother of Ashkenaz and Riphath (Gen 10:8). Corresponding to Armenia. From toka, Sanskrit for "tribe" or "race," and Armah (Armenia). The Armenians represent Haik to be their founder and son of Thorgau (Moses Choren. 1:4; 9-11). The Phrygians, the race that overspread Asia Minor, probably migrated from Armenia, their language resembled the Armenian (Eudoxus, in Steph. Byz. on Armenia). The Phrygian is Indo-Germanic, as inscriptions prove, and resembled Greek (Plato, Cratyl.). In Eze 27:14 Togarmah appears trading with Tyre for horses and mules; so Strabo (xi. 13, section 9) makes Armenia famous for breeding horses. In Eze 38:6, Togarmah comes with Comer from the N. against Palestine; this and Gen 10:3 imply Togarmah’s connection with the Japhetic races, which modern research confirms as to Armenia. The Armenian connection with the Celts (Comer, i.e. the Cimbri, Cimmerians, Crimea, Cymry), implied in Togarmah being Gomer’s son, is not unlikely. The Imperial Dictionary makes Togarmah to mean the Turkomans who have always joined the Turks, i.e. Gog (Eze 38:1-6) or the king of the N. (Dan 11:40); Bochart makes Goghasan the original form, among the Colchians, Armenians, and Chaldaeans, for which the Greeks gave Caucasus.

[Togar’mah]

Son of Gomer, a son of Japheth, whose descendants probably settled in Armenia. Gen 10:3; 1Ch 1:6; Eze 27:14; Eze 38:6.

TOGARMAH.—The third son of Gomer, his brothers being Ashkenaz and Riphath (Gen 10:3). In Ezekiel mention is made of ‘the house of Togarmah,’ the members of which traded for the wares of Tyre with horses and mules. Fried. Delitzsch suggests that Togarmah is the Til-garimmu of the Assyrian inscriptions, described by Sargon of Assyria as the capital of Melitene, which he captured and re-colonized. Sennacherib, who again captured Til-garimmu and destroyed it, speaks of it as being on the borders of Tabal (Tubal [see Meshech]). The difference in the first element (tô = til) makes a slight difficulty. Kiepert and Dillmann regard Togarmah as being S.W. Armenia.

T. G. Pinches.

tṓ-gar´ma (תּגרמה, תּוגרמה, tōgharmāh; Θοργαμά, Thorgamá, Θεργαμά, Thergamá, Θυργαμά, Thurgamá, Θυργαβά, Thurgabá; Vulgate (Jerome’s Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) Thorgoma):

1. Its Forms: A Suggested Identification:

The 3rd son of Gomer, and grandson of Japheth, his brothers being Ashkenaz and Riphath (Gen 10:3). The meaning of the name is doubtful. Grimm (Gesch. deutsch. Sprache, II, 325) suggests Sanskr. toka, “tribe,” and arma = Armenia. Etymological and other difficulties stand in the way of French Delitzsch’s identification of Togarmah with the Assyrian Til-garimmu, “hill of Garimmu,” or, possibly, “of the bone-heap,” a fortress of Melitene, on the borders of Tabal (Tubal).

2. Probably Armenia or a Tract Connected Therewith:

In Eze 27:14 Togarmah is mentioned after Tubal, Javan and Mesech as supplying horses and mules to the Tyrians, and in Eze 38:6 it is said to have supplied soldiers to the army of Gog (Gyges of Lydia). In the Assyrian inscriptions horses came from Kûsu (neighborhoed of Cappadocia), Andia and Mannu, to the North of Assyria. Both Kiepert and Dillmann regard Togarmah as having been Southeastern Armenia, and this is at present the general opinion. The ancient identification of their country with Togarmah by the Armenians, though correct, is probably due to the Septuagint transposition of g and r (Thorgamá for Togarmah), which has caused them to see therein the name of Thorgom, father of Haik, the founder of their race (Moses of Khor, I, 4, secs. 9-11). Eze 27:14 (Swete) alone has g before r: Θαιγραμά, Thaigramá. The name “Armenia” dates from the 5th century BC. See ARMENIA; TABLE OF NATIONS.