Mizraim: Encyclopedia - Mizraim

Mizraim

Mizraim (Hebrew מצרים Mitzráyim or Miṣrāyim/Miṣráyim; cf. Arabic مصر Miṣr) is the Hebrew name for the land of Egypt, with the dual suffix -āyim, perhaps referring to the "two Egypts": Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.

Mizraim was the brother of Cush who, together along with Phut and Canaan, made up the Hamite branch of Noah's descendants. Mizraim's sons were Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim (out of whom came the Philistines), and Caphtorim.

Some, who see similarities between the Egyptian god Asar's name and story and those of the eastern Asshur, say that this cannot be so, and instead suggest a possible Mesopotamian origin for Mizraim, whose name they derive from Ma-Asar ("From Assur"). However, others think it more likely that Mizraim is a form of the word Misr meaning "land", and was translated literally into Ancient Egyptian as Ta-Wy (the Two Lands) by early pharaohs at Thebes, who later founded the Middle Kingdom.

It has been suggested in New Age circles that, opposing assimilation into Kush, a certain Meskiagkasher left Kish for the lands of his cousin Asshur where the Uruk-Nimrod dynasty was born, before moving with his followers "from Asshur" to establish his own land in the Nile valley.

Category: Torah places

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Mizraim", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki