Biblical place names in Khorasan

The Afghan (Pashtun/ Pukhtun) STOCK belief in their lineage from the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel is an oral tradition passed from generation to generation and backed up by Afghan tradition, custom and names. It has been mentioned numerously in historical texts and local folklore in addition to modern research. It is important to note that Afghans not being a homogenous group, the Bani Israelite tradition is also not present or claimed by all tribes. Among the tribes that it has been claimed by include the Afridi, Yusufzai, Khattak, Shinwari.

The Bani Israelite stock belief has always involved names like Khurasan, Ghazni, Gozan, Hara and Habor. In addition there are countless places, villages, towns and cities throughout the ancient region of Khurasan that are biblical in their origin albeit slightly changed over the almost three millennia of history and tradition of the Bani Israelites.

Greater Khorasan

Greater Khorasan ( Persian/ Pashto خراسان باستان یا خراسان بزرگ ) (also written ”Khurasan”) is a historical region spanning northeastern Iran, northern Afghanistan, Pakistan and the southern parts of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Khorāsān, also spelled Khurasan, historical region and realm comprising a vast territory now lying in northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northern Afghanistan. The historical region extended, along the north, from the Amu Darya (Oxus River) westward to the Caspian Sea and, along the south, from the fringes of the central Iranian deserts eastward to the mountains of central Afghanistan. Arab geographers even spoke of its extending to the boundaries of Hindustan (India).

In pre-Islamic and early Islamic times, the term “Khurassan” frequently had a much wider denotation, covering also parts of what are now Soviet Central Asia and Afghanistan; early Islamic usage often regarded everywhere east of western Persia, sc. Djibal or what was subsequently termed ‘Irak ‘Adjami, as being included in a vast and ill-defined region of Khurasan, which might even extend to the Indus Valley and Sind.

The name “Khorasan” is derived from Middle Persian ”khor” “sun” + ”asa” “literally, like or akin to, but usually meaning arising from”, hence meaning “land where the sun rises”. The Persian word ”’Khāvar-zamīn”’ (Persian خاور زمین ), meaning “the eastern land”, has also been used as an equivalent term.

According to Brittanica:

Khorāsān, also spelled Khurasan, historical region and realm comprising a vast territory now lying in northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northern Afghanistan. The historical region extended, along the north, from the Amu Darya (Oxus River) westward to the Caspian Sea and, along the south, from the fringes of the central Iranian deserts eastward to the mountains of central Afghanistan. Arab geographers even spoke of its extending to the boundaries of India.

In the times of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the term Khurasan was used for the region comprising modern day Afghanistan, the North Eastern parts of Iran, the Western parts of Pakistan and parts of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Arab geographers spoke of its extending to the boundaries of India as far as the Indus River (Indus valley) in what is now Pakistan.

Early Islamic usage often regarded everywhere east of western Persia, or what was subsequently termed ‘Irak ‘Adjami, as being included in a vast and ill-defined region of Khorasan, which might even extend to the Indus Valley and Sindh.

However, sources from the 14th to the 16th century report that Kandahar, Ghazni and Kabul in Afghanistan formed the frontier region between Khorasan and Hindustan.

Gozan

In referring to the place of exile of the tribe of Ruben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh, the book of I Chronicles 5:26 states that:

“Pul … and Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria carried them away… and brought them to Halah and Habor, and Hara and to the river Gozan.”

The text of II Kings 17:6 also speaks of Gozan as a river:

“… the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river Gozan and in the cities of the Medes”

In II Kings 19:12 Rabshakeh speaks:

in the name of Sennacherib: “How the gods of the nations have delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; (as) Gozan, and Haran

In Isaiah 37:12 Gozan can be understood as a region or a people of a region. The correct translation of II Kings 17:6 and 18:11 is:

“in the confluence of the river Gozan.”

Biblical scholars looking for the place of exile of the tribes of Israel by Tiglath Pileser, and then of all the tribes of Israel by Sargon upon the fail of Samaria, decided that the river’s name was Habor and Gozan was the region. This is a violation of the texts. They identified Habor with the confluent of the Euphrates mentioned in Ezekiel 1:3:

“The word of the Lord came … unto Ezekiel” in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar.

The spellings Habor and Chebar are different, and the river Khvoz (Chebar) is not Habor, and the latter is not a river at all.

When the exiles of Judah arrived in Babylonia ca. 138 years after the inhabitants of Israel were removed from their land, they did not find the Israelites in Chebar (Khyber)or Khvoz (Khost). It is also said that the Lord removed Israel out of his sight—or to a country far away and without communication with the motherland.

The Assyrians spread their dominion to the south as far as Ethiopia and Aden (Eden). The Assyrians crossed the Caucasus—this is known from Assyrian inscriptions themselves.

Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela, the Spanish Jewish traveller claimed to have found the Ten Tribes in the regions beyond then Persia in Medes and Arachosia. Even to the extent that this region up to distant Scythia abounds in Assyrian relics of the seventh century B.C.E.

2 Kings 17:6:

In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 18:11:

The king of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,

2 Kings 19:12:

Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden that were in Telassar?

1 Chronicles 5:26:

The God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river of Gozan, to this day.

Isaiah 37:12:

Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar?

Thence it is four days’ journey to Tibet, the country in whose forests musk is found.

Thence it takes twenty-eight days to the mountains of Nisabur by the river Gozan. And there are men of Israel in the land of Persia who say that in the mountains of Nisabur four of the tribes of Israel dwell.

The territory mentioned in 2 Kings lies northeast of ancient Nineveh in present-day southern Afghanistan. The River Gozan lies in northern Afghanistan.

Flavius Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews described the location of the ten tribes.

He also substitutes Oxus for Gozan. In the Middle Ages the Oxus was known under that name. In each of the localities Benjamin was told that river (Oxus) was called Gozan.

Hara

Hara is the ancient name for Herat Afghanistan. Herat is a large and famous city, hub of economic activity for more than two millennia.

Habor

Ancient name which represents the root Khyber. Alternately spelled as Chebar, Chebor, Havor or Habor. Khyber is the historical and famous mountain pass between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Khyber is of Hebrew origin meaning fort.

Afghan tribes that inhabit the region are called Khybaris. These include Afridi, Khattak, Shinwari, Yusufzai, Mohmand and the Orakzai.

In the past, Khyber has also been referred to as Qilla Yahudi (Yahoodi), which literally means Citadel of the Jews. This was a term used solely by the Mughals because of their contempt for the Khybaris (Khattak, Yusfzai and Afridi Tribesmen) who looted and plundered Mughal convoys and supply lines. It was a reference to the Afghan’s stock belief of being the Bani Israel (Children of Israel).

Pesh Habor

Pesh means after or beyond and Habor means Khyber. Pesh Habor means the city beyond the Khyber pass which is the ancient biblical city of Peshawar. Peshawar was founded almost three millennia ago around 3000 BCE.

Kohath

Biblical name for present day Kohat. Kohath the grandson of Jacob has been mentioned at several place in the bible including:

[Genesis 46:11]

[Exodus 6:16,18]

[Numbers 3:17,19,27,29,30,]

[Numbers 4:2,15,18,34,37]

[Numbers 7:9,]

[Numbers 10:21,]

[Numbers 16:1,]

[Numbers 26:57,58,]

[Joshua 21:4,5,10,20,26]

[1 Chronicles6:1,2, 16,18,22,33,38,54,61,66,70]

[1Chronicles9:32,]

[1Chronicles15:5]

[1Chronicles23:6,12]

Kohat today is city named after the grandson of Jacob located near Peshawar in Pakistan.

Zebulon

Zebulon, ‘Zabulon’ or ‘Zaboules’, was, according to the Book of Genesis and Book of Numbers:

[Genesis 46:14]

[Numbers 26:26]

the sixth son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelites (Israelite Tribes and Tribe of Zebulun).

Zabul is the Pushto and Arabic form of the Hebrew Zebulon. ‘Zabul’ (زابل ) is also a historic province of modern day Afghanistan.

Zabulistan

Zabulistan (Pashto & Arabic زابلستان ), also spelled Zabolestan, is a historical region in the border area of today’s Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Babur records in his Babur-Nama that Ghazni Province is also known as Zabulistan.

The name refers to a larger area in the past, as evident by the existence of a province in Afghanistan called Zabul at the foot of the Hindukush, (along the border with Pakistan).

Other Hebrew place names

The mountains the Pathan’s have been living in after the exile, are called by them, the Suleiman (Solomon) mountains.

The popular places that trace their origin in Hebrew include:

Koh-e-Suleiman – Solomon Mountains

Takht-e-Suleiman – Throne of Solomon (the highest peak in the Solomon mountains)

Afghanistan – Afghana (the grandson of King Saul)

Kohat – or Kohath, a city in NWFP, Pakistan, means assembly in Hebrew and it is also the name of the second son of Levi and the father of Amram or Amran.

Zabul – A province in present day Afghanistan and in the days of Mahmood Ghaznavi the whole region of Afghanistan was known as Zabulistan – Zebulon was one of the sons of Jacob.

Khyber – a place near the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. In the time of Muhammad, Khyber was an ancient Jewish Citadel city near Yathrab (present day Medina).

Peshawar – The Capital of NWFP province of Pakistan – PESH means the Pass and HAWAR means City i.e. The City after the Pass. Peshawar is a short drive from Khyber Pass. A Place named Habor or Havor is mentioned in Torah as the place of the exile of the tribes. The city of Havor is, they say, peh-Shauor (Pash- Havor’) which means ‘Over Havor’.

Kerak - (Karak) A City in Jordan and another in NWFP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan), the ancient home of the Khattak tribe.

Logar - A province in Afghanistan.

Kabul - (Cabul) In Hebrew Cab means dirty and Bul means city hence a dirty city.

Herat - (Hara or Hala) The pearl of Khurasan – a city in Afghanistan, Hara is one of the places of the exile along with Habor and Gozan.

Kash/Kish/Cush or Kesh - Name of numerous personalities in Chronicles of Hebrew Bible – and a Dasht-e-Kash north of Helmand, a City of Kash mentioned in map of Afghanistan 1912 of the Library of Congress. There is also a Kash Rod in Nimroz Province of Afghanistan. Kish is also the Biblical form of Qais Abdir Rashid (or Rasheed) the legendary Afghan leader during the time of Muhammad.

Dasht-e-Yahoodi - (Yahudi) The Jewish Plain – a famous place in Mardan district of NWFP, Pakistan.

Killa Yahoodi - (Yahudi) or Jewish Fort – a place on Afghanistan Pakistan border.

Pehur - Peor, a town in Malakand, Pakistan.

Morah - Moriah a town in Swat, Malakand and Buner, Pakistan.

Jalala - Ha Galil in Takht bhai, Pakistan.

Sadum - Sodom, near Rustam, Maradan, Pakistan.

Mount Ilam - Mountains Ilam & Jelum named after Mount Ilam and Dumat in Israel. Both are located in Buner, Pakistan.

Greater & Lesser Shalman - or Shlomo or Solomon, both are in Khyber Agency, Pakistan.
Shinwar - (Ashur) in Afghanistan near khyber Agency.

Tirah - Fort in Hebrew, capital of Waziristan Agency, Pakistan.

Zandan e Suleiman - ancient ruins near foothills of Solomon mountains, in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, said to have been prisons of King Solomon.

Zhob - biblical name and a district in Baluchistan, Pakistan.

Keesi baba ghar - Mountain tomb of Kish or Qais abdur Rashid in Zhob district, Pakistan.

Khoja Avram - Avram is Amram/ Amran or Imran, located in Balochistan, Pakistan.

Yaftalee - Daftali in Northern Afghanistan.

Musa Qala - Citadel of Moses in central Afghanistan.

Kish Deh - Village of Kish in Northern Afghanistan.

Qonan - Kinaan or Aqonan, in northern Afghanistan.

Kush Tepah - Northern Afghanistan.

Ghowr - Hebrew Ghor or Ghowr, province in Afghanistan.

Kish/ Kash Rud - Kash Rod.

Qala e Kah - Citadel of Qahn or Kahn (Cohen) Western Afghanistan.

Roh - Ruh, Western Afghanistan.

Ghura Mishkon - Hebrew name, the first place of settlement in Afghanistan of the Bani Israelites, Western Afghanistan.

Dasht e Kash - The waste of Qish, Pak Afghan border near Balochistan, Pakistan.

Zabul - Land of Zebulon, ancient name of Afghanistan and a province in Afghanistan.

Zikiria Baba - Tomb of Saint Zachary, Southern Afghanistan.

Darakht e Yahya - Tree of John, Afghan Pakistan border near Zhob in Afghanistan.

Nikeh Mazar - Tomb of the Patriarch, near Waziristan in Afghanistan.

Ruins of ancient fortree of Gabur, Afghanistan.

Darya e Amu - River Oxus, called in ancient times by the river of Gozan. In hadith of Muhammad it has been called Sehun and Jehun.

Sinim - Biblical name for Kashmir, called by that name even today by locals and in poetry.