Body: | "Geography" by Claudius Ptolemy (Klaudios Ptolemaios) AD 90-168
Introduction:
1. Claudius Ptolemy (Klaudios Ptolemaios) AD 90-168 was a
Greek who lived in the Roman Capital of Egypt, (Alexandria), and headed the
library at Alexandria from AD 127 to 150. He wrote "Geography" that
marked all known places onto a grid.
2. Claudius Ptolemy: 90-168 AD
a. Headed the Library of Alexandria AD 127-150
b. Believed the Earth was round but stationary at the
center of the universe.
c. Used epicycles to explain motion of the cosmos.
d. Grid numbers are distorted and don't work with
modern GPS.
e. Believed that a person's destiny was based upon
when and where a person was born in relation to the position of the stars.
f. He was motivated to produce his grid maps so
individuals could decode their personality and future through the
horoscope.
g. Ptolemy had a poor understanding of the Gulf of
Aqaba which caused 16th century map makers to ignore it altogether.
h. Since AD 1600, ignorance of the Gulf of Aqaba has
hindered research into considering a Red Sea crossing on the Gulf of Aqaba
and a Mt. Sinai in Saudi Arabia.
3. AD 150 Claudius Ptolemy: Ptolemy is most famous for his
"earth centered" (geocentric system) where the earth is at the center
of the universe and all the planets and stars revolve around the earth in a
series of epicycles to explain their erratic travel path in the sky.
Ptolemy was motivated by his views on astrology and the horoscope to map
the movement of the cosmos above to precise locations on earth at the point
of a person's birth. Whereas the modern horoscope decodes your
personality solely on the position of the planets at the date of your birth
[i.e. June 15], Ptolemy used both birthdate and birthplace in relation to
the position of the stars to determine decode individuals. His work on
Geography was purposed not to map the world, but to provide "GPS"
co-ordinates on a grid so that people could easily look up their place of
birth and be provided a set of "east/west" grid numbers to determine
their destiny. The grid numbers for Petra are "66°45' . 30°20'" but
these in no way correspond to our modern global grid system in Google Earth
etc. The grid numbers do allow the creation of a map that shows the
relative locations of places where Ptolemy thought they were. There are
many distortions and errors, but it is quite useful overall. Ptolemy did
not understand the Gulf of Aqaba very well and 16th century map makers
perpetuated the distortions in Ptolemy's work. Since AD 1600, ignorance
of the Gulf of Aqaba has hindered research into considering a Red Sea
crossing on the Gulf of Aqaba and a Mt. Sinai in Saudi Arabia. While
Ptolemy defined Arabia Felix as abutting Petra to the north, and included
Midian to the north-west, and Arabia Deserta to the north-east, these new
boundaries came into effect after Trajan in AD 106. At the time of Paul.
Midian was Arabia Petra, below which was Arabia Deserta, below which was
Arabia Felix. For Ptolemy, Arabia Deserta is the desert between Syria and
the Euphrates but does not include the large central desert of the Arabian
Peninsula which Strabo included in his definition. Strabo restricted Arabia
Felix to the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula above which was Arabia
Deserta.
4. In 4.5.12-16 Ptolemy defines the eastern borders of Egypt.
a. Ptolemy defines the northwestern portion of the
Sinai Peninsula as Egyptian territory, the rest is Arabia Petra.
b. Ptolemy considers the area inside the triangle
between Pelusium, Heroon/Arsinoe [Port of Suez] and Gaza to all be part of
Egyptian territory. Ptolemy considered Rhinocolura and Raphia to be part of
Egypt in AD 150. Before AD 50 and at the time of Strabo, Rhinocolura was an
Arab controlled port city for the Arabic trade route. The central and
southern Sinai Peninsula as defined by the area on the east side of the
Gulf of Suez over the Petra is all part of Arabia Petra. We know
historically that the Sinai Peninsula was added to Arabia Petra by Trajan
in AD 106, but the northern was under full Egyptian control because after
AD 50, the Romans developed a trade route to India and the Nabatean cities
south of Beersheba became of no importance. Ptolemy then traces the border
of Egypt on the west side of the Gulf of Suez and the Arabian Gulf down to
the border with Ethiopia.
A. Poor understanding of the Gulf of Aqaba:
a. Despite the more accurate mapping of both Philo and Josephus
100 years earlier, Ptolemy carries on the long tradition of Greek
geographers (Eratosthenes, Herodotus, Hesiod and Hecataeus) who incorrectly
understood the Red Sea as almost a single finger of water.
b. As we can see, this error carried into the 16th century. Here
are are four maps drawn in the 16th century based upon representations of
Ptolemy's writings of 150AD.
c. This explains why people might confuse Arabia as bordering
on Goshen. The geography of the day did not see the Sinai Peninsula between
the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez.
B. Four 16th century "Ptolemy" maps that ignore the Gulf of Aqaba:
Joannes Schott 1503 AD, read Ptolemy and drew this map from his
writings:
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Joannes Ruysch 1508 AD, read Ptolemy and drew this map from his
writings:
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J.Pentius De Leucho 1511 AD, read Ptolemy and drew this map from his
writings:
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P Heinricum Petrum 1545 AD, read Ptolemy and drew this map from his
writings:
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Close up of the four maps:
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C. Ptolemy citations:
1. Arabia Petra, Judea, Philistia, Heroopolite gulf [Gulf of
Suez], Elanite gulf [Gulf of Aqaba], Oboda, Petra:
a. Oboda was a Nabatean city located south of Beersheba
that functioned before AD 50 as a trade route town.
b. "Arabia Petraia [Arabia Petra] is bounded on the west by
that part of Egypt to which we have referred; on the north by Palestina
[Philistia] or Ioudaia [Judea] and the part of Syria along dividing line;
on the south by the inmost point of the Arabian gulf, at 63°30' .
29°50' and by the Heroopolite gulf [Gulf of Suez] from the limit of Egypt
up to the Pharan promontory, which is located at 65°00' . 28°30' and by
the near side of the Elanite gulf [Gulf of Aqaba], until its return at
66°00' . 29°00' The position of Pharan kome is 65°00' . 28°40'. Elana
kome [Elat], which is located in the inmost recess of the bay of this name
[Gulf of Aqaba], has this position 65°50' . 29°15'. To the east its
boundary is the line leading to the eastern limit of Syria, as we have
indicated, running beside Arabia Felix, to the part of this line at 70°00'
. 30°30' along Arabia Deserta for the remainder of the line. The so-called
Melana mountains extend from the recess of the gulf at Pharan toward
Judaia. West of these mountains toward Egypt extends Sarakene; below this
is Mounychiatis; below which on the gulf are the Pharanitai, and along the
mountains of Arabia Felix the Raithenoi. There are cities in the province,
inland, and komai as follows: Eboda [Oboda] 65°15' . 30°30'. Petra
66°45' . 30°20'" (Claudius Ptolemy, Geography 5.17.1-5, translated by
Brady Kiesling, 150 AD)
c. In 4.5.12-16 Ptolemy defines the eastern borders of
Egypt. Ptolemy defines the northwestern portion of the Sinai Peninsula as
Egyptian territory, the rest is Arabia Petra. Ptolemy considers the area
inside the triangle between Pelusium, Heroon/Arsinoe [Port of Suez] and
Gaza to all be part of Egyptian territory. Ptolemy considered Rhinocolura
and Raphia to be part of Egypt in AD 150. Before AD 50 and at the time of
Strabo, Rhinocolura was an Arab controlled port city for the Arabic trade
route. The central and southern Sinai Peninsula as defined by the area on
the east side of the Gulf of Suez over the Petra is all part of Arabia
Petra. We know historically that the Sinai Peninsula was added to Arabia
Petra by Trajan in AD 106, but the northern was under full Egyptian control
because after AD 50, the Romans developed a trade route to India and the
Nabatean cities south of Beersheba became of no importance. Ptolemy then
traces the border of Egypt on the west side of the Gulf of Suez and the
Arabian Gulf down to the border with Ethiopia.
c. "In Kassiotis: Kassion 63°45' . 31°15'. Outlet of
the Sirbonis lake 63°50' . 31°15'. Ostrakine 64°15' . 31°50'.
Rhinokoroura [Rhinocolura] 64°40' . 31°50'. Anthedon [Gaza] 64°50' .
51°40'. It [Egypt] is bounded on the east by part of Judaea which runs
from Anthedon city [Gaza] to the end point at 64°15' . 30°40' and thence
by Arabia Petraia as far as the inmost point in the Arabian gulf at Heroon
city, at 63°30' . 29°50' and by a part of the Arabian gulf, described as
follows: After the above-mentioned inmost point of the gulf at 63°30' .
29°50'. Arsinoe 63°20' . 28°50'. Klysma castle 63°20' . 28°50'.
Drepanon promontory 64°00' . 27°50'. Myos hormos 64°15' . 26°45'.
Philoteras harbor 64°05' . 27°50'. Mt. Aias 64°20' . 26°10'. Leukos
harbor 64°30' . 26°00'. Mt. Akabe 64°30' . 25°45'. Nechesia 64°30' .
25°30'. Mt. Samaragdos 64°50' . 25°00'. Lepte akra 64°40' . 23°40'.
Berenike 64°05' . 23°50'. Mt. Pentadaktylon 64°45' . 23°30'. Bazion
promontory 65°00' . 23°00'. The boundary on the south extends to the
indicated end point of Interior Libya adjacent to which line is Aithiopia
[Ethiopia] below Egypt." (Claudius Ptolemy, Geography 4.5.12-16,
translated by Brady Kiesling, 150 AD)
3. Arabia Felix, Gulf of Aqaba, Onne (Elim, Leuke Kome,
Aynuna), Sygros:
a. Ptolemy defined Arabia Felix as the entire Arabian
Peninsula from Midian south then north to the Euphrates. While Ptolemy
defined Arabia Felix as abutting Petra to the north, and included Midian to
the north-west, and Arabia Deserta to the north-east, these new boundaries
came into effect after Trajan in AD 106. At the time of Paul. Midian was
Arabia Petra, below which was Arabia Deserta, below which was Arabia Felix.
b. For Ptolemy, Arabia Deserta is the desert between Syria
and the Euphrates but does not include the large central desert of the
Arabian Peninsula which Strabo included in his definition. Strabo
restricted Arabia Felix to the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula above
which was Arabia Deserta.
c. Onne is located in Midian at biblical Elim, known by
Strabo as Leuke Kome, located at modern Ain Ounah (Aynuna).
d. Sygros is located on the south-eastern corner of the
Arabian Peninsula on the Arabian Sea.
e. "Eudaimon Arabia [Arabia Felix] is bounded on the north
by the designated border of Arabia Petraia [Arabia Petra] and of Arabia
Deserta; on the northeast by a part of the Persian gulf; on the west by the
Arabian gulf; on the south by the Red Sea; on the east by that part of the
Persian gulf and the sea, which extends from the entrance to this gulf as
far as the Syagros promontory. The [north-west] coast of this region is as
follows: after the border of the Arabian gulf in the inmost part of the
Elanite gulf [Gulf of Aqaba], Onne 66°20' . 28°50'; Modiana or Modouna
[Not same as Midian], but south of Onne on coast] 66°40' . 27°45'"
(Claudius Ptolemy, Geography 6.7.1-2, translated by Brady Kiesling, 150
AD)
4. Ptolemy has Syria bounded by Judea on the west, Arabia
Deserta on the east and Arabia Petra on the south.
a. "[Syrian is] Bounded on the south by Judaia [Judea]
according to the line drawn here, to the east, then returns south at the
locality 67°10' . 32°20' and terminates at 68°00' . 31°15' and by part
of Arabia Petraia along the aforementioned limit, up to the limit point at
Arabia Deserta the position of which is 70°30' . 32°00'. On the east the
border is bounded by the line which extends along Arabia Deserta to the
Euphrates river crossing near Thapsakos, where the limit at the Euphrates
is 73°20' . 35°10' thence by the Euphrates river along Mesopotamia, to
the limit of this river at Kappadokia at 71°20' . 38°00'" (Claudius
Ptolemy, Geography 5.15.6-7, translated by Brady Kiesling, 150 AD)
5. Midian and Maknah: located near Al Bad, Saudi Arabia:
a. "The cities and komai in Arabia Felix located in the
interior are the following: Aramaua 67°30' . 29°10' Hostama 69°30' .
29°00' Thapaua 71°40' . 29°00' Makna or Maina [Maknah] 67°00' . 28°45'
Ankale 68°15' . 28°45' Madiama [Midian] 68°00' . 28°15' (Claudius
Ptolemy, Geography 6.7.27, translated by Brady Kiesling, 150 AD)
6. Elusa was a Nabatean controlled town for the trade route
before AD 50 located south of Beersheba:
a. "Of Idoumaia [Nabatean- Arabia Petra], which is all
to the west of the Jordan river: Berzama 64°50' . 31°15'. Kaparorsa
65°30' . 31°15'. Gemmarouris 65°50' . 31°10'. Elousa (Elusa) 65°10' .
30°50'." (Claudius Ptolemy, Geography 5.16.10, translated by Brady
Kiesling, 150 AD)
Conclusion:
1. Ptolemy had a poor understanding of the Sinai Peninsula or the
Gulf of Aqaba despite the fact he was head of the Library of Alexandria.
2. Renaissance map makers could copy Ptolemy's ignorance of the
Gulf of Aqaba which prevented anybody from considering the Gulf of Aqaba as
a Red Sea crossing and Mt. Sinai in Saudi Arabia.
3. This error would persist in maps until c. 1800.
4. Today, scripture indicates that the Gulf of Aqaba is the Red
Sea crossing point at the Straits of Tiran.
By Steve Rudd: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections.
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