Ashkenaz

The name Ashkenaz (Hebrew אשכְּנז ) called Germany in medieval rabbinic literature. After 10.3 EU Genesis Ashkenaz was a son of Gomer and grandson of Japheth, but no further details are given about the.

In the book of Jeremiah 51.27 LUT the Kingdom Ashkenaz is asked to attack together with the kingdoms of Ararat ( Urartu ) and Minnie ( Mannaeans ) Babylon and destroy:

" Consecrate the nations to battle against the city of Babylon! Gets together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz! Collect men of war against them, bringing horses to come up, numerous as locusts! "

The corresponding text appears to have been formulated after 594 BC. With the biblical kingdom of Ashkenaz are meant probably Scythians. The shape Ashkenaz is presumably based on a confusion of the Hebrew characters Vav ( for " u" ) and Now. The Assyrian form was (A) š -ku -za -a and (I ) š -ku -za -a, which corresponds to the Greek Skythai. The Scythians were neighbors and allies of the Mannaeans ( later the Assyrians ) and repeatedly attacked the kingdom of Urartu to. However, the adoption of a clerical error is necessary for this thesis. This led to another identification with those referred to in Greek sources Askanioi, ie Phrygians. In this case, however, the word part -as remains problematic, which is explained as Gentilizium the Lycian language.

In the Jewish tradition Aschkenaus applies since the Middle Ages as the progenitor of the Germans, which is possibly due to an earlier association of his father Gomer with the Germans. The Hebrew word Ashkenazi Jews (descendants of Ashkenaz ) was mostly used in the sense of " Headquartered in German space group of the Jews".

An equation of Ashkenaz with the Germans can be found in the 19th century, among others, Karl August Wilhelm Knobel, who wants to derive the name of the Aesir from Ashkenaz.