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Bible Encyclopedias
Chittim
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
or Chit′tim, or Kittim, a branch of the descendants of Javan, the son of Japheth (). On the authority of Josephus, who is followed by Epiphanius and Jerome, it has been generally admitted that the Chittim migrated from Phoenicia to Cyprus, and founded there the town of Citium, the modern Chitti. 'Chethimus possessed the island of Chethima, which is now called Cyprus, and from this, all islands and maritime places are called Chethim by the Hebrews.' Cicero, it may be remarked, speaks of the Citians as a Phoenician colony. Some passages in the prophets (;; ) imply an intimate connection between Chittim and Tyre. At a later period the name was applied to the Macedonians. Hengstenberg has lately endeavored to prove that in every passage in the Old Testament where the word occurs, it means Cyprus, or the Cyprians.
After a careful examination of the works in which this point is discussed, the writer is disposed to acquiesce in the opinion expressed by the editor of the Pictorial Bible: 'Chittim seems to be a name of large signification (such as our Levant), applied to the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean, in a loose sense, without fixing the particular part, though particular and different parts of the whole are probably in most cases to be understood' (verse notes on ).
Public Domain.
Kitto, John, ed. Entry for 'Chittim'. "Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature". https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/kbe/c/chittim.html.
