Madai

This article is about the Hebrew biblical figure. For the fish, seePagrus major.

Madai(Hebrew:מָדַי,pronounced[maˈdaj];Greek:Μηδος,[mɛːˈdos]) is a son ofJaphethand one of the 16 grandsons ofNoahin theBook of Genesisof theHebrew Bible.

Associated nations

Medes and related Iranian nations

Biblical scholars have generally identified Madai with the IranianMedesof much later records. The Medes, reckoned to be his offspring byJosephusand most subsequent writers, were also known asMadai,including in bothAssyrianandHebrewsources.

Also linked with Madai is theIraniancity ofHamadan.

TheKurdsandBalochsstill maintain traditions of descent from Madai.

Others

Some scholars in more modern times have also proposed connections with various earlier nations, such asMitanni,Matiene,andMannai.

In the Book of Jubilees

According to theBook of Jubilees(10:35-36), Madai had married a daughter ofShem,and preferred to live among Shem's descendants, rather than dwell in his allotted inheritance beyond theBlack Sea(seemingly corresponding to theBritish Isles),so he begged his brothers-in-law,Elam,AsshurandArphaxad,until he finally received from them the land that was named after him, Media.

Another line inJubilees(8:5) states that a daughter of Madai named Milcah (Aramaic:Melkâ) marriedCainan,who is an ancestor ofAbrahamalso mentioned in theSeptuagintversion of Genesis and in theGospel of Luke(3:36).

Purported link with Medos and Medea

Medos(Μηδος), and his motherMedea,were also reckoned to be the ancestors of the Medes in classical Greek mythical history. Christian scholars have proposed linking HebrewMadaiand GreekMedossince at least the time ofIsidore of Seville[Etym9.2.28], ca. 600 AD.