India’s Claim to Bible Fame

Not every country can stake the claim that their country appears on the sacred pages of the Bible. There are many countries in the Bible – Israel, of course, Egypt, Syria, Spain and many others. Some countries are there but under different names. For example Iraq is called Babylon and Iran is called Persia. India is one of those countries that is mentioned by name. Were it not for two references in the book of Esther, as is the case of many, many countries, we would not have seen India’s name mentioned.

Esther 1:1  says “Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces.”

Esther 8:9  adds “Then were the king’s scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.”

These are the only two direct references to India. Those references showed how far the kingdom of the Persian ruler King Ahasuerus extended to. India has reason to be proud that they were mentioned and many so-called Christian nations were not.

Do you know that the Bible also gives data that historians and Bible scholars have used to determine where the peoples of various countries came from? It is called the “Table of Nations” and is found in Genesis 10. Noah had three sons and since only Noah’s family was saved by the Flood being in the Ark, every human who is alive today came from at least one of three family trees. Noah’s three sons were Shem, Ham (not something to eat), and Japheth. Gen. 10:2,5 says of Japheth, one of Noah’s sons:

“The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. (See also 1 Chron. 1:5)

“By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.”

Although this text does not point Japheth out as the father of India, it is commonly agreed by Bible scholars and Bible historians who have access to ancient inscriptions, historical writings and monuments that Indians came through the line of Japheth’s son Madai. The Bible supplied the information on the link between Japheth and Madai and the scholars found out about the link between Madai and the Indians.

The Medes who ruled together with the Persians in the latter days of Daniel and perhaps in the time of Esther as well, are also said to have descended from Madai. The Medes are known by the name “Madai” on Assyrian monuments. So Indians have a rich Biblical heritage as surely thousands of them would be related to the Medo-Persian rulers in the books of Daniel, Ezekiel and Esther and are a big part of Bible prophecies in Dan. 2 (Nebuchadnezzar’s image) as well as prophecies in chapters 7, 8 and 11.

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For more Bible articles see:

Why You Should Study The Book of Revelation (Part One) | Relijournal

Why You Should Study The Book of Revelation (Part One) | Relijournal

How to Understand The Bible (Part One) | Relijournal

How to Understand The Bible (Part Two) | Relijournal