Origins of the Saxon Peoples

The word “Armenia” occurs twice in the King James Bible (2 Kings 19:37 and Isa. 37:38). It does not appear in other versions (NRSV, NIV, NKJV). The Hebrew word for Armenia is “Ararat.” Ararat was the name of a part of Armenia. Three provinces of this land are mentioned in Jer. 51:27,  Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Some people think Minni is a contraction of Armenia. The Jewish culture centered in Germany was called Ashkenazi from the Armenian region of Ashkenaz. Some have speculated that the name was adopted as rabbinical name for Germany in the 11^th century, perhaps because of phonic resemblance to ‘Saxonia’ or to the name of the presumed Germanic homeland in ‘Scania’. Some Christian Evangelists believe that ancient Israelite tribes migrated through Armenia to settle in Europe. It is well known that “The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle”, written around 800 AD, traces the origins of the Saxon peoples to Armenia.

The word “Armenia” occurs twice in the King James Bible (2 Kings 19:37 and Isa. 37:38). It does not appear in other versions (NRSV, NIV, NKJV). The Hebrew word for Armenia is “Ararat.” Ararat was the name of a part of Armenia. Three provinces of this land are mentioned in Jer. 51:27,  Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Some people think Minni is a contraction of Armenia. The Jewish culture centered in Germany was called Ashkenazi from the Armenian region of Ashkenaz. Some have speculated that the name was adopted as rabbinical name for Germany in the 11^th century, perhaps because of phonic resemblance to ‘Saxonia’ or to the name of the presumed Germanic homeland in ‘Scania’. Some Christian Evangelists believe that ancient Israelite tribes migrated through Armenia to settle in Europe. It is well known that “The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle”, written around 800 AD, traces the origins of the Saxon peoples to Armenia.