Midas - Possible Connection To Biblical Madai

Possible Connection To Biblical Madai

The Biblical Madai, son of Japheth, might have originally been a reference to Midas and the Phrygians. In the Book of Jubilees, when the world was divided among Noah's sons and grandsons, Madai initially received the region east of "Lud" (Lydia) and north of Tubal (Tabal, corresponding to Lycia and western Pamphylia). However, Madai then decided he didn't like the area and asked the sons of Shem to let him resettle in Medea, which was in their region. This tale might have been intended only to explain why Madai was the only son of Japheth whose descendants, the Medes, did not live in Anatolia, the islands near it, or the South Caucasus. Or, the tale of Madai's original inheritance in Phrygia might preserve an older tradition of identifying Madai with Midas and the Phrygians.