HIDDEKEL &PIM ; TlypcsandTlypLs 'ESSerca; Trgris and Tigris), the third river of Eden, de. scribed in Gen. ii. 14. a.s flowing to the east of Assyria, clit.”,t nnip), or it may be translated ',awards the east of Assyria.' It is also mentioned by Daniel, who saw one of his wondrous visions as he stood by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel' (x. 4). The translators of the Septua gint identify this river with the Tigris ; and so also does Jerome. There can be no doubt that they are correct. The name suggests the identity.
The Aramaean name of the Tigris is N5rl, Digla, and the Arabic The IIebrew name 57111 appears to be compounded of 111, active,' and 971, the common name. Disk was easily trans formed by the Greeks into Tigris ; or perhaps the latter was the Persian foim, derived from the word Tigra, 'an arrow.' Pliny says, as soon as this river begins to flow, though with a slow current, it has the name Disfito. When its course becomes more rapid it assumes the name Tigris, given to it on account of its swiftness, that word signifying an arrow' in the Median language' (vi. 27). To the same effect Strabo writes (xi. 14. 8). Josephus states that the word Tigris, or Diglath, signifies what is swift, with narrowness' (Antiy. i. T. 3). The great rapidity of the current appears to have sug gested the name.
The Tigris is often mentioned by classic writers. Pliny gives the fullest description ; but the notices of Herodotus (v. 22), Strabo (xi. 14), and Xeno phon (Anab. iv. 1. 3) supply some important de tails. The river has several sources amongthe moun tains of Arminia. Those of the eastern branch were discovered by Layard, south of Lake Van (Lavard Min. and b'abylan, 420); the highest source of thu western branch is only a few miles distant from the Euphrates. The Tigris flows at first eastward,
then gradually turns to the south-east ; and after a tortuous course of more than 2oo miles through a wild mountainous region, it passes by a sublime ravine into the plain of Assyria (Layard, p. 51). It then sweeps past the great mounds of Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calah, and other primeval citiex—still retaining its rapidity, and frequently breaking over rocky barriers and artificial dams. At length, near the old town of Tekrit, Too miles below Mosul, it enters the low plain of -Mesopotamia. Here its waters were formerly drawn off by canals for irrigation. The stream is now sluggish, and the banks are fringed with thick jungles. It flows on through the palm groves of Baghdad, laving the walls of the decaying city. It is here only about 3o miles from the Euphrates. The two sister rivers run parallel for Too miles or more ; and then the Tigris sweeps round to the eastward, through the marshy plains of Elam, and turning south unites with the Euphrates at Kornai]. The river formed by the junction is called Shot el-Arab. It flows in a south-eastern course, through swamps and deso late plains, to Busmh and the Persian Gulf.
The Tigris is navigable for small vessels as high np as Tekrit—nearly 5oo miles ; and a channel could easily be formed to -Mosul. But the indiffe rence and neglect of the Turkish government leave the river useless, and the magnificent country sur rounding it a desert (Layard, p. 475). In addition to the authors already cited, descriptions of the Tigris are given in Rich's Koordisian ; Chesney's Euphrales Expedition ;Rawlinson'sAncient Monar chies, vol. i. —J. L. P.