the 127 jurisdictional districts of the Persian Empire. (Esther 1:1; 3:8) Even certain descendants of the exiles still found positions high in government office: for example, Mordecai and Esther under the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I), and Nehemiah as royal cupbearer to Artaxerxes I. (Esther 9:29-31; 10:2, 3; Neh. 1:11) Ezra, when compiling Chronicles, wrote that many of those dispersed in various eastern cities “continue until this day” (c. 460 B.C.E.). (1 Chron. 5:26) With the rise of the Grecian Empire, a considerable number of Jews was brought by Alexander the Great to his new Egyptian city of Alexandria, where they learned to speak Greek. It was there that translating the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek to produce the Septuagint Version was begun in the third century B.C.E. The Syro-Egyptian wars brought about the transferal of many Jews into Asia Minor and into Egypt respectively. Pompey, upon conquering Jerusalem in 63 B.C.E., took Jews to Rome as slaves.

The great dispersion of Jews throughout the Roman Empire was a factor contributing to the rapid spread of Christianity. Jesus Christ limited his own preaching to the soil of Palestine, but commanded his followers to reach out and spread their ministry “to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Jews from different parts of the Roman Empire were in Jerusalem attending the Pentecost festival in 33 C.E., and heard the spirit-begotten Christians preaching about Jesus in the languages of Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pontus, the district of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Crete, Arabia and Rome. Thousands, upon returning to their lands, took with them their newly found Christianity. (Acts 2:1-11) In most of the cities Paul visited he found synagogues where he could readily speak to Jews of the Dispersion. In Lystra Paul met Timothy, whose mother was a Jewess. Aquila and Priscilla were newly arrived from Rome when Paul got to Corinth, c. 50 C.E. (Acts 13:14; 14:1; 16:1; 17:1, 2; 18:1, 2, 7; 19:8) The great numbers of Jews in Babylon made it worth Peter’s effort to go there to carry on his ministry among “those who are circumcised.” (Gal. 2:8; 1 Pet. 5:13) This community of Jews in Babylon continued as the most important center of Judaism for quite some time after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.

CARCHEMISH

(Carʹche·mish).

An important trade center situated on the W bank of the upper Euphrates at one of the main fords of that river. A principal trade route ran from Nineveh up to Haran (only about 55 miles [88.5 kilometers] E of Carchemish), then crossed the Euphrates at Carchemish and continued on to the Orontes valley in Lebanon, from which point other routes led to the Mediterranean or S to Palestine and Egypt. Caravans passing through provided revenue in the form of taxes, and the city evidently became quite wealthy.

Due to its strategic position, both commercially and militarily, control of Carchemish was sought by aggressor kingdoms from early times. Pharaoh Thutmose III (of the middle of the second millennium B.C.E.) obtained plunder from it and Ramses III also records an assault on the city. Ashurnasirpal II (of the ninth century B.C.E.) describes his crossing of the Euphrates on rafts buoyed up with inflated goatskins and claims to have received tribute from the king of Carchemish that included 20 talents of silver, 100 talents of copper, 250 talents of iron, plus gold objects, furniture inlaid with ivory, garments of linen and wool, and other booty.

Carchemish figures in the Biblical account at Isaiah 10:9, where Jehovah foretold the Assyrian attack against Israel and Judah. The boastful Assyrian ruler is described as listing Carchemish among the kingdoms that could not withstand his might. This doubtless refers to the Assyrian conquest of the independent kingdom of Carchemish by Sargon II, a contemporary of King Hezekiah. Thereafter Carchemish was ruled by an Assyrian governor.

Then, after the fall of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, Pharaoh Necho marched through Canaan en route to Carchemish to block the victorious Babylonians from driving W of the Euphrates into Syria and Canaan. King Josiah of Judah unwisely tried to turn the Egyptian forces back at Megiddo and was killed in the attempt (c. 629 B.C.E.). (2 Chron. 35:20-24) About four years later, in 625 B.C.E., a decisive battle was fought at Carchemish between the Egyptian and Babylonian armies. Nebuchadnezzar led the Babylonians to a smashing victory over Pharaoh Necho’s forces and swept over Syria and Canaan. This battle marked the end of Egyptian imperial strength in these regions. The Bible account at Jeremiah 46:2 is paralleled by that of the Babylonian Chronicles (B.M. 21946), both describing the defeat of the Egyptian army.

Excavations have been made at the site of Carchemish at Jerablus on the border of Turkey and Syria, about 63 miles (101.4 kilometers) NE of Aleppo. A large number of documents in the language presently called “Hittite” were found, and it is believed that Carchemish was dominated by the “Empire of Hattusha” for about two centuries during the latter part of the second millennium B.C.E. (See, however, HITTITES.) Also found were reliefs bearing, among other things, the image of a sphinx, as well as the “crux ansata” symbol or ʽankh, indicating strong Egyptian influence.

CARIAN BODYGUARD

(Caʹri·an).

A body of troops that aided Jehoiada in the overthrow of Athaliah and the installation of Jehoash as king of Judah.—2 Ki. 11:4, 13-16, 19.

Many scholars consider the “Carian bodyguard” to be another name for the “Cherethites” (Heb., k^ere·thimʹ), mentioned as serving in the military forces of David and Solomon. In the view of some scholars the Cherethites also functioned as a special bodyguard for these kings. (2 Sam. 8:18; 1 Ki. 1:38; 1 Chron. 18:17) This connection of the Carian bodyguard with the Cherethites is additionally based on the fact that the Masoretic text says “Cherethites” at 2 Samuel 20:23 while its marginal reading has “Carian.”

There is an ancient district of Caria in the SW part of Asia Minor. Certain authorities conjecture that the Philistines migrated to Canaan from that district via the island of Crete. (Amos 9:7) Because Ezekiel 25:16 and Zephaniah 2:5 associate the Cherethites with the Philistines, and because the Septuagint rendering of these texts has “Cretans” instead of Cherethites, some believe that this district of Caria was the original homeland of those in the Carian bodyguard.

While this association of the Carian bodyguard with the Cherethites and with the district of Caria possibly has some basis, a number of lexicographers prefer to treat the Hebrew word as simply meaning “foreigners.”

CARKAS

(Carʹkas).

One of King Ahasuerus’ seven court officials by whom he sent the unheeded demand for Vashti’s presence.—Esther 1:10-12; see COURT OFFICIAL.

CARMEL

(Carʹmel) [orchard or fruitful land].

The name of both a mountain range and a city. The Hebrew word (kar·melʹ), however, is also used to refer to “new grain” (2 Ki. 4:42) or, more frequently, to any fruitful field or orchard.—Isa. 16:10; 32:15; Jer. 2:7.

1. The Carmel range is a wedge-shaped spur of the central mountain range of Canaan, running out therefrom in a N-NW direction with its NW headland coming to within two hundred yards (182.9 meters) of the Mediterranean Sea. The entire range measures some thirty miles (48.3 kilometers) in length, stretching from the Mediterranean down to