Overview:
Rages, also known as Rhagae or Ragau, is an ancient city mentioned in the Apocryphal Book of Tobit. It is located in the region of Media, which is part of modern-day Iran. The city holds significance in the narrative of Tobit, a Jewish exile living in Nineveh, and his son Tobias.

Biblical References:
Rages is primarily referenced in the Book of Tobit, which is part of the Apocrypha and is included in the canon of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. In Tobit 1:14, Tobit mentions that he deposited ten talents of silver in trust with Gabael, the son of Gabri, in Rages of Media. This deposit becomes a central element in the account as Tobias is later sent to retrieve it.

Historical and Geographical Context:
Rages was an important city in the ancient Median Empire, strategically located along trade routes. It was known for its fortifications and served as a key commercial and cultural hub. The city is identified with modern-day Ray, near Tehran, Iran. Historically, Rages was a significant center during the Achaemenid and Parthian periods, and it continued to be influential in the Sassanian era.

Cultural and Religious Significance:
In the narrative of Tobit, Rages represents a place of trust and fulfillment of familial duty. The journey of Tobias to Rages is not only a physical journey but also a spiritual one, where he learns about faith, divine providence, and the importance of family obligations. The city serves as a backdrop for the unfolding of God's plan in the lives of Tobit and his family.

Theological Themes:
The account involving Rages highlights themes of faithfulness, divine guidance, and the importance of fulfilling one's promises. Tobit's trust in Gabael and the subsequent retrieval of the silver by Tobias underscore the value of integrity and the belief in God's provision. The journey to Rages is marked by divine intervention, as seen in the guidance provided by the angel Raphael, who accompanies Tobias.

Archaeological Insights:
While direct archaeological evidence linking the ancient city of Rages to the biblical narrative is limited, the historical city of Ray has been extensively studied. Excavations have revealed artifacts and structures that attest to its historical significance and its role as a major urban center in ancient Persia.

Conclusion:
Rages, as depicted in the Book of Tobit, serves as a testament to the enduring themes of faith, trust, and divine providence. Its historical and geographical context enriches the narrative, providing a backdrop for the spiritual lessons imparted through the experiences of Tobit and Tobias.Rages

an important city in northeastern Media, where that country bordered its ruins, still known by the name of Rhey , lie about five miles southeast of Teheran.

RAGES; RAGAU

ra'-jez, ra'-go

1. Location:

("Rages," Tobit 1:14; 4:1, 20; 5:05; 6:9, 12; 9:02; "Ragau," Judith 1:5, 15; Rhagai, Rhaga, Rhage, Rhagau; in Darius' Behistun Inscriptions, II, 71, 72, Raga, a province; in Avesta, Vend. I, 15, Ragha, city and province; perhaps, "the excellent"): In Eastern Media, one forced march from Caspian Gates, 11 days' journey from Ecbatana, 5 1/2 miles South of present Tehran; the capital of the province of the same name, though by Ptolemy called Rhagiana.

2. History:

(1) Ancient.

A very ancient city, the traditional birthplace of Zoroaster (Zarathustra; Pahlavi Vendidad, Zad sparad XVI, 12, and Dabistan i Mazahib). In Yasna XIX, 18, of the Avesta, it is thus mentioned: "The Zoroastrian, four-chief-possessing Ragha, hers are the royal chiefs, both the house-chief, the village-chief, and the town-chief: Zoroaster is the fourth." In Vend. I, 15: "As the tenth, the best of both districts and cities, I, who am Ahura Mazda, did create Ragha, which possesses the three classes," i.e. fire-priests, charioteers, husbandmen. Later it was the religious center of magism. A large colony of captive Israelites settled there. Destroyed in Alexander's time, it was rebuilt by Seleucus Nicator (circa 300 B.C.), who named it Europos. Later, Arsaces restored it and named it Arsacia.

(2) Medieval.

In the early Middle Ages Ragha, then called Rai, was a great literary and often political center with a large population. It was the birthplace of Harun'al Rashid (763 A.D.). It was seized and plundered (1029 A.D.) by Sultan Machmud, but became Tughril's capital. In the Vis o Roman (circa 1048 A.D.) it is an important place, 10 days journey across the Kavir desert from Merv. It was a small provincial town in about 1220 A.D. It was sacked by Mongols in 1220 A.D. and entirely destroyed under Ghazan Khan circa 1295. A Zoroastrian community lived there in 1278 A.D., one of whom composed the Zardtusht-Namah. (3) Present Condition.

Near the ruins there now stands the village of Shah Abdu'l 'Acim, connected with Tehran by the only railway in Persia (opened in 1888).

LITERATURE

Ptolemy, Diodorus Siculus, Pliny, Strabo; Ibnu'l Athir, Jami'u t Tawarikh, Tarikh i Jahan-gusha Yaqut; Justi, Iranisches Namenbuch; E.G. Browne, Literary Hist of Persia; modern travelers.

W. St. Clair Tisdall

7264. ragaz -- to be agitated, quiver, quake, be excited ...
... 1), deeply moved (1), disturbed (2), enraged (1), excited (1), moved (1), provoke
(1), quake (1), quaked (2), quakes (2), quarrel (1), rages (1), raging (4 ...
/hebrew/7264.htm - 6k

6231. ashaq -- to oppress, wrong, extort
... 1), defrauded (2), extorted (1), got (1), laden (1), oppress (11), oppressed (9),
oppresses (3), oppressor (2), oppressors (2), practiced (2), rages (1), rob (1 ...
/hebrew/6231.htm - 6k

2196. zaaph -- to be vexed, be enraged
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to be vexed, be enraged NASB Word Usage
dejected (1), enraged (2), looking...haggard (1), rages (1). ...
/hebrew/2196.htm - 6k

Of the Cruelty of the Heathens against the Christians.
... For the fury of all wild beasts rages until their appetite is satisfied;
and when their hunger is appeased, immediately is pacified. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xi of the cruelty of.htm

Appendix. The Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament.
... With Enemessar he was in favor, became his purveyor, and was able to deposit
ten talents of silver with Gabael at Rages, a city of Media. ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/appendix the apocryphal books of.htm

Here Followeth the History of Tobit
... When he came on a time in Rages, city of the Jews, he had such gifts as he
had been honored with of the king, ten besants of silver. ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here followeth the history of 2.htm

Treatise x. On Jealousy and Envy.
... Thenceforth envy rages on the earth, in that he who is about to perish by jealousy
obeys the author of his ruin, imitating the devil in his jealousy; as it is ...
/.../cyprian/the treatises of cyprian/treatise x on jealousy and.htm

Psalm LXXXIX.
... The enemy rages indeed but he shall not be able to do Him violence: he is wont
to hurt, but he shall not hurt. How then shall he afflict Him? ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxxix.htm

Thou Shalt not Commit Adultery.
... It rages in all our members: in the thoughts of our hearts, in the seeing of our
eyes, in the hearing of our ears, in the words of our mouth, in the works of ...
/.../luther/a treatise on good works/thou shalt not commit adultery.htm

Judas Hangs Himself.
... The guilty deed fails not to win its wages, The guiltless blood he sold cries from
the ground; Driven to madness by the worm that rages And scourged by furies ...
/.../stead/king of the jews/chapter vi judas hangs himself.htm

"Jesus or Barabbas. "
... But round the world's deliverer rages a nation in wrath, Blinded, maddened with
hate, no man among them will rest Till the judge all unwilling Says, "Then take ...
/.../stead/king of the jews/chapter viii jesus or barabbas.htm

The Advance of Xerxes into Greece.
... of the Persian galleys."The monument of stones."Progress of the fleet."The fleet
anchors in a bay."A coming storm."The storm rages."Destruction of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/xerxes/chapter viii the advance of.htm

The Exile Continued.
... He rages at his servants as leagued with David in words which have a most dreary
sound of utter loneliness sighing through all their fierce folly: "All of you ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/the life of david/v the exilecontinued.htm

Rages (5 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia RAGES; RAGAU. ra'-jez ... travelers. W. St. Clair
Tisdall. Multi-Version Concordance Rages (5 Occurrences). Luke ...
/r/rages.htm - 10k

Tobit
... to the ancestral faith, had fallen into similar distress-Raguel, his wife Edna and
his daughter Sarah, who resided at Ecbatana (Vulgate "Rages"; compare Tobit 1 ...
/t/tobit.htm - 34k

Anaharath (1 Occurrence)
... to the ancestral faith, had fallen into similar distress-Raguel, his wife Edna and
his daughter Sarah, who resided at Ecbatana (Vulgate "Rages"; compare Tobit 1 ...
/a/anaharath.htm - 87k

Gabael
... gab'-a-el (Gabael; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 AD) "Gabelus"): (1) An
ancestor of Tobit (APC Tobit 1:1). (2) A poor Jew of Rages, a city of Media ...
/g/gabael.htm - 6k

Ragau (1 Occurrence)
... RAGAU. ra'-go (Rhagau (Westcott-Hort): the King James Version; Greek form of "Reu"
(thus, the Revised Version (British and American)) (Luke 3:35). RAGES; RAGAU. ...
/r/ragau.htm - 9k

Raged (12 Occurrences)

/r/raged.htm - 10k

Overthrown (44 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Luke 11:17 And, knowing their thoughts, He said to them, "Every kingdom in
which civil war rages goes to ruin: family attacks family and is overthrown. ...
/o/overthrown.htm - 20k

Foolishness (30 Occurrences)
... foolishness. (KJV WBS). Proverbs 19:3 The foolishness of man subverts his way;
his heart rages against Yahweh. (WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS NAS). ...
/f/foolishness.htm - 15k

Raphael
... a-el, ra'-fa-el (repha'el, from rapha' 'el, "God has healed"; Rhaphael): The name
of the angel who, as Azarias, guides Tobias to ECBATANA and RAGES (which see ...
/r/raphael.htm - 8k

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