The Scythians were a group of ancient nomadic tribes known for their skills in horseback riding and warfare. They inhabited the region known as Scythia, which extended across the Eurasian steppes, covering parts of modern-day Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The Scythians are mentioned in the Bible in the context of the New Testament, specifically in the Apostle Paul's writings.

Biblical Reference:

The primary biblical reference to the Scythians is found in the New Testament, in the Apostle Paul's letter to the Colossians. In Colossians 3:11 , Paul writes: "Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all." This verse highlights the inclusivity of the Christian message, emphasizing that in Christ, cultural and social distinctions are transcended. The mention of Scythians alongside Greeks, Jews, and others underscores the diversity of the early Christian community and the universal reach of the Gospel.

Historical Context:

The Scythians were known for their fierce and warlike nature, often depicted as barbarians by the Greeks and other ancient civilizations. They were skilled horsemen and archers, which made them formidable opponents in battle. The Scythians' reputation for brutality and their nomadic lifestyle contributed to their portrayal as outsiders and barbarians in the ancient world.

Despite their fearsome reputation, the Scythians also engaged in trade and cultural exchanges with neighboring civilizations. They were known to have interactions with the Greeks, Persians, and other peoples of the ancient Near East. These interactions likely influenced the perception of Scythians in the biblical text, where they are mentioned as part of a broader list of diverse groups.

Theological Significance:

In the context of Colossians 3:11, the mention of Scythians serves to illustrate the radical inclusivity of the Christian faith. The early church was a melting pot of different cultures, ethnicities, and social classes, united by their faith in Christ. By including Scythians in his list, Paul emphasizes that even those considered the most barbaric or uncivilized by contemporary standards are welcomed into the body of Christ.

This message of unity and equality in Christ is a central theme in Paul's writings and reflects the transformative power of the Gospel. The inclusion of Scythians in the biblical narrative serves as a reminder that the love of Christ knows no boundaries and that all are invited to partake in the new life offered through faith.

Cultural Impact:

The Scythians, as part of the broader tapestry of ancient peoples, contribute to our understanding of the cultural and social dynamics of the biblical world. Their presence in the biblical text highlights the diverse and interconnected nature of the ancient world, where different peoples and cultures interacted and influenced one another.

In summary, the Scythians, though mentioned briefly in the Bible, represent the far-reaching and inclusive nature of the Christian message. Their inclusion in the Apostle Paul's writings serves as a testament to the transformative and unifying power of the Gospel, which transcends cultural and social barriers.Scythians

Wandering tribes in the immense regions north and northeast of the Black and Caspian Seas. They are said by Herodotus to have made an incursion into Southwestern Asia and Egypt, some seven hundred years before Christ; and it was perhaps a fragment of this host, located at Bethshean, which gave that city its classical name Scythopolis. In Colossians 3:11, "Scythian" appears to signify the rudest of barbarians.

SCYTHIANS

sith'-i-anz (hoi Skuthai): The word does not occur in the Hebrew of the Old Testament, but Septuagint of Judges 1:27 inserts (Skuthon polis (Scythopolis), in explanation, as being the same as Beth-shean. The same occurs in Apocrypha (Judith 3:10; 1 Maccabees 12:29), and the Scythians as a people in 2 Maccabees 4:47, and the adjective in 3 Maccabees 7:5. The people are also mentioned in the New Testament (Colossians 3:11), where, as in Maccabees, the fact that they were barbarians is implied. This is clearly set forth in classical writers, and the description of them given by Herodotus in book iv of his history represents a race of savages, inhabiting a region of rather indefinite boundaries, north of the Black and Caspian seas and the Caucasus Mountains. They were nomads who neither plowed nor sowed (iv.19), moving about in wagons and carrying their dwellings with them (ibid. 46); they had the most filthy habits and never washed in water (ibid. 75); they drank the blood of the first enemy killed in battle, and made napkins of the scalps and drinking bowls of the skulls of the slain (ibid. 64-65). Their deities were many of them identified with those of the Greeks, but the most characteristic rite was the worship of the naked sword (ibid. 62), and they sacrificed every hundredth man taken in war to this deity. War was their chief business, and they were a terrible scourge to the nations of Western Asia. They broke through the barrier of the Caucasus in 632 B.C. and swept down like a swarm of locusts upon Media and Assyria, turning the fruitful fields into a desert; pushing across Mesopotamia, they ravaged Syria and were about to invade Egypt when Psammitichus I, who was besieging Ashdod, bought them off by rich gifts, but they remained in Western Asia for 28 years, according to Herodotus. It is supposed that a company of them settled in Beth-shean, and from this circumstance it received the name Scythopolis. Various branches of the race appeared at different times, among the most noted of which were the PARTHIANS (which see).

H. Porter

3098. Magog -- Magog, a foreign nation
... Magog Definition: (Hebrew), Magog, sometimes as name of a people, sometimes as name
of a country in the Old Testament, probably the Scythians; hence: used in ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3098.htm - 6k

Oracles on the Scythians. (With Some Others: iv. 5-vi. 29. )
... 2. Oracles on the Scythians. ... It is indeed doubtful that Judah was visited by the
Scythians, who appear to have swept only the maritime plain of Palestine. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/2 oracles on the scythians.htm

Of his Care for the Scythians and his Zeal against the Marcionists
... Book V. Chapter XXXI."Of his care for the Scythians and his zeal against the
Marcionists. On learning that some of the Nomads encamped ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/chapter xxxi of his care for.htm

Conquest of the Scythians Defeated through the Sign of Our Saviour ...
... Book IV. Chapter V."Conquest of the Scythians defeated through the Sign
of Our Saviour. And why should I relate even briefly and ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter v conquest of the scythians.htm

List of the Places in which the Nicene Doctrines were Represented ...
... Chapter XXI."List of the Places in which the Nicene Doctrines were Represented;
Faith manifested by the Scythians; Vetranio, the Leader of this Race. ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/chapter xxi list of the places.htm

To this Our Answer Is, that if the Scythians...
... Chapter LXIII. To this our answer is, that if the Scythians? To this
our answer is, that if the Scythians, the nomadic tribes ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lxiii to this our.htm

Peter, Having Returned from Rome, Regains the Churches of Egypt ...
... XXXIX."Peter, having returned from Rome, regains the Churches of Egypt, after Lucius
had given way; Expedition of Valens into the West against the Scythians. ...
/.../chapter xxxix peter having returned from.htm

Appendix I.
... Appendix I. MEDES AND SCYTHIANS (PP.73, 110). It is very difficult, if
not impossible, to give a correct account of the national ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/appendix i.htm

In the Next Place, Speaking of those who Employ the Arts of Magic ...
... same things, [4475] perform marvels before those who are ignorant that the names
of demons among the Greeks are different from what they are among the Scythians ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter xxxix in the next.htm

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
... when his initial attempts to institute satrapies had taught him not only the condition
and needs of Asia Minor, but of the teaching the Scythians such a lesson ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of 2.htm

Book 11 Footnotes
... [4] Josephus here follows Herodotus, and those that related how Cyrus made war with
the Scythians and Massagets, near the Caspian Sea, and perished in it ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 11 footnotes.htm

Scythians
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia SCYTHIANS. sith'-i-anz (hoi Skuthai):
The word does not occur in the Hebrew of the Old Testament ...
/s/scythians.htm - 8k

Zephaniah (11 Occurrences)
... But the only foes of Judah during the latter part of the 7th century meeting all
the conditions are the Scythians, who swept over Western Asia about 625 BC At ...
/z/zephaniah.htm - 32k

Beth-shean (5 Occurrences)
... After the Captivity it was called Scythopolis, ie, "the city of the Scythians,"
who about BC 640 came down from the steppes of Southern Russia and settled in ...
/b/beth-shean.htm - 11k

Bethshean (5 Occurrences)
... After the Captivity it was called Scythopolis, ie, "the city of the Scythians,"
who about BC 640 came down from the steppes of Southern Russia and settled in ...
/b/bethshean.htm - 11k

Scythian (1 Occurrence)
... The Scythians consisted of "all the pastoral tribes who dwelt to the north of the
Black Sea and the Caspian, and were scattered far away toward the east. ...
/s/scythian.htm - 7k

Nahum (3 Occurrences)
... 650-648 BC (2) The Invasion of 625 BC: The invasion of Assyria and threatened attack
upon Nineveh by some unknown foe, perhaps the Scythians, about 625 BC (3 ...
/n/nahum.htm - 21k

Jeremiah (141 Occurrences)
... It is often thought, that, in the earlier years of his career, Jeremiah had in mind
the Scythians when he spoke of the enemies from the North, especially in ...
/j/jeremiah.htm - 75k

Kittim (8 Occurrences)
... Referring to the plundering of the temple of Aphrodite at Askalon by the Scythians
(i.105), he states that her temple in Cyprus was an offshoot from that ...
/k/kittim.htm - 15k

Gomer (7 Occurrences)
... In the seventh century BC they were driven out of their original seat by the Scythians,
and overran western Asia Minor, whence they were afterwards expelled. ...
/g/gomer.htm - 11k

Rosh (5 Occurrences)
... Herodotus, the Greek historian, says: "For twenty-eight years the Scythians ruled
over Asia, and things were turned upside down by their violence and contempt ...
/r/rosh.htm - 11k

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