Mash

Mash ("drawn out") or Meshech ("drawing out") was the fourth son of son of::Aram, the son of Shem, according to. He was also the brother of brother of::Uz, brother of::Hul, and brother of::Gether.

Descendants
Josephus informs us that "Mesa (Mash) founded the Mesaneans", which is identified as Charax Spasini. A branch of Mash, Mesa or Mœsa settled in Asia Minor at one time, occupying the land of Mashi near Moschi (Meshech, son of Japheth). In the Assyrian inscriptions mention is made of the land of Masmash. And the terrible Assyrian king Sargon said that he conquered Mas for a time. In fact, in 1 Chronicles 1:17, Mash is called Meshech. Dr. Robert Gayre writes that they came down from Mt. Masius (or Masius Mons) near the eastern Taurus in the upper basin of the Taurus. Carchemish may take its name from Mash also.

Evidence of Mash in Pakistan can be seen in names like "Mashkel Desert" or "Meshed." A Persian name for Persia was "Parsamash."One may assume that they ended up dwelling amongst the Elamites, as the Massagetæ tribe. When they migrated with the Elamites into Southern Russia they became known as Massagetæ or Massagetai. Professor Herbert Bruce Hannay states that the prefix "Massa" or "Maz" as he also spells it, is an old Persian word for "great." Dr. Pilkey believes they (the Massagetæ) were amongst the Sarmatians. Now, this is interesting for more orthodox historians make mention of the tribe of Mæotians dwelling amongst the Sarmatians. The Sea of Azov itself was named Mæotis after them. They migrated into Europe as the Mysians and Mœsians, becoming known as Masowians or Mazovians or Kurpie. They live in Poland around Warsaw and toward the former Soviet border—and according to one expert, were known as the Mazurs originally. Some anthropologists relate them to the Belarusians for they are neo-Nordics and there has been some intermarriage between the two stocks because they live adjacent to each other.

One branch must have remained with the Moschi (Meshech) in Asia Minor (where we find the town of Mush) and migrated with them for we have today a people to the north-west of Moscow known as the Zyrians, Sirians, Syryenians or Komi. The town of Maschk-owa near Tula where they live may be named after them as well the Mesha River in Russia. They are often regarded as "proto-Nordic" with blond hair and grey eyes. Although many Great Russians have moved into their land since its industrialization in the post-World War II era, the Zyrians are still there to this day.

The very fact that Mash is called Meshech in 1 Chronicles indicates that they were in all probability closely inter-related and lived in proximity to one-another, even in ancient times. Why Mash dwells next to Meshech and not in western or central Europe is unknown. It may be that Mash married a descendant of Meshech or Riphath or by dwelling next to them, his descendants married into that line.