Various Traditions no.6 by Yair Davidiy   THE HIBERI          The Irish accounts of groups that immigrated into Ireland usually end with the Milesians from whom came part of the Scotts. The Milesians are also known as Hiberi, Iberi, Gaedhal, Gaeli, and Scotti, and these are all names of various ancestors. This group was the last to arrive and considered the most numerous and dominant. They were named after Mile versions of whose name are Nile and Bile and some authorities consider Bile to be the ORIGINAL and to explain his name to represent the "Dis pater" i.e. "god of the dead" who according to Roman accounts was worshipped by the people of Gaul.          There are several versions concerning how the Milesians came to Ireland but all of them more or less follow the same pattern and are compatible with similar early British versions concerning the Scotti.    [The Scotti who settled in Scotland came from Ireland and are considered a branch of the Hiberi Milesians].          In general, the accounts claim that a Scythian (named "Fennius Farsa" or something similar) ruling somewhere near Greece was deprived of his throne and went to live in Egypt. His son (Niul) married Scotta daughter of Pharoah and from their union came Goide.          The name of Scotta daughter of Pharoah seems to be recalled in every known account. Historically the Kings of Egypt very rarely gave their daughters to outsiders but it is recorded that Solomon king of Israel married a daughter of Pharoah. Also Moses the deliverer and Lawgiver of Israel as a child had been adopted by a daughter of Pharoah. In Talmudic tradition the foster-mother of Moses was the same "Batya" daughter of Pharoah who later married Mered (1-Chronicles 4;18) from the Tribe of Judah*. According to Talmudic tradition (Megilla 13, Lev.Rabah 1;3) "Mered" is another name for Caleb, son of Yefunei, the Kenazzi, a Prince of Judah (Numbers 13;6). Caleb, says the Talmud, married "Batya" the daughter of Pharoah who had rescued and raised  Moses.          Some descendants of Caleb, the "Chelubai" (1-Chronicles 2;9) are traceable to Chalybonitis40 and to the "Chalybe" people. Chalybonitis was in northwest Syria. [It was in an area associated with the Iari descendants of Yair who himself (1-Chronicles 2;22) was a son of Segub son of Hezron ancestor (or "father") of Caleb*41: The eponymous ancestor IAR was later recalled in place-names of Ireland and Scotland]. The Chalybes (descendants of Caleb) after the Israelite exile were to be reported in areas of Ten Tribes settlement. In the Pontus (on the southeast shores of the Black Sea) and Caucasus the Chalybes were famous metallurgists considered as of Cimmerian origin and recalled by Greek Chroniclers such as Xenophon. A people of similar name (i.e. the "Calybes") who were also famous as metal-workers were later reported of in the Galatian area of northwest Spain. The family name of Chaleb was "Kenazi" which name connotes "metalworker"43. Justin (44;3) said that the Calybes were skilled metallurgists who had been situated in the Galatian area of northwest Spain. From Galatia ("Galacia") in Spain Celts identified with the Milesian-Hiberi migrated to Ireland and from there to Britain. The legend of the Milesians that one of their ancestors had been married to the daughter of Pharoah may be connected with the presence of "Chalybes" (or "Calybes") descendants of Caleb from Judah amongst them*.   Index Home