Hebrew name for the Tigris, one of the two large rivers of Mesopotamia which, according to Genesis (2:14); flowed from the Garden of Eden. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers that draw their waters from the mountains of Armenia. On its way southwards from Lake Van it receives some large tributaries, the most important of which are the Greater and Lesser Zab and the Diyala. In early times the courses of the Tigris and the Euphrates were separate – their confluence before they flow into the Persian Gulf is quite recent. The Tigris has a greater volume of water than the Euphrates and flows faster, so that no upstream navigation was possible. The prosperous cities of Nineveh, Calah and Ashur flourished along its shores.
Concordance
Gen 2:14
