RAGES. - In the book of Tobit (4:21; 5:14; 9:3) there is mention of R., a city of the Medes, where Gabael (v.) resided. The Greek text has 'Páγαι or 'Páγαι ('Páγαι in Judg. 1:4), which is closer to the Persian Ragá, identified with Rajj about 13 km southeast of present-day Tehran.

In the recension of the Codex Sinaiticus (5:6) it is stated that it was 2 days' journey from Ecbatana and that it stood on the mountains (cf. 5:8 of the Vulgate).

Those who accept the identification referred to and do not intend to accuse the author of geographical ignorance suppose that the duration of the journey is related to the angelic character of the speaker, not bound by human slowness. Between the two localities a journey of about one week is reckoned, if one wishes to follow the custom of the ancients, who knew no faster means than an ordinary mount. It is possible, moreover, that the statement is due to an error that entered into the manuscript transmission despite the great authority attributed to the Codex Sinaiticus. R. is also mentioned in the Avesta and in ancient historical and geographical authors. It was destroyed in 462 by the Arabs and then by an earthquake in 853.

Bibliography

BIBL.: F. H. Weissbach, Raga, in Pauly-Wissowa, I A. 1 (Stuttgart 1914), coll. 125-27.

Angelo Penna

@incollection{ec10_rages, author = {Penna, Angelo}, title = {Rages}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {X}, pages = {486}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1953}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/rages} }

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