RAGES. - In the book of Tobit (4, 21; 5, 14; 9, 3) mention is made of R., a city of the Medes, GELSO (v.) resided. The Greek text has 'Páγαι or 'Páγαι ('Páγαι in Iud. 1, 4), which comes closer to the Persian Ragá, identified with Rajj, about 13 km south-east of present-day Teheran.
In the recension of the Cod. sinaitico (5, 6) it is stated that it was 2 days’ journey from Echatana and that it stood in the mountains (cf. 5, 8 of the Vulg.).
Those who accept the identification mentioned above and do not wish to accuse the author of geographical ignorance suppose that the duration of the journey is related to the angelic character of the speaker, who was not bound by human slowness. Between the two localities the journey is reckoned at about one week, if one follows 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 introduced in the manuscript transmission, notwithstanding the great authority attributed to the Cod. sinaitico. R. is also mentioned in the Avesta and in ancient historical and geographical authors. It was destroyed in 462 by the Arabs and subsequently by an earthquake in 853.