Strabo: Geography
The Geographica by Strabo is really not about geography, but about ruling by deception. One section explains how the public identity of “Jews” was used to display all financial business as belonging to powerless outsiders.
Introduction
The work Geographica by the Greek scholar Strabo is an encyclopedia about different regions & places, listing geographical features such as cities, rivers and coastlines, plus tidbits of their history.
While the descriptions seem mostly true, they are also pun-encrypted, as usual. The topic seems once again to be ruling by deception, perhaps actually about regional differences, though that’s hard to say. It’s very hard to decrypt, because all place names are real, and can be either puns or not.
I have decrypted here a snippet which confirms my initial suspicion that Phoenicians and “Jews” were pretty much the same people, and both not important as a genuine identity for the overlords:
- Apparently, the overlords appeared as “Phoenicians” whenever their naval trade was visible, because they were known for that anyway.
- Whenever financial business was visible, the overlords did it in their disguise as “Jews”, which is also described by Josephus and the Talmudic chapter Shekalim.
- The third identity, not mentioned here, were of course the aristocratic rulers everywhere, who by Strabo’s time were already all Phoenicians or connected to their empire.
So the “Jewish” disguise as foreign oddballs, and the reduction of “Phoenicians” to external naval traders, concealed the fact that all important business had long been usurped by the top layers of the global aristocracy.
Interestingly, Strabo had lived from 64 BC to 24 AD. That was well before the Roman-Jewish war in 70 AD, which pushed many Jews into exile. But officially, Jewish diaspora communities had already existed for many centuries before that. So according to Strabo, the rulers had always used them for their financial business, and probably created them for that. Of course, that’s been left out of the official history books.
How to read this
- In the interlinear word-by-word translation, each word is shown as a little block; each verse is a paragraph of little blocks.
- Use the to choose your level: for secret meaning only, for secret & official English texts, for word-by-word vocabulary, for original text & glyphs.
- Possible pun-encrypted meaning is marked with light red.
- Official meaning is marked with light green.
- Pun vocabulary is in red, whenever the meaning differs. All vocabulary is linked to online dictionaries.
- Please read the introduction, and judge yourself whether I got it right.
- Religious readers should proceed with care.
The Phoenician & Jewish appearances
In foreign countries, the overlords must pretend to be nice.
Geography 16.2.21.a
Encrypted: The whole identity then concerning being foreigners, as it is with being likeable but also handling money business by these two opposites restrained, this appearance “Hollow Smiling” it is called.
Official: The whole land then above Seleucia, as it is against Egypt and Arabia by these two sides restrained, this place “Hollow Syria” it is called.
The whole [identity]
ἁπας hapas: whole, everyone
απασα apasa
ἁπας hapas: whole, everyone
The whole [land]
μεν men: indeed
μεν men
μεν men: indeed
then
ουν oun: therefore, then, in fact
ουν oun
ουν oun: therefore, then, in fact
then
ὁ / ἡ ho / hē: the, he
ἡ hē
ὁ / ἡ ho / hē: the, he
concerning
ὑπερ hyper: concerning
ὑπερ hyper
ὑπερ hyper: over, above
above
ὁ / της ho / tēs: the, he
της tēs
ὁ / της ho / tēs: the, he
[being] foreigners,
σολοικος soloikos: foreigners
Σελευκιδος Seleukidos
Σελευκις Seleukis: Seleucia
Seleucia,
as [it is]
ὡς hōs: like as, just as
ὡς hōs
ὡς hōs: like as, just as
as [it is]
with
επι epi: on, with, against
επι epi
επι epi: on, with, against
against
ὁ / την ho / tēn: the, he
την tēn
ὁ / την ho / tēn: the, he
being likeable
αγαπητος agapētos: beloved, loveable
Αιγυπτον Aigypton
Αιγυπτος Aigyptos: the river Nile
Egypt
but also
και kai: but, also
και kai
και kai: and
and
ὁ / την ho / tēn: the, he
την tēn
ὁ / την ho / tēn: the, he
[handling] money [business?]
αρραβων arrabōn: caution-money, deposits, bribe
Αραβιαν Arabian
Αραπς / Αραβων Araps / Arabōn: Arab, Arabian
Arabia
[by these two opposites] restrained,
ισχω ischō: keep back, restrain
ανισχουσα anischousa
ισχω ischō: keep back, restrain
[by these two sides] restrained,
[this] appearance
χροια chroia: surface, appearance
χωρα chōra
χωρα chōra: land, place, spot
[this] place
“Hollow Smiling”
κοιλος koilos: hollow; σαιρω sairō: smiling, grinning
κοιλη Συρια koilē Syria
κοιλος koilos: hollow; Συρια Syria: Syria
“Hollow Syria”
[it] is called.
καλεω kaleō: call, summon
καλειται kaleitai
καλεω kaleō: call, summon
[it] is called.
Foreign overlords with naval powers appear as “Phoenicians”, those in finance as “Jews”.
Geography 16.2.21.b
Encrypted: But specifically those parts that are for discovery and anti-discovery defined, of those the one remaining part with prosperity as far as being wealthy in naval matters is concerend, “Phoenicians” they are called, narrowly defined as somebody officially only belonging to the sea.
Official: But specifically those parts that are by Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon separated of those the one remaining part from Orthosia as far as Pelusium by the sea, “Phoenicia” it is called, a narrow thing extending along the sea.
[But] specifically
ιδιος idios: specific
ιδιως idiōs
ιδιος idios: specific
[But] specifically
δε de: and, but
δ d
δε de: and, but
those [parts]
ὁ / ἡ ho / hē: the, he
ἡ hē
ὁ / ἡ ho / hē: the, he
those [parts]
[that are for]
ὁ / τω ho / tō: the, he
τω tō
ὁ / τω ho / tō: the, he
[that are by]
discovery
λαμβανω lambanō: catch, discover, detect
Λιβανω Libanō
Λιβανος Libanos: Lebanon, Mount Lebanon
Lebanon
and
και kai: and, also
και kai
και kai: and, also
and
ὁ / τω ho / tō: the, he
τω tō
ὁ / τω ho / tō: the, he
anti-discovery
αντι- anti-: against; λαμβανω lambanō: catch, discover, detect
Αντιλιβανω Antilibanō
Αντιλιβανος Antilibanos: Antilibanus, Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Anti-Lebanon
defined,
αφοριζω aphorizō: determine, define, separate
αφωρισμενη aphōrismenē
αφοριζω aphorizō: determine, define, separate
separated
[of those]
ὁ / της ho / tēs: the, he
της tēs
ὁ / της ho / tēs: the, he
[of those]
δε de: and, but
δε de
δε de: and, but
[the one] remaining [part]
λοιπος loipos: remaining, rest
λοιπης loipēs
λοιπος loipos: remaining, rest
[the one] remaining [part]
ὁ / ἡ ho / hē: the, he
ἡ hē
ὁ / ἡ ho / hē: the, he
μεν men: indeed
μεν men
μεν men: indeed
with
απο apo: from, by, with
απο apo
απο apo: from, by, with
from
prosperity
ορθωσις orthōsis: direction, guiding, prosperity
Ορθωσιας Orthōsias
Ορθωσια Orthōsia: Orthosia
Orthosia
as far as
μεχρι mechri: as far as
μεχρι mechri
μεχρι mechri: as far as
as far as
being wealthy
πλουσιος plousios: rich, wealthy
Πηλουσιου Pēlousiou
Πηλουσιον Pēlousion: Pelusium
Pelusium
[in] naval [matters is concerend?],
παραλος paralos: concerned with the sea, naval, seamen
παραλια paralia
παραλος paralos: by the sea
by the sea,
“Phoenicians”
Φοινικη Phoinikē: Phoenicia
Φοινικη Phoinikē
Φοινικη Phoinikē: Phoenicia
“Phoenicia”
[they] are called,
καλεω kaleō: call, summon
καλειται kaleitai
καλεω kaleō: call, summon
[it] is called,
narrowly [defined]
στενος stenos: narrow, confined, little
στενη stenē
στενος stenos: narrow, strait
a narrow
[as] somebody
τις tis: any thing, somebody
τις tis
τις tis: any thing, somebody
thing
και kai: and, also
και kai
και kai: and, also
[officially only] belonging to the sea.
ἁλς hals: salt, sea; τεινω teinō: stretch
ἁλιτενης halitenēs
ἁλς hals: salt, sea; τεινω teinō: extend to, belong to
extending [along] the sea.
Geography 16.2.21.c
Encrypted: The other one, placed above this first one in the middle of other lands as far as money business is concerend, in the middle of handling large sums and being against discovery, “Jews” they are called.
Official: The other one, placed above this first one in the middle of the country as far as Arabia going, in the middle of Gaza and Antilibanus, “Judaea” it is called.
The
ὁ / ἡ ho / hē: the, he
ἡ hē
ὁ / ἡ ho / hē: the, he
The
[other one],
δε de: and, but
δ d
δε de: and, but
[other one],
[placed] above
ὑπερ hyper: over, above
ὑπερ hyper
ὑπερ hyper: over, above
[placed] above
this [first one]
ουτος houtos: this
ταυτης tautēs
ουτος houtos: this
this [first one]
[in] the middle of [other] lands
μεσος mesos: middle; γαια gaia: land, country
μεσογαια mesogaia
μεσος mesos: middle; γαια gaia: land, country
[in] the middle of the country
as far as
μεχρι mechri: as far as
μεχρι mechri
μεχρι mechri: as far as
as far as
ὁ / των ho / tōn: the, he
των tōn
ὁ / των ho / tōn: the, he
money [business is concerend?],
αρραβων arrabōn: caution-money, deposits, bribe
Αραβων Arabōn
Αραπς / Αραβων Araps / Arabōn: Arab, Arabian
Arabia [going],
ὁ / ἡ ho / hē: the, he
ἡ hē
ὁ / ἡ ho / hē: the, he
in the middle
μεταξυ metaxy: in the middle of, between
μεταξυ metaxy
μεταξυ metaxy: in the middle of, between
in the middle
of [handling] large sums
γαζα gaza: treasure, large sum of money
Γαζης Gazēs
Γαζα Gaza: Gaza
of Gaza
and
και kai: and, also
και kai
και kai: and, also
and
[being] against discovery,
αντι- anti-: against; λαμβανω lambanō: catch, discover, detect
Αντιλιβανου Antilibanou
Αντιλιβανος Antilibanos: Antilibanus, Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Antilibanus,
“Jews”
Ιουδαιος Ioudaios: Judaea, Jew
Ιουδαια Ioudaia
Ιουδαιος Ioudaios: Judaea, Jew
“Judaea”
[they] are called.
λεγω legō: to say, speak, call
λεγεται legetai
λεγω legō: to say, speak, call
[it] is called.