Page 277 - Records of Bahrain (2)(ii)_Neat

Topography and archaeolog)>, 187Q-1879 603

222 TIIE ISLANDS OF BAHREIN.

of Phrygia, who had been exiled to the Persian Gulf by
Darius. When Arrian accordingly mentions that the
famous tomb of King Erythras, from whom tho Erythraean
Sea was named, was to bo seen in tho island of Yoroctha, ho
is evidently mis-quoting Nearchus and Orthagoras; for their
statement, preserved by Strabo, was to the effect that
Mithropastes had been banished to tho island of Tophi],
where was to be seen tho tomb of King Erythras, “on a high
mound covered with wild palms ” ; and they added that
Mithropastes, having fled from Ogyris (which is thus shown
to be in the same neighbourhood as Tyrinc), came to Mazenes
at Yoroctha, and there sought refuge with the Greeks. Now
Toplv)] may be merely tho Persian pronunciation of TuXiinj
(the Greek informants being Persians), which again may be
the same as >-< Tilvun, the Assyrian name for
Niclukki, or the larger island of Bahrein ; or Tyrinc may
be an independent name afterwards hardened to Dirin.
Androsthcncs, Alexander's surveying officer, who followed
down the Arabian coast from Teredon, at the mouth
of tho Euphrates, 2400 stadia to Gcrrlia, and then
crossed over to Bahrein, names the two islands Tupo? and
},ApaSo9, observing, no doubt, tho pronunciation of his Persian
pilot; but Ptolemy, who followed the Roman traders, gives
the more correct reading of Tv\o<; and *ApaQo<Tho name
of Tul or Til is now unknown, but it seems to have lasted
down almost to the Arab conquest, tho Christian Bishop
of Talon, or Tilun, being mentioned, in a Syrian letter
dated early in the soventh century, among the ecclesi­
astics of the province of Catara, subordinate to the
Metropolitan of Persis.1 Arad, on the other hand, is still

1 There wero five Bishops of tho Ncstoriau Church at this period in the province
of Catara (mod. Va*), holding tho sees of Dirin, jirasaniig, Talont JChata, aud
Jfa jar. Assomamii identifies Talon with TvAoy, or Bahrein, without any hesita­
tion, hut on examining tho Syriac authorities whom ho quotes, I doubt his
correctness. I observo that the insular sco is always named Dinti, which
approaches nearer to tho Tuptvi) of Strabo than docs Talon. Dirin also heads tho
list, and it was from hence that George tho Monk took rich altar cloths back to
Assyria, probably imported from India ; thoso sovcral indications poiuting to tho
island of Bahrein rather than to any town in tho interior. 'J hero may, perhaps,
have been two distinct names, Ti/a (as in Tilmun, TuAoj, etc.) applying to tho island,
and Tyrinc, or Dir in} applying to thochiof town of tho island; whilst Dilon more
probably represented Thelma or Dhclmn, tho port at tho ontraucoof tho Gorrha bay