Two of the rivers are the Tigris and the Euphrates (Gen. 2:14). The
sources of the Euphrates are in northeast Turkey; it flows southward
into northern Syria, then turns southeast, joins the Tigris, and flows
into the Persian Gulf. The Tigris also originates in Turkey and flows
through Iraq. The other two rivers, Pishon and Gichon (Gen. 2:12-13),
are usually identified with the Blue Nile and White Nile, because they
are associated with Havilah (a son of Kush) and with Kush, i.e. with
Ethiopia; that means that they originate in East Africa, south of
Ethiopia. Thus, the four rivers flow out of two very different places
-- East Africa and Asia Minor; they have no common source in this world. But some scholars have proposed other identifications of Havilah and Kush with places in Iran or even in India. This would allow all four rivers to originate somewhere in the Caucasus mountains.
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