On the Origins or the Antiquity of the Hebrew Language

The third son of Cush is Sebath or Sabtha. He inhabited the region of the Astabarenian Ethiopians; he also left behind from his name the city of Sabath (it is wont to be written wrongly as Sabach) near the Adulic gulf, which he founded for the Auxumites near the strait of the Arabian gulf. Today, the ancient name having been somewhat corrupted, the inhabitants call it Seboyn. The inhabitants of this region alone are Christians in all of Africa. They say that the Queen of Saba came from that region long ago, so that she might behold in person the wonderful signs of the highest wisdom which she had heard by fame concerning Solomon, the king of the Jews. But I wish to diminish by my diligence some part of the labor for theologians who are not sufficiently versed in cosmography. It is said that the Queen of Saba came to visit Solomon. David said that kings would come from Saba and offer gold and frankincense to Christ Jesus the Messiah. We have already had Saba called Arabistan, or Arabia. These seem to be the same in Latin writing, although they are most diverse and most remote in location; the distinction of the phrases cannot be observed with Latin letters as it is in Hebrew. For the Latins have only Saba one "s," while the Hebrews have three. "Samech," which sounds with a hiss; "Sin" or "Shin," which is thicker; "Sin," which sounds more thinly in the manner of the Latin "s." You will know the difference by these letters. For if it is written with "Sin," it signifies the Arabia of Seba, although it is very often written with "Samech" for Arabia; if with "Sin," it signifies the eastern region of Arabia toward Persia, whence those kings came to worship Christ. If with "Samech," it is that region which pertains to Ethiopia whence the Queen of the South came. If you look toward Jerusalem, the magi came from the east; Arabia will be in the southern part, toward the south-southeast. The region of which we have now treated will be toward the south-southwest. There rules that most powerful prince of the Christian Nubians, whom we call Prester John or the Presbyter, by progeny and faith the successor of Queen Candace, to whom that happy