ABUS
ABUS (
ὁ Ἄβος) or ABA (
Plin. Nat. 5.24. s. 20), a mountain in Armenia, forming a part of the E. prolongation of the Anti-Taurus chain, and separating the basins of the Araxes and of the Arsanias or S. branch of the Euphrates (
Murad).
The latter of these great rivers rises on its S. side, and, according to Strabo, the former also rises on its N. side.
According to this statement, the range must be considered to begin as far W. as the neighbourhood of
Erzeroom, while it extends E. to the Araxes S. of Artaxata. Here it terminates in the great isolated peak, 17,210 feet high, and covered with perpetual snow, which an almost uniform tradition has pointed out as the
Ararat of Scripture (Gen. 8.4), and which is still called
Ararat or
Agri-Dagh, and, by the Persians,
Kuh-i-Nuh (
mountain of Noah): it is situated in 39° 42′ N. lat., and 44° 35′ E. long.
This summit forms the culminating point of W. Asia.
The chain itself is called
Ala-dagh. (Strab. pp. 527, 531;
Ptol. 5.13.)
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P.S]
