I am in the process of writing an article about the directions in the Bible. There seems to be a general feeling that Eastward movement was bad and Westward was good (ie. Gen. 2:8). I have found some ideas associated with Egyptian burials being on the West side of the Nile for the most part. This led to the belief that Westward was closer to the Gods and conversely Eastward was moving away from the gods. Also the nations of Babylon and Assyria came from the East as did the deadly winds that withered up crops. What I lack is some more resources. If you are aware of any text or books that deal with this subject I'd love to hear of it. Or even if you have an opinion on it, please share