Genesis 10 - Handout

Genesis 10 – The Table of Nations

I.                    Introduction (10:1)

II.                 The Family of Japheth (10:2-5) – Moved North and West into the Indo-European Parts of the World

a.       Gomer – Modern Ukraine and Southern Russia (Josephus records some descendants as the people of Galatia.

                                                              i.      Ashkenaz – Scandinavia and Germanic Tribes. The origin of the term Ashkenazi (e.g. Ashkenazi Jews.)

                                                            ii.      Riphath – Unknown. Josephus identifies them as the Riphasians (Gr. Paphlagonians) north of Galatia along the south-central coast of the Black Sea.

                                                          iii.      Togarmah – Theodoret (and many modern scholars identify him with Armenia. Josephus identified Togarmah with Phrygia (S of Galatia).

b.       Magog – Unknown. Many interpreters favor a northern location (cf. Ezek 38). Josephus lists them as the Scythians who lived in modern-day Ukraine, Southern Russian, and Crimea.

c.       Madai – Josephus records that the Medes (NW Iran) were his descendants.

d.       Javan – Greece (The term “Ionian” is a derivation of Javan).

                                                              i.      Elishah – Josephus calls them the Aeolians, who occupied an area on the west coast of modern Turkey, and whose most famous city is Smyrna (modern Izmir).

                                                            ii.      Tarshish – Exact Location Unknown. Probably near Greece. Often identified with ships and the sea (cf. 1 Kings 10:22; 2 Chron 9:21). Most familiar as where Jonah was fleeing (Jon 1:3; 4:2).

                                                          iii.      Kittim – Associated with Cyprus.

                                                           iv.      Dodanim – Possibly the Island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea

e.       Tubal – Unknown. Josephus suggests Tubal’s descendants were in Iberia (Spain/Portugal). Theodoret and Jerome identified them with Italy. There are many Catalan traditions of Tubal building cities in Spain. Modern scholars also list modern Georgia/Southern Russia, but this is solved by the fact that Georgians are descended from Iberians.

f.        Meshech – The Mushki People. Josephus identifies Meshech’s descendants as the Cappadocians. There is also a legend identifying Meshech as the founder of Moscow.

g.       Tiras – Much conjecture. Unknown. Josephus identifies them as Thracians (modern-day Albania, Macedonian, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia; a large area north of Greece).

III.              The Family of Ham (10:6-20) – Moved South into Africa and East into Asia

a.       Cush – Ethiopia – Family Spread Throughout Arabia

                                                              i.      Seba – The Sabeans who lived in the Arabian Peninsula (Modern Saudi Arabia, Yemin, and also in Sudan). Possibly to be identified with Sheba.

                                                            ii.      Havilah – Josephus identifies them with the Getuli who lived in modern Algeria.

                                                          iii.      Sabtah – Josephus identifies them with the Astaborans which seems to be an area in eastern Sudan.

                                                           iv.      Raamah – Josephus identifies them with the Ragmeans in western Ethiopia.

1.       Seba

2.       Dedan

                                                             v.      Sabteca

                                                           vi.      Nimrod – (‘Rebel’) Became the first king of a kingdom in the land of Shinar.

b.       Mizraim – Egypt. About many of Mizraim’s sons and their lands, Josephus writes, “we know nothing of them besides their names; for the Ethiopic war. . .was the cause that those cities were overthrown.”

                                                              i.      Ludim

                                                            ii.      Anamim – Unknown. An Assyrian text during the reign of Sargon II calls the Egyptians “Anami.”

                                                          iii.      Lehabim

                                                           iv.      Naphtuhim – Middle Egypt?

                                                             v.      Pathrusim – Pathros (Upper Egypt)?

                                                           vi.      Casluhim – Progenitors of the Philistines

                                                         vii.      Caphtorim

c.       Put – Josephus identifies his land with Libya

d.       Canaan – The Promised Land – Many of these are known through the biblical text, but locations are uncertain because the Jews overthrew their cities.

                                                              i.      Sidon

                                                            ii.      Heth

                                                          iii.      Jebusite – Inhabited Jerusalem before 2 Samuel 5 (About 1000 BC).

                                                           iv.      Amorite

                                                             v.      Girgashite

                                                           vi.      Hivite

                                                         vii.      Arkite - Libanus

                                                       viii.      Sinite

                                                           ix.      Arvadite - Aradus

                                                             x.      Zemarite

                                                           xi.      Hamathite – Epiphania

IV.              The Family of Shem (10:21-31) – Spread out in the Middle East

a.       Elam – Susa of Persian Empire. Daniel and Nehemiah lived there. Modern Day Iran.

b.       Asshur – Assyria.

c.       Arpachshad - Chaldeans

                                                              i.      Shelah

                                                            ii.      Eber

1.       Peleg – The dispersion from the Tower of Babel happened in his days.

2.       Joktan – According to Josephus, his sons inhabited from Cophen, an Indian river, and in part of Asia adjoining to it.

a.       Almodad

b.       Sheleph

c.       Hazarmaveth

d.       Jerah

e.       Hadoram

f.        Uzal

g.       Diklah

h.       Obal

i.        Abimael

j.        Sheba

k.       Ophir

l.        Havilah

m.     Jobab

d.       Lud - Lydians

e.       Aram - Syrians

                                                              i.      Uz – cf. Job 1:1. According to Josephus, Uz founded Trachonitis and Damascus.

                                                            ii.      Hul – According to Josephus, Hul founded Armenia.

                                                          iii.      Gether - Afghanistan

                                                           iv.      Mash – According to Josephus, these are to be identified with the Charax Spasinu who dwelled somewhere along the north coast of the Persian Gulf

                                                             v.       

V.                 Conclusion (10:32)