Page 13 - Bible Geography and Near East Studies

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The World’s best-preserved ziggurat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF9SEBrQ1Yk

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Interesting Facts about Ancient Mesopotamian Ziggurats:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPs4Tmb5Fx0

The Origin of Nations

Noah’s sons were Shem, Ham, and Japheth and represent the family groups of people that migrated
from the Tower of Babel to other parts of the earth.

Shem was Noah’s oldest son. He and his wife were childless before the flood, but afterward bore a son
at 110 years of age. He was eventually the father of five sons who became the fathers of five Semitic
nations:
1. Elam – the Persians,
2. Asshur – Assyrians,
3. Arphaxad – Chaldeans or Babylonians,
4. Lud – Lydians settling in Asia Minor and Northern Africa
5. Aram- the Syrians

Ham was Noah’s second-oldest son. Ham and his wife bore four sons who became the fathers of the
nations of Africa. Ham’s fourth son, Canaan, was prophetically cursed because his father gazed at
Noah’s nakedness while he was drunk. This curse would mean that later he would lose his land to the
Hebrews and would be subservient to the descendants of Shem. The Hamites were known for their
physical endurance. The Four Hamitic Nations are:

1. Cush - the Ethiopians
2. Mizraim – the Egyptians
3. Phut - the Libyans
4. Canaan – the Canaanites

Japheth was Noah’s youngest son. All his descendants settled north of Mesopotamia. He and his wife
had seven sons which became seven nations:

1. Gomer – The Cimmerians settled north of the Black Sea (Germany, France, Spain, British Isles)
2. Magog – the Scythians living north of the Caspian Sea.
3. Madai – the Medes who settled south of the Caspian Sea
4. Javan – the Greeks
5. Tubal – the Turks who lived south of the Black Sea
6. Meshech (The Slavs) lived between the Black and Caspian Seas

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