1.130
The children of Ham possessed the land from Syria and Amanus, and
the mountains of Libanus; seizing upon all that was on its sea-coasts,
and as far as the ocean, and keeping it as their own. Some indeed of its
names are utterly vanished away; others of them being changed, and another
sound given them, are hardly to be discovered; yet a few there are which
have kept their denominations entire. For of the four sons of Ham, time
has not at all hurt the name of Chus; for the Ethiopians, over whom he
reigned, are even at this day, both by themselves and by all men in Asia,
called Chusites. The memory also of the Mesraites is preserved in their
name; for all we who inhabit this country [of Judea] called Egypt Mestre,
and the Egyptians Mestreans. Phut also was the founder of Libya, and called
the inhabitants Phutites, from himself: there is also a river in the country
of Moors which bears that name; whence it is that we may see the greatest
part of the Grecian historiographers mention that river and the adjoining
country by the apellation of Phut: but the name it has now has been by
change given it from one of the sons of Mesraim, who was called Lybyos.
We will inform you presently what has been the occasion why it has been
called Africa also. Canaan, the fourth son of Ham, inhabited the country
now called Judea, and called it from his own name Canaan. The children
of these [four] were these: Sabas, who founded the Sabeans; Evilas, who
founded the Evileans, who are called Getuli; Sabathes founded the Sabathens,
they are now called by the Greeks Astaborans; Sabactas settled the Sabactens;
and Ragmus the Ragmeans; and he had two sons, the one of whom, Judadas,
settled the Judadeans, a nation of the western Ethiopians, and left them
his name; as did Sabas to the Sabeans: but Nimrod, the son of Chus, staid
and tyrannized at Babylon, as we have already informed you. Now all the
children of Mesraim, being eight in number, possessed the country from
Gaza to Egypt, though it retained the name of one only, the Philistim;
for the Greeks call part of that country Palestine. As for the rest, Ludieim,
and Enemim, and Labim, who alone inhabited in Libya, and called the country
from himself, Nedim, and Phethrosim, and Chesloim, and Cephthorim, we know
nothing of them besides their names; for the Ethiopic war note
which we shall describe hereafter, was the cause that those cities were
overthrown. The sons of Canaan were these: Sidonius, who also built a city
of the same name; it is called by the Greeks Sidon;
Amathus inhabited in Amathine, which is even now called Amathe by the
inhabitants, although the Macedonians named it Epiphania, from one of his
posterity: Arudeus possessed the island Aradus: Arucas possessed Arce,
which is in Libanus. But for the seven others, [Eueus,] Chetteus, Jebuseus,
Amorreus, Gergesus, Eudeus, Sineus, Samareus, we have nothing in the sacred
books but their names, for the Hebrews overthrew their cities; and their
calamities came upon them on the occasion following.
1.140
Noah, when, after the deluge, the earth was resettled in its former
condition, set about its cultivation; and when he had planted it with vines,
and when the fruit was ripe, and he had gathered the grapes in their season,
and the wine was ready for use, he offered sacrifice, and feasted, and,
being drunk, he fell asleep, and lay naked in an unseemly manner. When
his youngest son saw this, he came laughing, and showed him to his brethren;
but they covered their father's nakedness. And when Noah was made sensible
of what had been done, he prayed for prosperity to his other sons; but
for Ham, he did not curse him, by reason of his nearness in blood, but
cursed his prosperity: and when the rest of them escaped that curse, God
inflicted it on the children of Canaan. But as to these matters, we shall
speak more hereafter.
1.143
Shem, the third son of Noah, had five sons, who inhabited the land
that began at Euphrates, and reached to the Indian Ocean. For Elam left
behind him the Elamites, the ancestors of the Persians. Ashur lived at
the city Nineve; and named his subjects Assyrians, who became the most
fortunate nation, beyond others. Arphaxad named the Arphaxadites, who are
now called Chaldeans. Aram had the Aramites, which the Greeks called Syrians;
as Laud founded the Laudites, which are now called Lydians. Of the four
sons of Aram, Uz founded Trachonitis and Damascus: this country lies between
Palestine and Celesyria. Ul founded Armenia; and Gather the Bactrians;
and Mesa the Mesaneans; it is now called Charax Spasini. Sala was the son
of Arphaxad; and his son was Heber, from whom they originally called the
Jews Hebrews. note
Heber begat Joetan and Phaleg: he was called Phaleg, because he was born
at the dispersion of the nations to their several countries; for Phaleg
among the Hebrews signifies division. Now Joctan, one of the sons
of Heber, had these sons, Elmodad, Saleph, Asermoth, Jera, Adoram,
Aizel, Decla, Ebal, Abimael, Sabeus, Ophir, Euilat, and Jobab. These inhabited
from Cophen, an Indian river, and in part of Asia adjoining to it.
And this shall suffice concerning the sons of Shem.
