The account of Noah’s descendants begins with a list of Noah’s sons in this order (10:1): Shem, Ham, Japheth; but in the verses that follow that order is reversed: Japheth, Ham, Shem. The Japhethites (10:1–5) are peoples (seven are identified) most remote from Palestine, and most of the nations/places mentioned here are in the Mediterranean islands and Asia Minor. We recognize names like Magog and Meshek from the book of Ezekiel. Javan represents early Greeks (Ionians) in the Aegean area. Madai represents the Medes. The Kittites are to be associated with Cyprus, and the Rodanites are from the island of Rhodes, by the southwest coast of Turkey.

Ham has four sons, the most surprising of them being Canaan. The fourth generation is traced only through Cush. Most of the peoples in this sectio…