Since early modern times, a number of biblical ethnonyms from the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 have been used as a basis for classifying human "racial" (cosmetic phenotypical) categories and "national" (ethnolinguistic cultural) identities. The connection between Genesis 10 and contemporary ethnic groups began during classical antiquity, when authors such as Josephus, Hippolytus and Jerome analyzed the biblical list.
The early modern equation of the biblical Semites, Hamites and Japhetites with "racial" categories was coined at the Göttingen school of history in the late 18th century – in parallel with other, more secular terminologies for race, such as Blumenbach's fivefold color scheme.
Classical analyses of Genesis 10
The following sources attempted to equate the biblical Table of Nations with contemporary identities:
Flavius Josephus
The 1st-century Jewish-Roman historian Josephus, in Antiquities of the Jews Book 1, chapter 6, was the first known author who assigned known ethnicities to some of the names listed in Genesis chapter 10. His assignments became the basis for most later authors, and were as follows:
Gomer: "those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, [Galls,] but were then called Gomerites". Aschanax (Ashkenaz): "Aschanaxians, who are now called by the Greeks Rheginians". Riphath: "Ripheans, now called Paphlagonians". Thrugramma (Togarmah): "Thrugrammeans, who, as the Greeks resolved, were named Phrygians". Magog: "Magogites, but who are by the Greeks called Scythians". Madai: "the Madeans, who are called Medes, by the Greeks". Javan: "Ionia, and all the Grecians". Elisa: "Eliseans... they are now the Aeolians". Tharsus (Tarshish): "Tharsians, for so was Cilicia of old called". He also derives the name of their city Tarsus from Tharsus. Cethimus (Kittim): "The island Cethima: it is now called Cyprus". He also derives the Greek name of their city, which he spells Citius, from Cethimus. Thobel (Tubal): "Thobelites, who are now called Iberes". Mosoch (Meshech): "Mosocheni... now they are Cappadocians." He also derives the name of their capital Mazaca from Mosoch. Thiras (Tiras): "Thirasians; but the Greeks changed the name into Thracians". Chus (Cush): "Ethiopians... even at this day, both by themselves and by all men in Asia, called Chusites". Sabas (Seba): Sabeans Evilas (Havilah): "Evileans, who are called Getuli". Sabathes (Sabta): "Sabathens, they are now called by the Greeks Astaborans". Sabactas (Sabteca): Sabactens Ragmus (Raamah): Ragmeans Judadas (Dedan): "Judadeans, a nation of the western Ethiopians". Sabas (Sheba): Sabeans Mesraim (Misraim): Egypt, which he says is called Mestre in his country. "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 which we shall describe hereafter, was the cause that those cities were overthrown." Phut: Ancient Libya. He states that a river and region "in the country of Moors" was still called Phut by the Greeks, but that it had been renamed "from one of the sons of Mesraim, who was called Lybyos". Canaan: Judea, which he called "from his own name Canaan". Sidonius (Sidon): The city of Sidonius, "called by the Greeks Sidon". Amathus (Hamathite): "Amathine, which is even now called Amathe by the inhabitants, although the Macedonians named it Epiphania, from one of his posterity." Arudeus (Arvadite): "the island Aradus". Arucas (Arkite): "Arce, which is in Libanus". "But for the seven others [sons of Canaan], Chetteus, Jebuseus, Amorreus, Gergesus, Eudeus, Sineus, Samareus, we have nothing in the sacred books but their names, for the Hebrews overthrew their cities". Elam: "Elamites, the ancestors of the Persians". Ashur: "Assyrians, and their city Niniveh built by Ashur. Arphaxad: "Arphaxadites, who are now called Chaldeans". Sala Heber (Eber): "from whom they originally called the Jews Hebrews". Phaleg (Peleg): He notes that he was so named "because he was born at the dispersion of the nations to their several countries; for Phaleg among the Hebrews signifies division". Joctan "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." Aram: "Aramites, which the Greeks called Syrians". Uz: "Uz founded Trachonitis and Damascus: this country lies between Palestine and Celesyria". Ul (Hul): Armenia Gather (Gether): Bactrians Mesa (Mesh): "Mesaneans; it is now called Charax Spasinu". Laud (Lud): "Laudites, which are now called Lydians".
Hippolytus
Hippolytus of Rome, in his Diamerismos (, existing in numerous Latin and Greek copies), made another attempt to assign ethnicities to the names in Genesis 10. It is thought to have been based on the Book of Jubilees.
Its differences versus that of Josephus are shown below:
Gomer – Cappadocians Ashkenaz – Sarmatians Riphath – Sauromatians Togarmah – Armenians Magog – Galatians, Celts Javan Elishah – Sicels (Chron Pasc: Trojans and Phrygians) Tarshish – Iberians, Tyrrhenians Kittim – Macedonians, Romans, Latins Tubal – "Hettali" (?) Meshech – Illyrians Misraim Ludim – Lydians Anamim – Pamphylians Pathrusim – Lycians (var.: Cretans) Caphtorim – Cilicians Put – Troglodytes Canaan – Punic peopleFranko, George Fredric. “The Use of Poenus and Carthaginiensis in Early Latin Literature.” Classical Philology 89, no. 2 (1994): 153–58. http://www.jstor.org/stable/270661. and Phoenicians Arkite – Tripolitanians Lud – Halizones Arpachshad Cainan – "those east of the Sarmatians" (one variant) Joktan Elmodad – Indians Saleph – Bactrians Hazamaveth, Sheba – Arabs Adoram – Carmanians Uzal – Arians (var.: Parthians) Abimael – Hyrcanians Obal – Scythians Ophir – Armenians Deklah – Gedrosians Aram – "Etes" ? Hul – Lydians (var: Colchians) Gether – "Gaspeni" ? Mash – Mossynoeci (var: Mosocheni)
The Chronography of 354, the Panarion by Epiphanius of Salamis (), the Chronicon Paschale (), the History of Albania by the Georgian historian Movses Kaghankatvatsi (7th century), and the Synopsis of Histories by John Skylitzes () follow the identifications of Hippolytus.
Jerome Jerome, writing , provided an 'updated' version of Josephus' identifications in his Hebrew Questions on Genesis. His list is substantially identical to that of Josephus in almost all respects, but with the following notable differences:
Thubal, son of Japheth: "Iberians, who are also the Spaniards from whom derive the Celtiberians, although certain people suppose them to be the Italians." Gether, son of Aram: "Acarnanii or Carians" Mash, son of Aram: Maeones
Isidore The scholar Isidore of Seville, in his Etymologiae (), repeats all of Jerome's identifications, but with these minor changes: page 192 page 193
Joktan, son of Eber: Indians Saleph, son of Joktan: Bactrians Magog, son of Japheth: "Scythians and Goths" Ashkenaz, son of Gomer: "Sarmatians, whom the Greeks call Rheginians".
Isidore's identifications for Japheth's sons were repeated in the Historia Brittonum attributed to Nennius. Isidore's identifications also became the basis for numerous later mediaeval scholars, remaining so until the Age of Discovery prompted newer theories, such as that of Benito Arias Montano (1571), who proposed connecting Meshech with Moscow, and Ophir with Peru.
Samuel Bochart
Published in 1646, Samuel Bochart's Geographia Sacra seu Phaleg et Canaan was the first detailed analysis of the Generations of Noah since classical times, becoming – and remaining – the locus classicus for such scholarship.
Early modern use of racial terminology Göttingen school of history Scholars at the Göttingen school of history, which played an important role in creating a "scientific" basis for historical research, coined the modern racial definitions of the terms Semitic, Hamitic and Japhetic. The primary scholars were Johann Christoph Gatterer, August Ludwig von Schlözer and Johann Gottfried Eichhorn.
Gatterer's 1771 Einleitung in die Synchronistische Universalhistorie ("Introduction to the Universal Synchronistic History") was the first publication to use these terms in an ethnic sense. Gatterer's description was as follows: Original German English translationAllgemeine Gränzlinien der Mosaischen Bevölkerungskunde.
Die Familien und Stämme, aus denen hernach kleine und grösere Nationen erwachsen sind, haben sich nach gewissen Directionslinien ausgebreitet. Der Mittel punct der Ausbreitung ist in der Gegend des Gebirges Ararat oder Paropamisus, das ist, im Nordwesten von Indien oder um Bactra herum.
Hiebey ist nicht zu vergessen, was Gen. IX, 25-27 steht, daß nämlich den Japhetiten, wie schon ihr Name anzeigt, vom Noach eine vorzüglich grose Ausbreitung als ein eigener Siegen verheisen worden, daß sie auch in Semitischen Ländern Size bekommen, und daß die Canaaniter ihnen, wie den Semiten, dienen sollten. Wie wörtlich dieses erfüllet worden sey, lehrt die alte und neue Geschichte ganz augenscheinlich.
I) Die Japhetiten wohnten zu Mosis Zeiten von Bactria und Sogdiana an rings um das Caspische Meer herum, im Süden bis an die Küsten von Kleinasien, im Norden von dem Uraltag oder den Riphäisschen Gebirgen an bis in Europen hinüber, woselbst die westliche Gränzlinie vom Tyras oder Dnjester an längst den Küsten des schwarzen Meers über Thracien hinweg, bis an die abendländische Küste Griechenlandes, mit Einschliesung der südöstlichen Küste Italiens, fortlief. Die sogenannten Indo-Scythen haben allem Ansehen nach damals schon an dem Ober-Indus hin gewohnt; aber den Persern getraue ich mir zu Mosis-Zeiten noch niche die südlichen Wohnungen, die sie in der Folge inne hatten, einzuräumen.
II) Die Semiten wohnten zu Mosis Zeiten theils in Indien, gegen den Ganges hin, theils an den Küsten des Südmeers bis an den Persischen Meerbusen, in Elymais, Assyrien, Chaldäa, und im südlischen Mesopotamien, und bey weiterer Ausbreitung in einigen Gegenden von Palästina, im Norden und Süden von Arabien, endlich auch, aber vielleicht noch nicht zu Mosis Zeiten, in Abyssinien oder Ethiopien.
III) Die Chamiten wohnten zu Mosis Zeiten in Schinear, das ist in Mesopotamien und Babylonien, sodann im südwestlichen Arabien (aber ungewiß, ob damals schon, wie hernach, in Ethiopien): von da aber durch ganz Egypten, die nächsten Westfänder Lybiens vielleicht mir eingeschlossen, über einen nördlichen Strich von Arabien, und längst der Küste von Palästina und Syrien, Cypern mit eingeschlossen, bis nach Colchis. Mit der Zeit, und zum Theil schon vor Mose wurden die Chamiten, vornämlich durch Semitische Stämme, denen sie in Arabien, Abyssinien und zulezt auch in Canaan weichen musten, sehr eingeschränkt, und hier und da zum Abzug aus Asien, wo ihnen keine Länder zustunden, gezwungen, oder ausgerottet.General Outline of Mosaic Population Studies.
The families and tribes, from which small and larger nations subsequently grew, have spread in various directions. The middle point of the spread is in the area of the mountains of Ararat or Paropamisus, that is, in the northwest of India or around Bactra.
It is not to be forgotten what states: that the Japhetites, as their name indicates, were successfully spread by Noah as a result of their victories, that they also have size in Semitic countries, and that the Canaanites, like the Semites, should be subservient. The ancient and modern stories clearly show how this has been literally fulfilled.