First printing: March 2013

Copyright © 2012 by Bodie Hodge. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. For information write:

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ISBN: 978-0-89051-715-4

Library of Congress Number: 2013931890

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture of three or less verses in the text are denoted in the footnotes except for Genesis 11:1–9 and Genesis 10, which are found in chapter 4.

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Dedication

To my family (which I guess, includes everyone)! But specifically, I would like to dedicate this book to my wife (Renee), and children (Kylie, Caleb, and Lacey) as well as my parents (Jim and Cheryl Hodge).

Acknowledgments

Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell, Frost Smith, Dr. Russell Fuller,

Dr. Douglas Kelly, Dr. Andrew Snelling, Ken Ham,

Troy Lacey, David Wright, Steve Fazekas,

Tim Chaffey, and Steve Golden.

Photo credits

T-top, B-bottom, L-left, R-right, C-Center

Wikimedia Commons: p. 41, p. 55, p. 56, p. 57T, p. 57B, p. 60T, p. 60C, p. 60B, p. 61, p. 63T, p. 63B, p. 67, p. 105, p. 109T, p. 109B, p. 126, p. 141T, p. 141B, p. 156T, p. 156B, p. 159, p. 168, p. 170B, p. 175T

Images from Wikimedia Commons are used under the CC-BY-SA-3.0 license or the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3.

Shutterstock.com: p. 63C, p. 64T, p. 64B

The Schøyen Collection, MS 2063; www.schoyencollection.com: p. 51

Historical Textbook and Atlas of Biblical Geography (1854) by Lyman Coleman: p. 178

Answers in Genesis: p. 21, p. 47

Answers magazine: p. 222

From the author: p. 94, p. 97, p. 107T, p. 107B

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1: How Do You Pronounce Babel, Anyway?

Chapter 2: What Kinds of Specific Attacks Are There?

Chapter 3: Is This Really a Biblical Authority Issue?

Chapter 4: The Biblical Account

Chapter 5: Isn’t There a Contradiction Between Genesis 10 (World Having Multiple Languages) and 11 (World Having One Language)?

Chapter 6: Why Were the People Disobedient?

Chapter 7: When Did the Scattering Occur?

Chapter 8: Where Did the Scattering Occur?

Chapter 9: Was the Tower of Babel Built or Not?

Chapter 10: What Was the Purpose of the Tower of Babel?

Chapter 11: What Did the Tower Look Like?

Chapter 12: Did All ~7,000 Languages Today Come Out of Babel?

Chapter 13: What about Extra-Biblical Tables of Nations and Genealogies That Go Back to Noah?

Chapter 14: Was Nimrod in Charge of Forcing a Rebellion Prior to the Events in Genesis 11:1–9?

Chapter 15: Did the Continents Split in the Days of Peleg?

Chapter 16: By What Means Did Those Scattering from Babel Travel?

Chapter 17: Where Did All the People Go Initially?

Chapter 18: What About Asia, the Americas, and Australia?

Chapter 19: Were Noah’s Three Sons Triplets?

Chapter 20: Did Those Listed in the Account of the Tower of Babel Have Other Children after They Left Babel?

Chapter 21: Did People Really Live Those Great Ages from Creation Well Past the Tower of Babel?

Chapter 22: What About the Decrease in Ages?

Chapter 23: What About Ancestor Worship?

Chapter 24: Are There Any Extra-Biblical Accounts of a Language Split?

Chapter 25: The Origin of Writing

Chapter 26: What Was the Original Language . . . and How Was Moses Able to Read Such Texts When He Wrote Genesis?

Chapter 27: Was Pentecost a Reversal of What Happened at Babel?

Chapter 28: Why Is Biblical Authority so Important on This Issue?

Chapter 29: Conclusion: Seeing Christ at Babel?

Appendix: Date of Job

Introduction

Genesis 1–11 is under attack in today’s culture. In many cases, we read of attacks on Genesis 1 and 2 where attempts are made to add millions of years to the creation week.[1] We see attacks on the Fall of mankind in Genesis 3 where there is a denial of the reality of Adam and Eve and original sin and the need for a Savior. We observe further attacks with the denial of Satan’s involvement by claiming he is not reality.[2]

We see attacks on Genesis 4 and 5 with alleged gaps in the genealogies, and attempts to squeeze thousands of years into them (even though this does not help the case for millions of years).[3] Genesis 6–9 have come under attack with some claiming the Flood was just a local event and reinterpreting Flood rock layers as evidence for millions of years.[4]

And, of course, Genesis 10 and 11 are under severe attack as well. Scholars write off what occurred at the Tower of Babel as mythology and deny that it was a historical event. And racism runs rampant, fueled by the false belief in “higher and lower evolved races.” Sadly, this has even infiltrated many churches, causing them to believe evolutionary ideas instead of relying on biblical authority.[5] People simply deny, on their own authority, that Genesis 10 and 11 are trustworthy. But this book will examine many of the attacks and false claims (other than racism, which has been dealt with thoroughly elsewhere) surrounding Genesis 10 and 11 by using the Bible as the authority and systematically responding to these attacking questions with solid answers.

The questions answered in this book are serious questions that have been proposed to those who believe the Bible is true, and in many cases they are questions this author has heard over and over again. Join me as we dive into the Bible and look into history and theology in a God-honoring fashion to refute these attacks. Not only will you understand a bit more about how to defend the authority of the Word of God in today’s age, but you may actually learn a little about yourself and your ancestry as well — we all go back to Babel, after all.

1. A book that tackles this subject is Ken Ham’s The Lie: Evolution/Millions of Years (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2012).

2. A book that addresses attacks on Genesis 3 is Bodie Hodge’s The Fall of Satan (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2011).

3. There are three chapters that deal with this in The New Answers Book 2, Ken Ham, gen. ed. (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2008): “How Old Is the Earth?” by Bodie Hodge, “Are There Gaps in the Genesis Genealogies?” by Larry Pierce and Ken Ham, and “Doesn’t Egyptian Chronology Prove That the Bible Is Unreliable?” by Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell.

4. There are numerous books that tackle this subject from the time-honored classic The Genesis Flood by Drs. Henry Morris and John Whitcomb to Dr. Andrew Snelling’s treatise Earth’s Catastrophic Past. Also, The New Answers Books 1, 2, and 3 have a number of chapters discussing these attacks.

5. A book that challenges evolution and racism is Ken Ham and Dr. Charles Ware’s One Race, One Blood (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2010).

CHAPTER 1

How Do You Pronounce Babel, Anyway?

Before we even get started on the meat of the issues, and before we examine attacks on the account of the Tower of Babel, we need to address a very common question. And it is hard to believe that a chapter on this subject is worthy of such a discussion, but, believe it or not, this is one of the most-asked questions I get on the subject of Babel: “How do you pronounce it?” So let’s take some time to look at this rather amusing question!

What Do Dictionaries Say?

Depending upon where you are in the English-speaking world, you will probably get one of two answers (and a few variations of these):

1. bā-bəl

2. ba-bəl

I’m going to call these two bay-bel (i.e., rhyming with table) and ba-bel (i.e., rhyming with dabble), respectively, in an effort to make this easier. Merriam-Webster Dictionary online gives both of these pronunciations.[1] My printed version of Merriam-Webster Dictionary (as well as Thorndike-Barnhart) lists both of these as well. Dictionary.com listed both pronunciations under its entry for Babel as do most dictionaries that were consulted.[2]

What about the Etymology of the Pronunciation?

The etymology of how British English arrived at bay-bel comes from Old English and a slightly faulty transliteration of the Hebrew, which we will discuss below. I did further research on the origin of the English word and its pronunciation and found that it was in use in Old English, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.[3] This makes sense since Wycliffe also translated the Bible into Middle English from the Latin Vulgate; so the word Babel already existed in English and had a particular pronunciation prior to this.

As many know, Old English was Germanic in its origin. In fact, it was in the style of West Germanic, which is where Northern Germanic languages (Norse) also arose. This is because the Jutes and Angles (where we get the name English/England from) were well settled in the British Isles (with their Germanic languages). Later, the Saxons conquered and spread throughout Britain (also Germanic), though much of the timing and details herewith are shrouded in history as this took the Britons back into paganism.[4]

Old English changed into Middle English, largely because Norman (French/Latin) roots entered the language, beginning in 1066 when William the Conqueror’s Normans took over with the Norman conquest of England. The altered language then gave rise to more modern forms of English and even several variants of Middle English. Modern English is still sub-classed in the German language family.

What about Foreign Pronunciations That Influenced English?

For this reason, it is helpful to know how Germans pronounced Babel. The German pronunciation is in our laymen sense baw-bul, which is closer to our second pronunciation in American English. So far, I have not been able to find where variant Germanic dialects deviate from this pronunciation.[5]

In the French language, it turns out they say “baw-bel’” with a stress on bel. This is almost identical to the Hebrew, as we will see in a moment. To double check on Latin-based roots, I looked at Babel in Spanish, another Latin-based language; it is ba-bael (note the different second syllable) with a short a as well.

So both German and French/Latin roots say Babel with a short a like Hebrew (not bay-bel), and this is closer to the second pronunciation listed in Webster’s (ba-bel). So it seems that the Queen’s English is the only one that has bay-bel, and that carried over to the States (and presumably other former and current British possessions).

English Great Vowel Shift

At some point in English history, there was a corruption from the short a (ba-bel or baw-bel) in Babel to the long a (bay-bel), because it does not come from German or French (or Hebrew or Greek). It is possible that it is due to accents or a previous language family, but this is beyond the scope of this chapter. Aaron Profitt of God’s Bible School and College pointed out in correspondence (and gave us permission to cite him):

English’s Great Vowel Shift (GVS) may explain the “long-a” pronunciation of Babel, at least in part: in Old and Middle English, a “long a” was pronounced roughly as <a>, as in father. In the Great Vowel Shift — which took place over a number of years with intermediate pronunciations — vowel pronunciation (but not spelling) shifted “up” in the mouth. Essentially, this meant that the old “long a” ended up with the sound formerly assigned to e, which is the “ay” sound we now have in babe or cave.[6] (Previously babe would have been pronounced something like “BAHB-uh.”) Assuming Babel to have been pronounced “BAHB-uhl” before the GVS, after the shift its a would likely have acquired the ”ay” sound, making it “BAYB-uhl.”

As a “big picture” point, this history is revealing. Some quickly assume there was an American corruption from bay-bel to ba-bel because of presumed influence of words like babble or babbling.[7] But this may not be the case. The pronunciation with the short a may simply have been brought by European immigrants speaking French or Germanic languages. In fact, the United States was largely dominated by Western European settlers from largely Germanic language family nations (Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, etc.) and France up until 1970, and, as they learned English, the American language deviated more and more from British English.[8]

From here, this author found that the Hebrew pronunciation in both Strong’s and The Hebrew-English Dictionary is baw-bel’. The stress is on the second syllable with the short a sound. It is the same Hebrew word for both Babel and Babylon, the latter empire. The Greek equivalent is Babulwn (bab-oo-lone’). The Greek yields a short a sound similar to the second pronunciation (ba-bel) in Merriam-Webster Dictionary, and this Greek influence may be why the second pronunciation gained popularity.

When one listens in Hebrew to Genesis chapters 10[9] and 11,[10] where it mentions Babel in verse 10 and verse 9, respectively, it is pronounced the way Strong’s and The Hebrew-English Dictionary indicate (baw-bel’).

Conclusion

Both English pronunciations differ slightly from the Hebrew, but the “second” pronunciation (ba-bel) is actually a bit closer. In American English, we would normally say either bay-bel or ba-bel, since Merriam-Webster is one of the primary standards for the American English language. In England though, bay-bel is the Oxford standard. To be true to the Hebrew, it is baw-bel’. Perhaps the best point that can be made on this is that people are still affected by language division that occurred at Babel, and this is obviously the case, to a lesser degree, with the word Babel. And after the events at Babel, it was probably pronounced a multitude of ways and they were all correct!

Significantly, man’s thoughts of rebellion have been in effect since the Fall of mankind (Genesis 3). Babel was no different. God said to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth (Genesis 9:1,[11]) but man’s rebellious heart was again disobedient so soon after the Flood that these men tried to defy God’s command by building a tower so they would not be scattered (Genesis 11:4[12]).

Often today, we get caught up in the details of something like how to pronounce Babel, and yet we don’t reflect that due to rebellion against a holy God, this scattering of languages and people occurred. As we study Scripture, we need to keep in mind the big picture of sin, rebellion . . . and, of course, Christ’s sacrificial work to save us from God’s righteous judgment.

But let’s now turn our attention to a serious problem in today’s culture and examine some of the attacks associated with the Tower of Babel.

1. Merriam-Webster Dictionary, s.v. “Babel,” http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/babel (accessed February 8, 2012).

2. Dictionary.com, s.v. “Babel,” http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/babel (accessed February 8, 2012).

3. Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “Babel,” (accessed October 8, 2012).

4. Paganism involved savage, immoral, polytheistic, uncivil, and often animistic practices.

5. At the following link, listen through verse 9, (this pronunciation is from Luther’s day): www.sermon-online.de/search.pl?lang=de&id=2747.

6. C.W. Millward, A Biography of the English Language, 2nd ed. (Boston, MA: Wadsworth, 1996).

7. My experience has been that most Americans say “bah-bel,” although certain regions tend to favor saying “bay-bel” still.

8. “Immigration Explorer,” The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/10/us/20090310-immigration-explorer.html.

9. “Genesis 10,” Hebrew Audio Bible, Academy of Ancient Languages, http://www.aoal.org/Hebrew/AudioBible/01_Genesis/01-Gen_10.mp3.

10. “Genesis 11,” Ibid.

11. Genesis 9:1: So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”

12. Genesis 11:4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

CHAPTER 2

What Kinds of Specific Attacks Are There?

Currently, the true history of the Tower of Babel, recorded in Genesis 11:1–9, is attacked in three ways.

1. Racism (race is often attributed to man’s evolutionary origin, ignoring the effect the Babel dispersion had in leading to the ethnic and geographical concentration of people with various skin shades and features).

2. Mythology (some claim the account was made up long after the events were supposed to have occurred).

3. Reinterpreting (some claim the Genesis 11 account has a some historical basis but that it does not represent an actual event and needs to be reinterpreted).

The issue of racism has been dealt with extensively elsewhere, so this book will focus primarily on refuting these last two attacks by showing how the Bible’s account can be trusted as written and that it does explain the world around us. This will be done by using the Bible as the authority. But I do want to briefly address the issue of racism.

Racism

Racism is rampant in the United States and in many parts of the world. Belief that there are “higher and lower races” has been a widespread idea since Charles Darwin (an Englishman) justified it and early evolutionists like Ernst Haeckel (a German) in the mid- to late-1800s popularized it. These early evolutionists taught that some people groups were more or less evolved. Haeckel said:

At the lowest stage of human mental development are the Australians, some tribes of the Polynesians, and the Bushmen, Hottentots, and some of the Negro tribes.[1]

Haeckel, as well as Darwin, viewed people with darker skin as less-evolved animals. Darwin went so far as to say that people who were not “Caucasian” would inevitably be exterminated by the “civilized races”:

At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace the savage races throughout the world. At the same time the anthropomorphous apes . . . will no doubt be exterminated. The break between man and his nearest allies will then be wider, for it will intervene between man in a more civilized state, as we may hope, even than the Caucasian, and some ape as low as a baboon, instead of as now between the negro or Australian [Aborigine] and the gorilla.[2]

These prevailing thoughts have caused repercussions later on. Adolf Hitler, an atheist and evolutionist, tried to fulfill much of what Darwin taught in his attempts at exterminating Jews, Poles, Slavs, gypsies, and many others on his target list.[3] Hitler and the Nazis, unlike Darwin, took the view one step further. Instead of saying the “Caucasians” were superior, Hitler elevated the Germanic peoples (he termed them “Aryans”) above the “Caucasians” and then looked down on all others, including many other “Caucasians.”

Though racism did not originate with Darwin, his views have caused racism to explode in modern culture. Leading evolutionist Stephen J. Gould (1941–2002) remarked:

Biological arguments for racism may have been common before 1850, but they increased by orders of magnitude following the acceptance of evolutionary theory.[4]

One thing needs to be noted. Evolution is not the cause of racism; it was around before Darwin, but when people adopted Darwin’s views, those views only served to fuel racism. And racism still pervades today.

The Biblical Response!

According to the Bible, there is only one race, as we all go back to one man and one woman (Genesis 1:26–28[5]). This one race is the “human race” or “Adam’s race,” as many put it today. Adam was the first man and Eve is the mother of all the living:

And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45).

And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20).

Adam was made from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7[6]), and Eve was made from Adam’s side (flesh and rib) (Genesis 2:21–23[7]). The life Adam possesses came from God as God breathed life into Adam; hence, man is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27[8]; Genesis 2:7[9]). The life that Eve received came from Adam (Genesis 2:22–23[10]; 1 Corinthians 11:8–9[11]), and she also bore the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27[12]), as we all do being descendants of Adam.

This is why Adam is called the “son of God” in Luke 3:38[13] and the godly can be called sons/children of God (e.g., Psalm 82:6 — sons/children of the Most High,[14] Hosea 1:10 — sons of the Living God,[15] Luke 6:35 — sons of the Most High,[16] Matthew 5:9,[17] Galatians 3:26,[18] and John 1:12[19]). This is not to be confused with Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God, who is the Creator God, who became flesh (the Word) as revealed in John 1, Colossians 1, and Hebrews 1.

Being image-bearers of God distinguishes us from animals and shows the value that God has in mankind. God became a man, not an animal. Christ came to save mankind (that is, sinners), not to save animals. He came to die in the place of descendants of Adam and Eve, or Adam’s race.

Paul affirms there is only one race in Acts 17:26 when preaching to the Greeks:

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.

Our culture looks for differences in mankind (e.g., man-made categories called “racial characteristics”). Many have pondered why some people are more “black” or “white” or “yellow” or “red.” Many wonder why people have variations in eye shape. And people who have racist ideas often use these and other features to claim there are different “races.”

Consider the big picture here: those who hold racist ideas or engage in racism have preconceived ideas about these so-called racial characteristics. They see these so-called racial characteristics in the population and conclude there are various “races.” This is the classical form of affirming the consequent fallacy. In other words, they are using an idea to prove itself!

Yes, we see variations within the human population, but people are still people (taller, shorter, lots of hair, less hair, and so on). The biblical Christian expects variations within humanity since the Bible often proclaims variations (e.g., Genesis 27:11[20]).

Are people really a different color? Not really. We have various shades of the same primary pigment, the melanin in our skin. Melanin is a brownish pigment and some of us have more or less of this brownish pigment. In other words, we are all basically brown. Some of us are browner than others. There are other factors involved as well, but melanin is the primary “shareholder” in determining skin shade (e.g., think of a sunburn, albinism, and so on).

Our genes primarily determine how much brown our skin produces. So if the gene pool in the population breaks apart, then that specific gene pool will dominate in a particular region. Such concentration and isolation of genetic material, with exclusion of other traits, can easily lead to a situation in which some people groups have generally darker skin or lighter skin, rounded eye shape or almond eye shape, and so on). This is why the Tower of Babel is extremely important in understanding the origin of racism.

The events at the Tower of Babel split apart the various families into people groups, scattering them to various parts of the world. Where a specific family settled was basically where a particular gene pool dominated. With isolation, the genes that a family took with them were all that were available to the children, grandchildren, and so on.

Of course, there can be other factors too that affect the gene pool of a population. Individuals may marry into another family group, bringing in some genes that had been lost since Babel. Conquest could also lead to the mixing of the two people groups’ gene pools. There can be losses of information that was not passed along to children and grandchildren and so on. In fact, there are plenty of other ways genes can be lost or re-gained in a population of people, but that discussion could be a book in itself!

But the fact that a major division of the population is recorded in the Bible soon after the Flood explains why various ethnic and geographical regions have dominant genetic traits. There are not multiple races, just variations within the human race; no people are higher or lower on an “evolutionary scale,” but all people are made in the image of God and need Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Knowing the biblical truth, Christians should be leading the fight against racism.

Though this explanation is brief, many books, DVDs, and articles cover this important topic. In this book, my goal is to respond to other attacks surrounding the Tower of Babel in detail. To understand more about racism’s causes and the origin of various shades of people, this author would suggest the following resources:

One Race, One Blood by Ken Ham and Dr. Charles Ware (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2010).

The New Answers Book 1, Ken Ham, gen. ed. (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2006).

Further information can be found on the Answers in Genesis website at www.AnswersInGenesis.org.

Claims That the Account Is Mythological

Some challenge the biblical record of the Tower of Babel as mythological. One such challenger is a liberal scholar named Dr. Stephen Harris. Dr. Harris does not believe the Bible as it is written. He is part of the infamous “Jesus Seminar,” which attacks the truthfulness of the Bible and, specifically, of the words of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Harris is becoming well known for his attack on the Tower of Babel. He claims it was just a story that the Hebrews came up with while in captivity in Babylon (which was many years after the event at the Tower of Babel).[21] Dr. Harris believes that the Tower of Babel was mythological. And sadly, many Christians are following suit after this liberal scholar by joining him in denying the events.

Naturally, God disagrees with Dr. Harris (Romans 3:4[22]). And so who is going to win the debate — an infallible God who was there or a fallible human being who was not? Whenever a mere man disagrees with God, this should immediately throw up a red flag. The way Isaiah puts it is:

Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he? (Isaiah 2:22; ESV).

Claims the Babel Account Needs to be Reinterpreted

Another common attack on the biblical account of the Tower of Babel is the assertion that the account should be reinterpreted to explain modern problems like materialism. This idea was put forth before millions on the Glenn Beck television show.

Glenn Beck, a Mormon,[23] was interviewing Jewish Rabbi Daniel Lapin. Here are some excerpts from that show (the whole show’s discussion on Babel is rather revealing):

BECK: Okay. So let’s just pick the story up. If you missed the story — if you missed the first half of the show, DVR the show, man. What are you thinking? The idea was this hunter of men started to erase God. He became king.

LAPIN: Yes.

BECK: He said, Let’s make people all like bricks, all the same, not like stone. The mortar that will hold those bricks together is materialism.

LAPIN: Yes.

BECK: And we’ll have this utopia. We’ll build a tower that will reach the heavens.

LAPIN: Yes. You will be able to fulfill your highest aspirations in that fashion.

BECK: We’re all bricks.

LAPIN: And I urge people to read the story and to listen to us, not as if we’re describing some long-forgotten historic event, but we’re describing what is really happening today and will happen in our grandchildren’s generation somewhere in the world again.[24]

Beck and Lapin are reinterpreting the account of the Tower of Babel. They make the claim that the events recorded in Genesis 11:1–9 are part of a greater metaphor in which bricks are people, mortar is materialism, and the tower is a reach for your highest aspirations. In other words, they are saying the account is a morality tale rather than just a sober historical account.

But are such attacks on the account of the Tower of Babel warranted? Not at all. The account makes sense as written and explains much about the world today. Genesis 11:1–9 is a historical narrative demonstrating repercussions for disobedience to God’s Word.

1. Ernest Haeckel, The History of Creation, Vol. II, translated by E. Ray Lancaster (London: Henry S. King & Co., 1876), p. 365–366.

2. Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, 2nd ed. (New York: A.L. Burt, 1874), p. 178.

3. For more on Hitler’s views, see Bodie Hodge, “The Results of Evolution,” Answers in Genesis, http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/07/13/results-evolution-bloodiest-religion-ever.

4. Stephen Jay Gould, Ontogeny and Phylogeny (Cambridge, MA: Belknap-Harvard Press, 1977), p. 127–128.

5. Genesis 1:26–28: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

6. Genesis 2:7: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

7. Genesis 2:21–23: And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.”

8. Haeckel, The History of Creation, Vol. II, p. 365–366..

9. Darwin, The Descent of Man, p. 178.

10. Hodge, “The Results of Evolution,” http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/07/13/results-evolution-bloodiest-religion-ever.

11. 1 Corinthians 11:8–9: For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.

12. Haeckel, The History of Creation, Vol. II, p. 365–366.

13. Luke 3:38: the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

14. Psalm 82:6: I said, “You are gods, and all of you are children [‘sons’] of the Most High.”

15. Hosea 1:10: Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, “You are not My people,” There it shall be said to them, “You are sons of the living God.”

16. Luke 6:35: But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

17. Matthew 5:9: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

18. Galatians 3:26: For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

19. John 1:12: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

20. Genesis 27:11: And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned man.”

21. Stephen L. Harris, Understanding the Bible (Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield, 1985).

22. Romans 3:4: Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged.”

23. Mormons are one of the leading cults today, believing in polytheism and that one can become a god. They believe the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each separate men who became a god in this eternal universe. They are merely one “in essence.” Mormonism was founded by Joseph Smith, a convicted glass-looker (con man), who took the Bible and made nearly 4,000 changes to it to conform to his theology (KJV 1833 or otherwise known as the Joseph Smith Translation or simply JST). They also adhere to other books by Smith, namely, Pearl of Great Price, Book of Mormon, and Doctrines and Covenants.

24. “Glenn Beck: Lessons From the Tower of Babel,” FOX News, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,602223,00.html.

CHAPTER 3

Is This Really a Biblical Authority Issue?

Introduction

With each of the aforementioned attacks on the account of the Tower of Babel, take note of the ultimate authority behind these arguments. Racism began to run rampant and even infiltrated the Church because of the rejection of God’s Word as the authority, and substitution of man’s fallible ideas that humans evolved from lower life forms. In other words, man’s ideas were granted greater authority than God’s Word.

Claiming the Tower of Babel is a myth, Dr. Harris was elevated to the position of judging God and His Word. Again, man’s opinion was elevated to the position of highest authority.

With the compromise claiming the account of Babel requires reinterpretation for relevance, Rabbi Lapin literally says “and to listen to us” as opposed to God’s Word, which described an historical event. Lapin was thus claiming authority over God and His Word.

In each case, man attempted to usurp God’s authority, demoting God to not being God! This subtle worldview is called humanism. Now, when the word humanism appears in this book, it is describing a philosophy that rejects the supernatural and relies on human reason as the ultimate authority — collectively or individually. This also includes those who engage in humanistic actions and thinking — in other words, they lift up autonomous human reason over God’s Word. Even Christians can be guilty of engaging in humanistic behavior and thought. Humanism, because it places humans in an exalted position, is a religion. Humanism permeates our culture and is taught freely by schools and the media.

God Versus Man

Humanism is the religion that elevates man (collectively or individually) to the highest authority, which by default demotes God. However, God is God. God is the ultimate authority regardless of what man says, thinks, or does. Nevertheless, humanism casts man in the role of God.

If we jump back to the Garden of Eden, Grandpa Adam and Grandma Eve, in Genesis 3, elevated their own thoughts to be greater than God and His Word when they opted to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God had commanded Adam not to eat of that one tree and warned that death would result.

Eve desired the fruit after being deceived, and she ate. She gave some of the fruit to Adam, who was “with her” when she ate, and he also ate (Genesis 3:6,[1] 13[2]). Adam knew what tree the fruit came from and willfully disobeyed God’s command (2 Timothy 2:14[3]). They both elevated their own thoughts to be greater than God, and where did it lead? Rebellion against God led to death . . . and the need for a Savior for all of us; because now, we all sin, too.

Just because someone thinks and acts on their own authority does not mean they really had that authority. They just think they do. When people disregard God’s authority and rely on their own authority as the ultimate truth, this is called “autonomous human reason” or “human reason apart from God.” This is one of the great deceptions in this day and age. And if you will notice, this deception is nothing new; it goes back to the very first sin.

So the issue is God versus man. And let’s face it, God does not lose. It is time that we submit to God and His Word as the ultimate authority in every area of our lives.

Christianity Versus Humanism

Take note of the battle lines though. Many people make claims today that the battle is the Bible versus science or the Bible versus history and so on. But this is not the case at all. The battle is religion versus religion and, to be more precise, it is God’s religion versus man’s religions: Christianity versus all other religions.

Why do I say “all other religions”? If a religion does not come from God, where does it come from? It comes from the mind of man.[4] So all religions (except for the true one that comes from God) can be classed in a general sense as human-based religions that deviate because they have elevated thoughts and doctrines that come from the mind of man to be greater than God and His Word. The issue is a perfect, infallible God versus fallible, imperfect man or, more simply, Christianity versus humanism, in whatever form.

The worst attacks come from inside the church. This happens when Christians buy into some of the humanistic ideas. Essentially, they try to mix the two religions. When you have people who claim to be Christians and trust many parts of the Bible, but then they say one cannot trust the account of the Tower of Babel, or a global Flood, or that God created man unique instead of the evolutionary concept that we are evolved animals, this is a biblical authority problem (and this is a lesson for us all, to make sure we do not fall into that kind of trap as well).

It is time to get back to God’s Word and let God be that ultimate authority in all areas of our lives. And let’s begin with the account of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1–9 and the genealogies in Genesis 10, as God revealed in His Word.

1. Genesis 3:6” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

2. Genesis 3:13: And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

3. 1 Timothy 2:14: And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

4. I would not deny that there can be influence from Satan or the like, but man is still the responsible party.

CHAPTER 4

The Biblical Account

I suggest that as you read this book, bookmark this page so you can quickly flip back to the account. It could prove useful.

Genesis 11:1–9 (NKJV)

1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.

2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.

3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.

4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.

7 “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.

9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Next, we insert the genealogies of Noah’s three sons. Their descendants gathered together at Babel and built a tower. They were involved when the confusion occurred. This is the division of their familial genealogies, allotted lands, and language splitting.

Genesis 10 [NKJV]

1 Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood.

Descendants of Japheth

2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

5 From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.

Descendants of Ham

6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

7 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.

8 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.

9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.”

10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,

12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).

13 Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,

14 Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and Caphtorim).

15 Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth;

16 the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite;

17 the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite;

18 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed.

19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.

20 These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations.

Descendants of Shem

21 And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder.

22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.

23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

24 Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber.

25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.

26 Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,

28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba,

29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

30 And their dwelling place was from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.

31 These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations.

32 These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.

CHAPTER 5

Isn’t There a Contradiction Between Genesis 10 (World Having Multiple Languages) and 11 (World Having One Language)?

Problems

A number of people have brought up what seems like an insurmountable objection — the supposed contradiction between Genesis 10 and 11. Genesis 10 clearly says that people were separated according to their languages (plural), while Genesis 11 says that there was only one language until after the incident at the Tower of Babel. How do we explain this alleged contradiction?

In Genesis 11:1 the account begins, “Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.” But in chapter 10, it reads:

5 From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.

20 These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations.

31 These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations.

In fact, one variation of this alleged contradiction is based on Genesis 11:2, where everyone dwelt in the same place, in particular, a plain in the land of Shinar. And yet in chapter 10, we find people divided into their various lands.

The Solution

So how is this resolved? Actually, it is quite simple. Genesis 11:1–9 is the chronological account of the events that occurred. Genesis 10 is the significance or the result of what happened. In other words, Genesis 10 does not precede the events in Genesis 11; it just summarizes and introduces those events. Genesis 10 sums up what happened; Genesis 11 tells how it happened.

The opening (“now this is the genealogy of”) and closing of Genesis 10 (“these were the families of the sons of Noah”) indicates that the material in between is a “genealogy” or breakdown of the “families.” This material fills in extra detail, which here includes the actual division of the languages by respective family groups as a result of the splitting up of the earth in Genesis 11:1–9.

This type of thing was common in Hebrew. For example, Genesis 1:1–2:3 is the chronological account of creation. Then the rest of Genesis 2 is a breakdown of the events occurring on day 6 of creation. The second chapter gives more details of something that happened during creation week. In a like manner, Genesis 10 gives more detail of something that happened in Genesis 11:1–9.

So the solution presents itself when reading the passages: one is chronological (Genesis 11:1–9) and the other is a breakdown of what happened as a result of the linguistic division (Genesis 10). It simply confuses some people because of the placement of chapter 10 prior to chapter 11.

This arrangement serves another purpose. After Genesis 11:1–9, we immediately dive into the genealogy of Shem and follow it to Abraham, where the rest of the Old Testament continues to build. If Genesis 10 were placed between Genesis 11:9–10, it would be an awkward switch since the Genesis 11 genealogies pick up with a different style. Unlike the Genesis 10 genealogies, the ones in Genesis 11 include chronological data down to Abraham. By placing Genesis 10 before Genesis 11:1–9, Moses was clearly making a marked distinction by how these were edited together.

CHAPTER 6

Why Were the People Disobedient?

People have asked, “Why was God so mean that He came down and inflicted such confusion on those innocent people at Babel?”

First, God is a fair judge and does not inflict judgment on anyone without cause. Second, none of us are innocent and all of us have fallen short ever since the entrance of sin in Genesis 3. And by rights, we should be asking the question, “Why is the Lord so patient with us, considering that even one sin is worthy of the judgment of a perfectly holy God?” Many people today fail to read much of the Bible and know precious little about the character of God. So if someone asks you this question, try not to be taken aback. Rather, be patient with them. To answer this, though, we need to jump back to Genesis 9, because the people at Babel were being utterly disobedient:

So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1).

This is reiterated later in Genesis 9:

And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it (Genesis 9:7).

The descendants of Noah were to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. In fact, the descendants of Noah knew this command very well:

And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4).

Notice in verse 4 how they said, “lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” They were intentionally trying to defy God. They knew God’s command and they were trying to go against Him. This is sin (disobedience to God).

How is it that they knew this command? Surely, Noah and his sons passed this information along to them. Noah was a preacher of righteousness per 2 Peter 2:5.[1] We often think of Noah preaching against the pre-Flood world, and that was indeed the case, as Peter discussed. But there is a little-known secret about most preachers . . . they preach until they die! In other words, once a preacher, always a preacher!

Another point of disobedience at Babel is found in Genesis 11:4 and is a heart problem. They wanted to “make a name for ourselves.” They were not looking out for others, but for themselves. This is reminiscent of what was going on before the Flood. Those wicked people before the Flood were “men of renown” (Genesis 6:4[2]). They, too, were trying to make a name for themselves, and look at the results of that: ultimately, tremendous violence. The good thing at Babel was that it had not turned to that . . . yet. In retrospect, the judgment at Babel was actually a very mild judgment that was a repercussion of disobedience inflicted on the people to merely confuse their languages.[3]

And there is no doubt that a preacher of righteousness, even after the Flood, was able to teach the people what self-centeredness regarding “making a name for themselves” could lead to. This may well have been why the descendants of Noah knew the command to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and the warnings about the pre-Flood world’s intoxication with fame.

When we examine the genealogies after the Flood in Genesis 5, we see that Noah lived for 350 years after the Flood, which is plenty of time to pass this information along to his descendants. And the events at the Tower of Babel occurred far sooner than Noah’s death, in the days of Peleg (Genesis 10:25). And that brings us to the question of when the scattering occurred.

1. 2 Peter 2:5: . . . and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.

2. Genesis 6:4: The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown (NASB).

3. When we think of judgments, we often think of the severe ones, such as the Curse, the Flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, or the conquest of the Canaanites, but not all judgments are of this severity. Many judgments in the Bible were not too severe (e.g., Exodus 21).

CHAPTER 7

When Did the Scattering Occur?

Renowned chronologist Archbishop James Ussher[1] placed the time of Babel at 106 years after the Flood, near the time Peleg was born.[2] Although this may not be the exact date, it is in range because Peleg was in the fourth generation after the Flood, as we read in Genesis 10:

To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan (Genesis 10:25).

Before examining this date in more detail, a common misconception must be dispelled about Genesis 10:25. An extended analysis of this will appear in a later chapter, but due to the context, it needs to be addressed in short form here.

Continental Split?

Some have suggested that Genesis 10:25 refers to a geophysical splitting of the continents; however, any major continental movements would have been associated with the Flood of Noah’s time — not the events at Babel. The massive amounts of water and the crustal breakup indicated in Genesis 7:11[3] (the fountains of the great deep burst forth) were substantial enough to cause catastrophic movements of plates.

Continental collision formations, resulting in high mountains, already existed prior to Peleg’s day. For example, we know the mountains of Ararat had formed by the end of the Flood because the ark landed there. These mountains were produced by a collision with the Arabian plate and the Eurasian plate. Therefore, the crustal movement must have already occurred by the time the Flood ended.

Continental splitting during the day of Peleg would have been catastrophic enough to cause another global flood! Instead, the division mentioned here refers to the linguistic division that happened when God confused the language at Babel. Even the Jewish historian Josephus (who lived near the time of Christ) stated, “He was called Peleg, because he was born at the dispersion of the nations to their various countries.”[4]

Prominent modern theologians such as Dr. John Whitcomb reaffirm this as well.[5] For more on this alleged continental split in the days of Peleg, please see chapter 15.

The date

Returning to the discussion about the date, Archbishop Ussher’s reckoning placed the date of Babel near 2242 B.C.[6] See the chart for a comparison to other events according to Ussher.

Major Dates According to Ussher

Major event

Date

Creation

4004 B.C.

Global Flood

2348 B.C.

Tower of Babel

2242 B.C.

Call of Abraham

1921 B.C.

Time of the Judges (Moses was first)

1491 B.C. (God appeared to Moses in the burning bush)

Time of the Kings (Saul was the first)

1095 B.C.

Split kingdom

~975 B.C.

Christ was born

~5/4 B.C.

Ussher arrives at this date due to a historian named Manetho. Manetho claimed that the events at Babel occurred five years after the birth of Peleg. Is that right or wrong? We simply do not know. Manetho was not the best historian, as pointed out by a number of scholars today. I have seen dates of the scattering at 101 years after the Flood (right when Peleg was a born) and others near 130 years after the Flood.[7]

One cannot help but notice this range. A significant number (120, to be precise) is within this range. Prior to the Flood, because of the violence and sinful nature of man, God decreed a judgment of 120 years in Genesis 6:3.[8] This was essentially a countdown to the Flood.

This number gives us an idea of the patience of God before judgment ensues. Considering that we are somewhere “in the neighborhood” of 120 years after God’s declaration to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and though this is admittedly speculative, the timing makes sense.

Regardless, it was during the days of Peleg that the family groups left Babel in the plain of Shinar and traveled to different parts of the world, taking with them their own language that other families could not understand.[9] Not long after this, Babylon (2234 B.C.), Egypt (2188 B.C.), and Greece (2089 B.C.) began.[10] In a general sense, civilizations that were closer to Babel (e.g., those in the Middle East) were established prior to civilizations farther from Babel (e.g., those in Australia or the Americas). But this date for Babel seems to be consistent with what we find elsewhere.

An objection

Some have objected and claimed that it took much longer to get enough people to build this huge tower. But there is an easy way to defuse this argument. You can ask, “How many people are required to build a tower of unknown size?

We simply do not know its height. Of course, it should have towered over the rest of the buildings in the area. The Bible says a tower “whose top is in the heavens” (Genesis 11:4). There are nearly 30 ziggurats in the Mesopotamian area, none of which reach the stratosphere, but are instead just towers that merely reach over everything else. One might say that the name implies an immense height. But some names of the other ziggurat towers in that area have names that imply a link from earth to heaven:

1. Temple of the Stairway to Pure Heaven (Sippar)

2. Temple which Links Heaven and Earth (Larsa)

Yet these towers are not skyscrapers by any means. Keep in mind that determined people can do things quickly when they put their minds to it. For example, in A.D. 1196, the soldiers of Richard the Lionheart built an immense castle (Chateau Gaillard) in Eure of Norman France. A small and yet impressive amount of the ruins remain to this day. What still fascinates researchers is the time it took to build this large, intricate structure . . . only about one year.[11] These workers then built an impressive church over the next four years, Saint Sauveur’s Church.[12]

Chateau Gaillard

A rather simple and much smaller tower, like a ziggurat, would be no problem for a few determined families (no less than 78 families per the listing in Genesis 10) to build. These people in Genesis 11:1–9 were indeed working as one unit and had their minds set to build this structure. So they could surely put it up quickly; it would not have required centuries or even thousands of people. Josephus even commented on that:

. . . and they built a tower, neither sparing any pains, nor being in any degree negligent about the work; and by reason of the multitude of hands employed in it, it grew very high, sooner than anyone could expect; but the thickness of it was so great, and it was so strongly built, that thereby its great height seemed, upon the view, to be less than it really was.[13]

1. James Ussher, The Annals of the World, translated by Larry and Marion Pierce (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2003), p. 22.

2. The use of Ussher’s dates is not an across-the-board endorsement of his work. We recognize that any human work contains errors; however, Ussher meticulously researched biblical and ancient history, and we are comfortable with using many of the dates he proposed.

3. Genesis 7:11: In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

4. William Whiston, The Works of Josephus Complete and Unabridged (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1987), p. 37.

5. John Whitcomb, “Babel,” Creation (June 2002): p. 31–33, online at www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v24/i3/babel.asp.

6. Ussher, The Annals of the World, p. 22.

7. This excludes those who hold to a gap theory between the Flood and Babel such as Dr. John Whitcomb, who places upwards of nearly 700–1,000 years between the Flood and Babel. I have tremendous respect for Dr. Whitcomb, but humbly disagree.

8. Many people have mistakenly thought this referred to human longevity. However, for about 1,000 years after this, people still lived well beyond 120 years. Due to the context of the coming Flood, it makes more sense to be in reference to the coming judgment; Genesis 6:3 says, “And the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’”

9. This likely split apart knowledge, technology, music, history, and so on. I would leave open options that God permitted some individuals to have been granted the privilege of more than one language so that limited translation could occur between families, like father and son, and so that mass havoc did not completely ensue. There was a general trend for the directions of the three sons of Noah’s descendants (Japheth — northeast and northwest; Ham — south and southwest; and Shem — Middle East and east and southeast. Overall, this would still be within the class of “confusion” of languages. Perhaps Noah and his sons were given such a privilege to be able to speak with various descendants.

10. Larry Pierce, “In the Days of Peleg,” Creation (December 1999): p. 46–49.

11. “Chateau Gaillard,” France This Way, http://www.francethisway.com/places/chateau-gaillard.php, see also: “Chateau Gaillard: The Stronghold of Richard the Lionheart,” http://lesandelys.com/chateau-gaillard.

12. I have seen reports that 3,000 people were involved in the project, and in some cases around 6,000 people. However, none of the references seemed solid enough to cite, so I chose to give the range here.

13. Flavius Josephus, The Works of Flavius Josephus, Antiquity of the Jews, vhapter IV, trans. William Whiston (Grand Rapids, MI: Associated Publishers and Authors, Inc., year not given in print edition), p. 30.

CHAPTER 8

Where Did the Scattering Occur?

Since the scattering was at Babel, which is between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, then was this near the Garden of Eden? Some preliminary comments first.

Where Was the Garden of Eden?

In today’s culture, people mistakenly think that the Garden of Eden was in Iraq (the garden was actually destroyed by the Flood), and yet Babel is in Iraq as well. Some think that these two places were nearby due to this misconception and due to the appearance of some names both pre-Flood and post-Flood.

To begin, the placement of the Garden of Eden must be evaluated. If one jumps back to Genesis 2 and reads the description of the Garden of Eden, there was one river that broke into four headwaters. The directions and places these rivers flow do not match at all with what we find today.

When we read Genesis 6–9, it is obvious that there was a global Flood. A global Flood would destroy any remnant of the Garden of Eden; it would rearrange and pile up sediment so that the previous landscape, rivers, and so on would be utterly unrecognizable. But people mistake the Garden of Eden in Iraq for good reason by asking, “If there was a global Flood that destroyed everything, then why do the names of some places and features still exist?” Here are the most common examples:

Some Pre-Flood and Post-Flood References

Name

Bible Reference Pre-Flood

Bible Reference Post-Flood

Person

Havilah

Genesis 2:11

Genesis 10:7, 29

Noah’s grandson through Ham; Noah’s great, great, great, great grandson through Shem

Cush

Genesis 2:13

Genesis 10:6

Noah’s grandson through Ham

Asshur

Genesis 2:14 (ESV)

Genesis 10:22

Noah’s grandson through Shem

Tigris

Genesis 2:14 (ESV)

Genesis 10:4

River in modern-day Iraq

Euphrates

Genesis 2:14

Genesis 15:18

River in modern-day Iraq

The answer to this conundrum is quite simple, but let’s use some illustrations so that we can better understand this.

1. Names of places often transfer. For example, Versailles, Illinois, was named for Versailles, Kentucky, when settlers moved from Kentucky into Illinois. And before that Versailles, Kentucky, was named for Versailles, France. If someone says, “Meet me in Versailles,” you may have to ask, “Which one?” (There are other places that have a Versailles as well, such as Ohio and Indiana).

2. Names of places often come from names of people. The land of Canaan was named for Noah’s grandson Canaan. St. Louis, Missouri, was named for King Louis IX of France.

3. Names of people sometimes come from places. For example, “London,” the capital seat of the United Kingdom, is also a common name of numerous persons today.

Thus, names could easily have been transferred through the Flood. Ham’s grandson was likely named after the pre-Flood land of Havilah. Cush was Ham’s son, and Asshur was Shem’s son. Noah, Ham, and Shem lived before the Flood and would have remembered these regions. And, of course, these names have gone on to become names of regions where some of these people settled after the dispersal of the Tower of Babel. Cush is modern-day Ethiopia, Asshur was where Assyria developed into a great nation, and so on.

For example, if I were to mention the “Thames River,” most people would quickly think of a river in southern England. However, the state of Connecticut in the United States and Ontario, Canada, each has a river named Thames, too. When people settled in the Americas from Europe, they named some rivers for rivers they were familiar with. Why would we expect Noah and his descendants to do any differently? The Tigris and Euphrates that we know today in modern-day Iraq were named for the famous headwaters in the Garden of Eden.

There is no contradiction, but merely a situation of naming new places, rivers, and people with previously used names.

Where Was the Tower of Babel Located . . . Was It in the Region of Iraq?

The scattering took place at Babel . . . but where exactly is that? The Bible describes it as the plain of Shinar in Genesis 11:2. They were moving from the east.[1] This is in reference to where Noah had settled to become a farmer (Genesis 9).

Did Noah Leave the Ark Site?

In Genesis 9, we read the account of Ham’s sinful actions toward Noah and the subsequent curse to Canaan, Ham’s youngest son, who was likely much like Ham but worse. Furthermore, Noah knew better than to curse Ham, whom God had blessed in Genesis 9:1[2] when they came off of the ark (for a detailed discussion of this please see the summary section of chapter 17, Ham).

At the time of these events, Noah was settled and likely with most of his descendants. So this westerly movement of people (Genesis 11:2) refers to their migration from where they had settled with Noah.[3]

Some researchers have suggested the migration was westward from the landing site of the ark.[4] However, Noah had the pick of the world in which to settle and had no reason to set up housekeeping beside the ark. Furthermore, to become a farmer, Noah would not have selected the rocky soil on the mountains of Ararat.

Noah was living in a tent (not the large wooden structure of the ark), because the Lord said to come off the ark and fill the earth. Noah had listened to God before the Flood, so we would expect him to obey God here. Therefore, the starting point for this migration would not have been the ark’s landing site but where Noah had settled and become a farmer.

Shinar and Babel

As the descendants of Noah traveled westward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. Shinar literally means “between two rivers.” This would place them between the only two parallel rivers in the whole area. That is between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. They would naturally name the rivers near which they settled for pre-Flood rivers. Shinar was the region known as Babylonia or Chaldea in southern Mesopotamia, and Shinar occurs eight times in the Old Testament:

And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar (Genesis 10:10).

And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there (Genesis 11:2).

And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations (Genesis 14:1).

. . . against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar — four kings against five (Genesis 14:9).

When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it (Joshua 7:21).

It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from Assyria and Egypt, from Pathros and Cush, from Elam and Shinar, from Hamath and the islands of the sea (Isaiah 11:11).

And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god (Daniel 1:2).

And he said to me, “To build a house for it in the land of Shinar; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base” (Zechariah 5:11).

These definitive references make it clear that the Israelites knew the location of Shinar. Later, because of their persistent disobedience, God allowed the Assyrian Empire and a later Babylonian Empire to conquer the divided kingdoms of the Israelites, and many of the people were deported to a region they knew as Shinar. This was the time of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, to give you an idea of this later empire.

The region of Mesopotamia (Babylon, modern Iraq, today) was home to a number of powerful empires in the past, particularly Assyria, Babylon, and Persia.

Interestingly, the word for “Babel” and “Babylon” is the same in Hebrew. This Hebrew word is translated twice in Genesis 10–11 as “Babel” and elsewhere translated as “Babylon.” The “Babel” translation is likely chosen to distinguish the former from the latter empire. The Theological Wordbook of Old Testament explains the Hebrew word babel as follows:

Babylon is the Greek spelling of the name which in Hebrew is uniformly “Babel.” The words [sic] occurs some 290 times and refers to an ancient city on the eastern bank of the Euphrates about twenty miles south of Bagdad, near the modern village of Hilla in Iraq.[5]

Babel and Babylon are indeed the same place by the biblical accounts and can be found on maps even in the present time. This is the most probable place where the events of the tower occurred.[6] Subsequently, a later empire was built.

1. The Hebrew word for east could also be translated “eastward,” but most translators believe this to be “from the east” as opposed to “toward the east.”

2. Genesis 9:1: So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”

3. The Hebrew word translated as “from the east” in Genesis 11:2 can mean either “eastward” or “from the east.” This makes it difficult to understand the exact location. What we can say for sure is that Noah’s farm was primarily east or west from Babel and the land of Shinar.

4. Anne Habermehl, “Where in the World Is the Tower of Babel?” Answers Research Journal 4 (2011): 25–53; Anne Habermehl, “A Review of the Search for Noah’s Ark,” in Andrew Snelling, ed., Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference of Creationism (Pittsburg, PA; Dallas, TX: Creation Science Fellowship; Institute for Creation Research, 2008), p. 485–502.

5. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke, editors, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago, IL: Moody Bible Institute, 1980), s.v. בבל.

6. I would leave open a slim possibility that the original tower itself was not in the city but was nearby, but the text of Scripture seemed to equate these two places (Babel and Babylon) without further discussion.

CHAPTER 9

Was the Tower of Babel Built or Not?

Illustrations of the Tower of Babel range from a completed ziggurat to a partially completed structure to a simple foundation![1] Why the discrepancy?

Was It Completed?

According to most translations, the Tower of Babel was built, according to (Genesis 11:5), and it was the city that they stopped building (Genesis 11:8.). Though the LXX Greek translation adds in that the tower ceased to be built as well, though this is done without any Hebrew textual basis. A handful of translations say “building” instead of “built” or “builded,” likely for this reason.

Some have thought that the Hebrew wording does not mean it was built, but the word for built/building is banah/baanuw and is used in a perfect tense. If the tower was built, this is how it would be stated in Hebrew.

Commentators Keil and Delitzch, believing it was built significantly but not entirely, say of this word usage in Genesis 11:5 that “the perfect baanuw refers to the building as one finished up to a certain point.”[2] So the question is how complete (e.g., perhaps some finishing touches were necessary)? But for the most part, it was complete. The tower was not a merely a foundation. And so this may be an option, though this author is not entirely convinced.

If one argued that the tower was not built to any significant degree, then that person would have to argue that hosts of structures in the Old Testament were also not built, such as the temple (e.g., 1 Kings 10:4[3]), many houses (e.g., 1 Kings 9:24[4]), many cities (e.g., Numbers 32:37–38[5]), and so on, since they all use this same Hebrew word in a perfect tense.

Furthermore, banah in this verse is used not just in reference to the tower but also the city. If we were to argue the tower was not built, then we would have to argue that the city was not really built either. The fact that the Bible calls it a “tower” should be sufficient to believe it was a tower and not the mere beginnings of a structure. And the fact that the Bible clarifies in Genesis 11:8 that the city ceased to be built, should warrant that the tower didn’t really need further work.

The LXX (also known as the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures completed about 200–250 years before Christ) added the word tower to Genesis 11:8 in their translation without biblical warrant, and this has likely been the main reason some have thought the tower was only partially built.

The LXX is good in many places, but it is not considered a good translation in Genesis, as it distorts the ages of the patriarchs (e.g., Noah’s grandfather Methuselah would be living over a decade after the Flood without being on the ark), mistranslates “sons” as angels in Genesis 6:2 (6:3 by the LXX’s reckoning in the Codex Alexadrinus and some Vaticanus texts), mixes the Greek philosophy of the day by having a solid dome to translate expanse (raqiya) as something solid and firm,[6] and so on. The standard Hebrew Masoretic text makes it clear that it was not the tower but the city that “ceased to be built” if any clarification was needed.

Some argue that Genesis 11:6 (“and this is what they begin to do”) refers to the tower. But it makes more sense that the Lord is referring to their sinful intention of defying His command to fill the post-Flood world, given in Genesis 9:1[7] and 9:7.[8] In other words, they were building the city and tower in defiance of God’s command. A city or a tower is not inherently evil, but disobedience to God’s command is.

Archaeology may provide a good confirmation of this line of reasoning. The oldest recorded image of the Tower of Babel, found in the The Schøyen Collection, MS 2063, is an inscribed stele with Nebuchadnezzar II and the image of a virtually complete tower.[9]

Tower of Babel stele with Nebuchadnezzar II

In this image, the tower is essentially complete, with only a small portion at the very top that is slightly indiscernible. But the tower is basically complete, though one should still be tentative rather than dogmatic. But in the grand scheme, it was complete enough to serve the function for which it was intended — to keep people from scattering.

Nebuchadnezzar II was the king of Babylon, the later empire that flourished when Israel and Judah were in captivity. This was the time of Daniel and Jeremiah, about 600 B.C. for a biblical reference.

Nebuchadnezzar II wanted to tear down this rather old and dilapidated tower (even in his day) and rebuild it. Of course, Nebuchadnezzar II did not have this opportunity. A Greek historian named Herodotus commented on it in his day when he was in Babylon:

The temple of Bêl, the Babylonian Zeus [. . .] was still in existence in my time. It has a solid central tower, one stadium square, with a second erected on top of it and then a third, and so on up to eight. All eight towers can be climbed by a spiral way running round the outside, and about half way up there are seats for those who make the ascent to rest on. On the summit of the topmost tower stands a great temple with a fine large couch in it, richly covered, and a golden table beside it. The shrine contains no image, and no one spends the night there except (if we may believe the Chaldaeans who are the priests of Bêl) one Babylonian woman, all alone, whoever it may be that the god has chosen. The Chaldaeans also say — though I do not believe them — that the god enters the temple in person and takes his rest upon the bed.[10]

Later, Alexander the Great had the tower torn down with the same idea to rebuild it, but his death at a young age prevented it from ever being rebuilt. And so it passed into pages of history.

1. Special thanks to Hebraist Dr. Russell Fuller for his comments on this topic.

2. C.F. Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament (2006), 10 volumes; ncbible.info/MoodRes/Moses/Keil&DelitzschGenesis.pdf.

3. 1 Kings 10:4: And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built.

4. 1 Kings 9:24: But Pharaoh’s daughter came up from the City of David to her house which Solomon had built for her.

5. Numbers 32:37–38: And the children of Reuben built Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim, 38 Nebo and Baal Meon (their names being changed) and Shibmah; and they gave other names to the cities which they built.

6. Many Greeks believed the heavens were basically solid, and this influenced these translators to say the expanse was something solid. This has affected numerous translations since then as the Latin version (Jerome’s Vulgate) then translated this a something firm and the KJV and NKJV translators followed suit with a firmament.

7. Genesis 9:1: So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”

8. Genesis 9:7: “And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it.”

9. Rossella Lorenzi, “Ancient Texts Part of Earliest Known Documents,” Discovery News, http://news.discovery.com/history/tower-of-babel-111227.html.

10. Herodotus, Histories 1.181–2; available online at http://www.livius.org/he-hg/herodotus/logoi.html.

CHAPTER 10

What Was the Purpose of the Tower of Babel?

Even though the Bible records the general reason the tower was built, people have suggested a number of additional specific reasons. These need to be evaluated.

To Survive Another Global Flood?

Let’s first see what respected Jewish historian Josephus suggested. He wrote, “For that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach.”[1]

Josephus commented that the tower was built in order to survive another flood — to escape any such repeat judgment from God. But if that were the case, why build it in a flood plain? The plain of Shinar flooded regularly, though measures have been taken to reduce that today.

Also, this neglects the promise of God not to send a flood to destroy all life as He had previously stated (Genesis 8:21,[2] 9:11,[3] 9:15[4]; Psalm 104:9[5]). (Of course, the people were ignoring God’s command, so it would not be out of character for them to also ignore His promise.)

Dr. John Gill, a leading Baptist expositor and Hebraist of the 1700s, commented:

It is generally thought what led them to it was to secure them from another flood, they might be in fear of; but this seems not likely, since they had the covenant and oath of God, that the earth should never be destroyed by water any more; and besides, had this been the thing in view, they would not have chosen a plain to build on, a plain that lay between two of the greatest rivers, Tigris, and Euphrates, but rather one of the highest mountains and hills they could have found: nor could a building of brick be a sufficient defense against such a force of water, as the waters of the flood were; and besides, but few at most could be preserved at the top of the tower, to which, in such a case, they would have betook themselves.[6]

Dr. Gill rightly points out the problems with this view.

Idolatry?

One idea was that the tower was built for idolatry like a temple to the sun for worship. This may be problematic since the Babel builders clearly knew God’s command to fill the earth. Their intentional defiance was going against this command in Genesis 11:4. If they knew the command, they likely knew who gave it. So it makes sense they still retained knowledge of God, even if this event marked the beginning of rebellion from God post-Flood.

Though with rebellion, this could occur. When people turn their back on God, it does not take long to start deviating in many areas, including idolatry.

Fame?

Some suggest that the tower was built to spread their fame far and wide. And this may well be one of the reasons since they were doing this to make a name for themselves (Genesis 11:4).

However, if people were concentrated there, then far and wide was not much. Perhaps their fame was meant to be an “enduring fame” to make a name for themselves for greatness in subsequent generations.

Astronomical Observations and Worshiping the Heavens?

Some have thought the tower was used to stargaze, which was the basis for marking seasons and years as commanded in Genesis 1:14.[7] This may well have been one of the reasons for it.

Towers and temples across the globe were used for such things as timekeeping. It is easy to see when people neglect God; the descendants of Noah started to look for other things to worship. So it is possible that such things helped prompt the patriarchs to serve false gods.

Many temples and structures in the ancient world were used for mapping the heavens and telling time through astronomical observations, such as the following:

1. South American Incan temples of the sun and moon

2. Indian Mnajdra temples

3. Mesoamerican Alta Vista’s Labyrinth or Pyramid of the Sun in Mexico

4. Stonehenge (marks solar and lunar observations)

Tikal Temple in Guatemala

Many of these ancient structures could have been used for such a purpose, but this would not necessarily be a reason for keeping people from scattering.

Sacrifice?

Although the Tower of Babel long preceded the Levitical laws concerning ceremonial sacrifice, we know from the Genesis record of Abel’s and Noah’s sacrifices that people understood sacrifice as a part of worship.

God had not given any instructions concerning a central place of sacrifice in His recorded Word. On the contrary, He had commanded people to scatter. However, if the people in unison designated the tower as the official place for sacrifice, then people could not travel too far. Such an edifice would be used for a supposedly godly purpose, and yet be in defiance of God’s Word. Recall Saul when he offered a sacrifice, claimed to be godly, and yet was defying God’s Word (1 Samuel 15:20–22[8]). It is better to obey than sacrifice. Many towers around the world were used for sacrifice — sadly, even human sacrifice.

Terraces at Patallacta, Peru

Burial?

Was it a place of burial, as was the case with some ziggurats and pyramids, such as many in Egypt? It is possible. However, the first recorded death of anyone after the Flood was Peleg, based on the dates of overlap (Genesis 11:19), and yet the scattering from the tower occurred in the days of Peleg.[9] Could the tower have been a burial place for Noah’s wife (who seems obviously to be missing in the account of Genesis 9:18–29) or a son or daughter-in-law? The Bible does not address this question.

Stonehenge from the heelstone with the “Slaughter Stone” in the foreground

A computer rendering of the Stonehenge site

What We Know

What we know for sure was that the tower’s primary purpose was to keep people from scattering and to make a name for themselves. And it obviously served that purpose, because the LORD had to intervene to confuse the languages to make people scatter.

Some may think that the building project itself was what kept people from scattering and was not related to any other underlying purpose. However, this is problematic.

If the construction project was what kept people from scattering (i.e., merely building a tower), then upon completion, the people should have naturally scattered. There would have been no need for a confusion of languages on God’s part. (He knows all things of course.) But God’s intervention was necessary. So it was not merely building the tower that kept people around, but the tower did indeed have an underlying purpose.

1. Revised Works of Josephus, chapter 4, Tower of Babel, 2242 B.C., line 114.

2. Genesis 8:21: And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.”

3. Genesis 9:11: “Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

4. Genesis 9:15: . . . and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

5. Psalm 104:9: You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they may not return to cover the earth.

6. John Gill, Commentary on the Whole Bible, notes on Genesis 11:4; available online at http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/genesis-11-4.html.

7. Genesis 1:14: Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years.”

8. 1 Samuel 15:20–22: And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” Then Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.”

9. See the chart “Years after Creation” in chapter 21.

CHAPTER 11

What Did the Tower Look Like?

In a previous chapter, we saw an ancient stele that had a depiction of the Tower of Babel on it. It was a ziggurat in form. Is that accurate? After all, we see some popular artwork that has the Tower of Babel rounded. What is the truth?

If we jump back to about 400 years ago, in the King James Version (KJV) of 1611, we find an illustration of a rounded image in the pages prior to the biblical text.

Illustration from the King James Version of 1611

Even before this, in 1547, Cornelis Anthonisz from Amsterdam did an etching of a rounded tower being destroyed by God.

Cornelis Anthonisz, 1547

In 1563, there is a famed painting by Peter Breugel. We also find a painting about this same time by Lucas Van Valkenborch in 1568.

Pieter Bruegel, 1563

Lucas Van Valkenborch,1568

Even in more modern times, we find rounded images following these previous examples. One of the more famous ones, by Gustave Dore, was completed the same year that the American Civil War ended.

Gustave Dore, 1865

These images are beautiful, but they may not be the most accurate. I find that in some instances they play into the false assumption that the Tower of Babel reached very high in the atmosphere, like the stratosphere, with clouds encircling the top. In each case, they have a rounded tower that one can access by walking along the outside at a particular grade. However, not all them wind in the same direction.

To informed researchers, the Tower of Babel is most likely a type of ziggurat, although the Bible does not give specific dimensions. The Hebrew word for tower used in Genesis 11, referring to the Tower of Babel, is migdal: a tower; by analogy, a rostrum; figuratively, a (pyramidal) bed of flowers.[1]

Interestingly, this word means “tower” but figuratively reflects a flowerbed that yields a pyramidal shape. This gives a little support to the idea that the Tower of Babel may have been pyramidal or ziggurat shaped. In fact, there are many ziggurats found around the world and around 30 are in the Mesopotamian area. John Walton of the Associates for Biblical Research, an archaeology group, says:

To call the ziggurat a tower is not inaccurate, and as a matter of fact, the term they used is derived from the Hebrew term gdl (to be large), which is somewhat parallel to the etymological root of the Akkadian word, ziqqurat (zaqaru, to be high). Despite the fact then that the Hebrew term is used primarily in military senses or as watch towers, the context here and the known background of the narrative prevent us from being limited to that semantic range.[2]

One famous tower is a ziggurat at Ur (The Great Ziggurat at Ur) with a reconstruction by excavator Sir Leonard Woolley. It was buried and in ruins, and after excavations, it was still impressive, yet missing its upper parts.

The Ziggurat of Ur in present-day Dhi Qar Province, Iraq

The editors of Reader’s Digest, in a study on Babel and the archaeology thereof, suggested this site in Babylon as the remains of the tower’s foundation[3]: If this is truly the foundation, then clearly it was square in shape, like other ziggurats. This is what would be expected from the Tower of Babel Stele.

In what is now Iraq, Robert Koldewey excavated a structure some think to be the foundation of the original Tower of Babel. It underlays a later ziggurat that was thought to be built or restored by Hammurabi in the 19th century B.C.[4]

Even the Tyndale Bible Dictionary reveals:

The first ziggurat at Babylon was built by Shar-kali-sharri, king of Akkad in the latter part of the 23d century B.C. Archaeologists understand that this ziggurat was destroyed and rebuilt several times across the centuries. It apparently lay in ruins from sometime around 2000 B.C. to around 1830 B.C., at which time a forebear of Hammurabi (1728–1636 B.C.) founded or rebuilt the city named Bab-ilu, or Babel.[5]

The New Bible Dictionary also affirms this:

The ziggurat at Babylon was demolished by Xerxes in 472 B.C., and though Alexander cleared the rubble prior to its restoration this was thwarted by his death. The bricks were subsequently removed by the local inhabitants, and today the site of Etemenanki is a pit (Es-Saḥn) as deep as the original construction was high.[6]

Reconstruction of the Etemenantki tower

This is the likely place of the original tower, but will we ever be absolutely certain about its exact location? I leave this open for debate. The late archaeologist Dr. Clifford Wilson affirms this as the potential site of Tower of Babel.[7]

Regardless, when people were scattered from Babel, they likely took this building concept with them to places all over the world. It makes sense that many of the families that were scattered from Babel took varying ideas of the tower to their new lands and began building projects of their own. It is highly possible that they even came up with newer and better designs and materials for their specified towers (e.g., cut stone instead of baked bricks and so on).

Ziggurats, pyramids, mounds, and the like have been found in many parts of the world — from Mesopotamia to Egypt to South America. Among the earliest structures in Egypt was a step pyramid, which is a ziggurat. The ancient Chinese built pyramids, and the Mississippian culture built mounds. Pyramids are classed slightly differently from ziggurats, as are mounds, but the similarities are striking.

Ziggurats and pyramids all over the world are an excellent confirmation of the original recorded in God’s Word — the Tower of Babel.

Ziggurat at Yucatan, Mexico

Mayan ruins at Altun Ha, Belize

Ziggurat at Kashan, Iran

1. Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon, Online Bible, Larry Pierce, 2012.

2. John Walton, “Is There Archaeological Evidence for the Tower of Babel?” Associates for Biblical Research, http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/05/Is-there-Archaeological-Evidence-for-the-Tower-of-Babel.aspx.

3. The World’s Last Mysteries (Pleasantville, NY: The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., 1978), p. 168–169.

4. David Down, “Ziggurats in the News,” Archaeological Diggings (March–April 2007): p. 3–7.

5. Walter A. Elwell and Philip Wesley Comfort, editors, Tyndale Bible Dictionary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), S. 137.

6. D.R.W. Wood, New Bible Dictionary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, c1962, c1982, 1996), S. 109.

7. Clifford Wilson, Visual Highlights of the Bible, Volume 1, From Creation to Abraham (Boronia, Victoria, Australia: Pacific Christian Ministries), p. 50–51.

CHAPTER 12

Did All ~7,000 Languages Today Come Out of Babel?

Introduction

The Tower of Babel explains why everyone does not speak the same language today. There are over 6,900 spoken languages in the world today.[1] Were there that many people who came out of Babel with a new language? Not at all. So how do we explain this?

Believe it or not, creationists and evolutionists actually agree on something here. We agree that languages change. Of course, the evolutionary view assumes that we all go back to one single grunting “ape” language or “proto-language.” Naturally, this is in opposition to what God says in Genesis 11:1–9, where God is the originator of the first language and confused that language due to rebellion at Babel.

Variations within Language Families

But languages change over time. Let’s look at changes in the English language as an example. As a United States citizen who grew up in the United States, I speak American English. But, to be more precise, when I return home to my family, I speak a western Illinois dialect that sounds like a choppy-country style that is rather conversational; some even denote this as “hick.” Yes, I admit it! Though I am proud of my humble dialect, many others find it rather unsophisticated and difficult to listen to.

In various parts of the United States, American English is quite varied. From the New England states to the Midwest to the West Coast, there is indeed some variation. Need I mention Tennessee, whose residents have a unique variety of English all to themselves — but unlike my dialect, many agree that Tennessean is actually quite pleasant to listen to!

But these varieties of American English are quite different from English around the world. British English varies from Canadian English, which varies from Indian (subcontinent) English, which varies from Australian and New Zealand English! Let’s face it, English has variations today and it continues changing every year!

If we jump back, English has changed so much over the course of 1,000 years that early speakers would hardly recognize it today and vice versa. Take a look at the changes in Matthew 6:9[2] over the course of about 1,000 years (this does not take into account accents and shifting in sounds).

Beginning of Matthew 6:9

Date

Our Father who art in heaven and/or

Our Father who is in heaven

Late Modern English (1700s)

Our father which art in heauen

Early Modern English (1500–1700) (KJV 1611)

Oure fader that art in heuenis

Middle English (1100–1500)

Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum

Old English (c. A.D. 1000)

One thousand years ago, English looked somewhat German. But to make things worse, English is actually classified as a Germanic language, along with languages like Swedish, German, Norwegian, Dutch, Afrikaans, Austrian, Icelandic, and so on. It was Germanic tribes that brought this language to the British Isles (via the Angles — which is where we get the name English — and Saxons primarily).[3]

But English began changing from other forms of Germanic when the French/Latin-based language was introduced to the British Isles when the Normans (who spoke a French/Latin-based language) conquered England in A.D. 1066. The languages began borrowing many French and Latin terms and the language began to mix. This is actually a rather common event between nations that are conquered — they assimilate cultural and language aspects. This is likely why Germanic Angles’ language on the British Isles deviated from mainland Germanic languages. The Germanic that the Angles and Saxons spoke assimilated with the other languages spoken by the tribes on the Isles (Welch, Scots, Irish, etc.) even before the Norman conquest.

The Bayeux tapestry, named after a town in Normandy, depicts the history of the Norman Conquest

Just as English has changed significantly over the past 1,000 years, it becomes easy to see how the original languages, such as an original Germanic language family at Babel, could have rapidly changed in the 4,000 years since that time, whether spoken or written.

From a big picture, the number of languages that came out of Babel would have been far less than the language divisions we have today. In other words, several languages today comprise a single language family.

Root Languages from Babel Are “in the Ballpark” of Language Families Today!

So where did all these languages come from? Linguists recognize that most languages have similarities to other languages. Related languages belong to what are called language families. These original language families resulted from God’s confusion of the language at Babel. Since that time, the original language families have grown and changed into the abundant number of languages today.

Noah — Shem — Arphaxad — Selah — Eber

Noah’s great-great grandson Eber fathered Peleg when the events at Babel took place. The language of the Old Testament (with the exception of the Aramaic bits)[4] we know of as Hebrew is named after Eber (think “Eberew” or Hebrew). The Bible lists Noah’s grandsons, great-grandsons, great-great grandsons, and great-great-great grandsons who received a language at Babel in Genesis 10. Eber was one!

Out of Eber, languages like Hebrew (through Isaac), Arabic (through Joktan and later dominated by Ishmael and other sons of Abraham),[5] the Ammonite language (through Lot and his son Ben-Ammi), the Moabite language (through Lot and his son Moab), and so on came.[6]

From Japheth (Genesis 10:2–5), there came 14 language families; from Ham (Genesis 10:6–20), there came 39; from Shem (Genesis 10:22–31), there came at least 25 (excluding Peleg and other children who may have just been born).

The total minimum number of languages that may have come out of Babel according to Genesis 10 may have been at least 78, assuming Noah, Ham, Shem, Japheth, and Peleg did not receive a new language. This excludes some descendants of Shem who are given slight mention in Genesis 11:11–17; they may have also received a language.

Both Vistawide World Languages and Cultures[7] and Ethnologue,[8] companies that provide statistics on languages, agree that there are more than 78 (estimates constantly change but are currently sitting between 94 and 120 languages families). Some groupings include sign languages, and constructed languages that have been developed. With further study in years to come, this may change to a smaller number, but this figure is well within the range of families that dispersed from Babel (Genesis 10).

More on Languages

One thing we can learn from history about languages was given previously, but I want to draw out some important points. Specifically, I want to discuss the issue of Arabic originally being a language of Joktan but becoming dominated by Abraham and his progeny. Historians like James Anderson and Josephus have pointed out that Ishmael and Abraham’s other sons with Keturah dominated the Arabian Peninsula (as well as other places in the Middle East and North Africa). We even have a lineage from Ishmael to Muhammad who conquered much of the Middle East and North Africa and forced them into a counterfeit of Christianity called Mohammedism or Islam, though this took place much later (after A.D. 600), but continues to affect the languages in these areas.[9]

Language Changes

When we look at Arabic today, it is very similar to biblical Hebrew. The reason is simply that Ishmael spoke Hebrew due to his father, Abraham, who was also a Hebrew (Genesis 14:13). So as he dominated the lands on the Arabian Peninsula, so did his variant form of Hebrew. Furthermore, many of Abraham’s other sons with Keturah also settled in Arabia, adding to this language becoming dominant among the Arabs.

This also happened with Aramaic (spoken by descendants of Aram) and Phoenician (spoken by some Canaanites) in or near the Land of Canaan. These lands were basically conquered or heavily influenced by the Israelites who spoke Hebrew. So although Aramaic was originally connected with Aram and his language family, the long history of Israelites speaking a form of Hebrew dominated their lands. Sometimes the languages mix but have more elements of one compared to another. Even Hebrew has Egyptian, Aramaic, Canaanite, Babylonian, and other borrowed words. This is expected since Abraham and his progeny lived among many of these peoples.

Consider the case with English. We still retain more German roots in our language, even though we have much French and Latin influence. Although English dominates the United Kingdom and Ireland, the languages mixed with previous languages that were already on the island. This helps distinguish English from other Germanic-based languages. Romans, speaking Latin, dominated Spain, Portugal, France, and many other places with their language. This is a common trend.

These are basic examples; it gets more complicated. After reading some of the migrations of people in chapter 17 of this volume and seeing where people groups went, mixing, conquering, and migrations, the reader will see that many languages have mixed, been lost, or otherwise had something similar happen . . . sometimes repeatedly.

Constructed Languages

Another aspect of languages is the creativity of man. We are made in the image of God after all. If God can create languages, why can’t man make them up? In fact, we have! For those who are familiar with the popular television show Star Trek, there was a make-believe language in that show called “Klingon” based on a mythical group of beings called Klingons. So what happened? A creative person named Marc Okrand came up with the language for use on the show and developed it into a full-fledged language. And people have now learned it and can communicate using it!

This is not the first time something like this has happened. These are called “constructed languages,” or planned or artificial languages. Perhaps the most famous example of this is Esperanto, which is now an international language with native speakers born into it.

Programmers have developed languages to work within computers (Fortran, Basic, “C”, HTML, and so on). Many times there are code systems, which are like a type of encoded language used in war. There is Morse code and sign languages. Even I developed a written code language that I have been able to readily read and write since grade school! The creativity of man could indeed accelerate the issue of languages since the time of Babel.

Language Isolates

There are many languages that have no relationship to any language family that we know of. They are called language “isolates.”

Evolutionary presuppositions may be at fault for the classification of some of these. In North America, they assume primitive native man came basically via one route across the Bering Sea land bridge when it was open (due to an ice age),[10] and so all the languages should match up in North and South America. When they do not match up, they usually default to an “isolate” language. Though I would suggest these isolates be compared more closely with languages in other parts of the world before we make them definitive isolates, as they could be related to language families that came out of Babel where some of the descendants who spoke that language settled in various parts of the world — including the Americas.

Christians often point out that there were early sea-faring people (Genesis 10:5) who could have made it to the Americas by boat, bringing a multitude of language families to the Americas. So some isolates may reflect similarities to certain language families in other parts of the world.

But we should also consider the constructed language approach. Some may well be isolates or constructed languages. When people are left to themselves, they have likely automatically lost a big portion of the words from their root languages (it is rare for someone to know all the words of their language). From there, people come up with new words and continue to lose old words in subsequent generations. We do this in English too, by the way — we add new words yearly (e.g., ain’t) and forget many words that have mostly fallen into disuse (e.g., groovy or sibilation). Given some time, be it decades or centuries, an isolated group can develop almost an entirely new language.

A Proto-language?

In an evolutionary framework, the concept is that language slowly developed among evolving humans and originated with a “proto-language” or the ancestor to all languages. This language was supposedly “primitive” (think “primate-like”). It was surely based on grunts and other basic animal sounds, since people were supposed to be animals.

The claim is that the first proto-language came about nearly two million years ago with Homo erectus.[11] For the reader, Homo erectus is a name evolutionists have given to a group of humans who lived and were buried in post-Flood sediment. Of course, this is purely a guess based on the story of evolution and millions of years. Christians should beware of humanistic ideas like this and the arbitrariness behind them.

But researchers are trying to find commonalities, especially with grammar, and have produced various models. One such model is called “universal grammar” or UG. It is but one attempt that still falls short as many researchers rightly recognize that with the diversity of language and without massive exceptions, such may not only be improbable but perhaps impossible.[12]

One must understand that the secular humanistic community must have a story in place to make sense of languages (speech, written, and sign). It was like this with the old Greek mythologies — they needed to have stories to explain why the sun took a particular path in the sky. In the same way, evolutionary storytelling is a necessity when looking at real issues like language.

We can speak simply because the Creator made us in His image to communicate with Him. We can think, reason, and be creative in ways animals simply never could. But an unbelieving secular community has refused to allow God in the door. So they must come up with stories to try to explain language. And so they appeal to animals (because they believe we are simply animals) for answers.

Due to evolutionary presuppositions, they assume that man evolved from ape-like ancestors, so apes today should be the closest things to us and hence to human language. This brings us to studies on apes like Koko, who was able to learn certain signs.

Koko and Other Animals to the Rescue?

Koko is a fascinating gorilla, but is far from being human. Koko has learned nearly 1,000 signs in American Sign Language, and Koko knows quite a number of voice commands. It has taken Koko nearly 32 years to learn all this.[13] Other animals like the bonobo named Kanzi have also been trained to hear commands.[14]

These trained responses are similar to that of dogs and many other animals. They can be trained to do or respond to certain sounds or motions and even give a response in return. For example, the world’s smartest dog, according to Guinness Book of World Records, Chandra Leah, can recognize over 1,022 commands, and responds to each accordingly — some are even math problems! Many of these commands are vocal or hand signals, much like the commands Koko is given.[15]

Yet Chandra Leah, being only 10 years old, is much younger than Koko, and many dogs have this capability, so dogs seem to be a far superior specimen than the apes that are supposedly our closest relatives. Trained response, however, is much different than the ability to use reasoning in the same manner as humans.

Man is made in the image of God, whereas animals are not.[16] This is an extreme difference and is why looking to animal behavior for answers simply never will get one to the truth about human origins or human language — one should stick with what God says.

Conclusion

From a biblical perspective, is it feasible for 7,000 languages to develop from about a minimum of 78 root languages in 4,000 years? No problem!

The languages that came out of the confusion at Babel were “root languages” or language families. Over time, those root languages have varied: borrowing from other languages; developing new terms, phrases, and pronunciations; losing older words and phrases; and, just like Germanic languages, have variations even in the ones known specifically as American English.

But notice the contrast in the secular view, where we all allegedly evolved from rudimentary ancestors with a single primitive grunting language. This theoretical “proto-language” is not even close to the multitude of root languages that gave rise to languages of today. It is good to be Christian today, understanding languages from a biblical perspective instead of the world’s faulty ideas.

But let’s clarify a misconception. God is responsible for the languages and it was due to judgment . . . so is having one language a bad thing? Philo, an early Jewish historian, hit the nail on the head when he said, “For it was not the languages which were the causes of men’s uniting for evil objects, but the emulation and rivalry of their souls in wrong-doing.”[17]

And consider what the Apostle Paul says about languages:

There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance (1 Corinthians 14:10).

Post-Script: An Ancient Chinese Language

Let’s look at the significance of ancient Chinese characters. Researchers like Dr. Ethel Nelson, Dr. Ginger Tong Chock, and Richard Broadberry have published extensively on the significance of this language.

Recall how some languages are built on images (more graphic in style). Many Chinese languages and dialects (and other Oriental languages) are like this. English is different in that we use symbols to represent sounds that we arrange into words and sentences. But these ancient Chinese characters, being built on graphics, mean something, and this makes it easier to “see” some significance.

Many of the characters of an ancient Chinese dialect are built directly on Genesis. The character for “boat” was made of up three other characters — a vessel, eight, and mouth. Interestingly in Genesis 6–8, the ark was a large vessel that had eight people aboard and only eight human mouths to speak and feed. The name of the one true God that the Chinese originally worshiped and sacrificed to was named ShangDi (some transliterate this as ShangTi). The characters for ShangDi are the character for “emperor” and “above/heavenly.”[18] These are just some small nuggets. There is much more that has been documented, and I suggest researching this in more detail.[19]

Ancient pictograph of the Chinese language: “Enclosure with 4 rivers” or “perfect garden.”

This language is fascinating. Was the written form of this language developed by men as they left Babel or settled later on? Or was it part of the written language that God instituted at Babel? We may never know, but there is no doubt about the significance of the characters of this ancient Chinese.

Does such significance abound in other languages? According to 1 Corinthians 14:10, it may. For each language conveys meaning in what is spoken and received (e.g., information), and that in itself is significant. Will we ever know of any extra significance in other languages? Only further research will one day be able to answer that.

1. Vistawide, “World Language Families,” www.vistawide.com/languages/language_families_statistics1.htm.

2. Comparison of Matthew 6:9, Mansfield University, faculty.mansfield.edu/bholtman/holtman/101/GmcVaterunser.pdf.

3. There were Germanic tribes already here by the time the Angles and Saxons (and Jutes/Danes) arrived in the 4th to 6th centuries A.D., but these were the large migrations. Of course, other Germanic settlers have arrived there since the Angles and Saxons, too. Then Vikings from Scandinavia brought Germanic-laced languages.

4. Even Aramaic has similarities to Hebrew, and this is likely due to the descendants of Abraham and Lot (e.g., Israelites, Ishmaelites, Lot, Moab, Edom, the sons of Abraham and Keturah) conquering most of the Middle East. The assimilation of languages is surely the main reason. There is an “Aram” in the genealogies of Eber, and those descendants would speak a variant form of Hebrew, though Josephus points out that the Aramean people who spoke Aramaic came through Aram at the Table of Nations in Genesis 10, not the later Aram who was a Hebrew. Aramaic was a common trade language.

5. James Anderson, Royal Genealogies, (James Bettenham, 1732), p. 3, 5, 380.

6. It is possible that the language of Aramaic (the language of the Syrians and that which Jesus cried out in on the Cross) is also an Eber language, due to its being so similar to Hebrew. Josephus places this language as coming from Aram, the son of Shem in Genesis 1, as a new language. However, due to its similarities with Hebrew and other Eber languages, Aramaic may have been from Aram, the great nephew of Abraham; who was the son of Kemuel, the son of Nahor (Abraham’s brother). These people were also Hebrews and would make sense why this language is so similar.

7. Vistawide, “World Language Families,” www.vistawide.com/languages/language_families_statistics1.htm.

8. Ethnologue, “Statistical Summaries,” www.ethnologue.com/ethno_docs/distribution.asp?by=family.

9. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 380.

10. Creationists and evolutionists agree that there was an ice age. The secular side has many of them reaching far into the past, but creationists have one major ice age triggered by the Flood of Noah’s day. An ice age takes water out of the ocean and deposits it on land, so the ocean level drops, which exposes land bridges like the Bering Land Bridge.

11. W. Tecumseh Fitch, “The Evolution of Language,” NewScientist (December 4, 2010): p. ii–viii; available online at http://www.newscientist.com/data/doc/article/dn19554/instant_expert_6_-_the_evolution_of_language.pdf.

12. C. Kenneally, “Talking Heads,” NewScientist (May 29, 2010): p. 32–35.

13. For facts about Koko, visit http://www.koko.org/friends/meet_koko.html.

14. Fitch, “The Evolution of Language.”

15. For facts about Chandrah Leah, visit http://www.pethall.com/chanda_leah-tricks.htm and http://www.pethall.com/chanda_leah_doorway.htm.

16. Bodie Hodge, The Fall of Satan (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2011), p. 112–115.

17. Charles Duke Yonge, The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), S. 235.

18. Yes, the Chinese originally believed in one God, and ShangDi was likely the name in the Chinese language for the God of the Bible. Information about God and sacrifice from Genesis left Babel and went with the Chinese and remained with them for many centuries. Unlike many cultures that became pagan fairly soon after Babel, the Chinese remained faithful for quite some time. It would be nice to see the gospel, the fulfillment of the promises in Genesis and the Old Testament, reach the Chinese people to bring them back to God.

19. I suggest books by some of the previously mentioned authors, such as Ethel Nelson, Richard Broadberry, and Ginger Tong Chock, who together wrote God’s Promise to the Chinese (Read Books Publisher, 1997) or Oracle Bones Speak (2012). This second book is jointly English and Chinese and publisher information is given in Chinese, so please forgive the lack of publication information. These authors have been involved in several books on the subject and any would be good for study.

CHAPTER 13

What about Extra-Biblical Tables of Nations and Genealogies That Go Back to Noah?

Genesis 10 gives an outline of family groups that left Babel. These people moved throughout the world and populated virtually every continent. (Was Antarctica ever settled in the past? At this point, I am unaware.) Here is the Table of Nations from the Bible.

Historians such as Josephus (1st century), Snorri Sturlusonor (13th century), James Anderson (1732), Nennius (9th century), and many others have commented on various cultures and their genealogical records in the past and the origins of various peoples.[1]

Though there are many to pick from, a few examples of tables of nations should show that historians, especially prior to evolutionary re-writing of history which is common in the past 150 years, even unbeknownst to themselves sometimes, were offering a great confirmation of Genesis.

Josephus, who was surely drawing from Genesis, completed his table of nations nearly 2,000 years ago. A discussion of this is detailed in chapter 17, but the following table, which is in graphic form, is a good place to start.

Some genealogies connect prominent modern houses and royal lines with the Table of Nations listed in the Bible.[2] Anglo-Saxon chronologies feature six royal houses that go back to Noah.[3] In these genealogies, Noah is found on the top of the lists in many of these documents, some of which feature variant spellings such as Noe or Noa.

One historian discovered a relationship between the ancient name of Sceaf (Seskef, Scef) and the biblical Japheth.[4] This seems reasonable, as Japheth has traditionally been seen as the ancestor of the European nations. Some of the European genealogies researched have a variant of Sceaf with the exception of Irish genealogies, which still used the name Japheth.[5]

Nennius, an eighth-century Welsh monk living in Powys, developed a table of nations of the lineages of many of the European people groups from Noah’s son Japheth: Gauls, Goths, Bavarians, Saxons, and Romans.[6]

Nennius’ Table of Nations

(Courtesy of

New Wine Press)

Though it repeats the Goths in two different areas, Nennius’s chart bears strong similarities to the history that Josephus recorded, as well as the Bible’s Table of Nations. However, there are clearly enough differences to show that it was neither a copy from the biblical text nor from the Jewish historian Josephus.[7]

Chinese records also describe Nuah with three sons, Lo Han, Lo Shen, and Jahphu, according to the Miautso people of China.[8] Although original documents of ancient sources sometimes no longer exist and one has to rely on quotes from other ancient books, it is interesting how in many places we find similarities to the Table of Nations given in the Bible.

Another questionable table of nations appears in the Book of Jasher (or Jashar). For those unfamiliar with the Book of Jasher, it is mentioned twice in the Old Testament.

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day (Joshua 10:13).

And he told them to teach the children of Judah the Song of the Bow; indeed it is written in the Book of Jasher (2 Samuel 1:18).

It was assumed that this book was lost to history. Yet there are three copies floating around today. So what is the story?

As it turns out, these copies are later books, not the one that is mentioned in Scripture. One book is a collection of legends from creation to the conquest of Joshua (and was written in Hebrew). It is believed by most scholars that this book did not exist until about A.D. 1625.

Another Book of Jasher is supposed to be an 18th-century translation of a book by Alcuin from the 8th century. Of course, there is a science fiction book by this title as well. So what we can learn from these Books of Jasher is not what is reference material to what is stated in Scripture, but instead what people believed or researched within the past millennium. Essentially, we can only know what the author believed when this was written.

After researching the Book of Jasher from the 17th century, we find a record of genealogies as well. It is not merely a copy of the Bible or of Josephus or of anything else directly referenced in this volume either. This is known because there is information here not given in any of the other references, and the other references give information not mentioned here.

NOTES

• Nimrod (also called Amraphel) was supposedly born to Cush late in his life and was the youngest.

• Babel, Erech, Eched, and Calnah were not named for sons but the names likely had significance, i.e.:

1. Babel means “The Lord confounded their language”

2. Erech means “They were displaced from there”

3. Eched means “Great battle happened there”

4. Calnah means “His Prince’s mighty men were consumed there”

• The Bible says Abram left Horan at 75 years of age. When did Terah, Abram, et al. leave Ur?

* A later queen than Sheba visits Solomon.

NOTES

• Chedorlaomer fought and conquered Nimrod’s descendents due to their wickedness. Abram would have been 49 years of age.

• Bela settled near but away from Sodom and the cities of the plain. New settlement called “Land of Zoar.”

• The Bible says Abram left Horan at 75 years of age. When did Terah, Abram, et al. leave Ur?

• About 300 men.

NOTES

• Genesis 10 and 11 reveal that people like Selah and Eber had other sons. So the listings in Genesis 10 are not necessarily the only sons.

• 460 men at this time

• Pelog died the 48th year of Abraham’s life.

Some of this makes sense, too. I have been able to trace the Turks in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) to Noah’s great-grandson Togarmah’s descendants migrating into part of modern-day Turkey. Later, they conquered the whole of Asia Minor and had the Turkish Empire, which was quite powerful. The Bible simply gives his name (Togarmah), but where did the name “Turk” come from? Was it a variation of Togarmah? If the author of Jasher is somewhat correct, then this is now explained by one of the ten sons of Togarmah (Tugarma). One of his sons was Tarki.

In some cases, the name of a descendant became the name of a language or people. For example, in the Bible, the Anakim were people named for descendants of Arba through his son Anak, and the Jews (named for Judah) became a name for the Israelites. So Turk may have that same connotation.

The Uzbek Turks (living in Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan) may well be named for Zebuc, which sounds strikingly similar to Uzbek, as would the Oguzes or Oguz Turks to Ongal. It is this latter ancestral group that gave rise to Osman I, who founded the Ottoman Turk Empire that lasted for about six centuries (late A.D. 1200s to the 1800s).

Another example is the names of the children of Asshur. The Bible simply gives the name Asshur (Assyria). Jasher fills in the names of Asshur’s sons. This makes sense since Nimrod conquered and built up four of these places (Genesis 10:11–12) that were in Asshur’s lands (Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen). So did these cities take the names of Asshur’s sons or Nimrod’s sons? In light of the Bible, I would lean in the direction of Nimrod’s sons, even though they were located in land allotted for Asshur, but the Scripture is not clear. In the Book of Jasher, they attribute them to Asshur.[9] Regardless, there was a mix of these two people groups in these four places.

There is much to learn, and it could be a book in and of itself to find and record various Tables of Nations found throughout the world. In truth, the book Royal Genealogies by James Anderson has a number of these tables. The research was done for the Prince of Wales, Fredrick Lewis, in 1732. This volume, unlike Jasher, is a much more reliable source. The few listed here and many others that can be tracked down are a great confirmation of the truthfulness of the Scriptures.

1. Nennius, Historia Brittonum, edited in the tenth century by Mark the Hermit, with English version by the Rev. W. Gunn, rector of Irstead, Norfolk, printed in London, 1819; Flavius Josephus, The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus the Jewish Historian (~A.D. 100), trans. William Whiston (~A.D. 1850) (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2008).

2. For a number of these, see Anderson, Royal Genealogies.

3. Bill Cooper, After the Flood (Chichester, England: New Wine Press, 1995), p. 84–86.

4. Ibid., p. 92–96.

5. Ibid., p. 108.

6. Ibid., p. 49.

7. Ibid., chapter 3.

8. Edgar Traux, “Genesis According to the Miao People,” Impact (April 1991); available online at www.icr.org/article/341/.

9. Some have thought these names attributed to Nimrod in the Table of Nations were not sons at all, but that Nimrod simply built these cities. But then we are stuck with two predicaments. How can a city, which is made up of people, exist without progeny? And how could they come out with a new language as indicated in Genesis 10? It makes sense that these cities were named for sons, which was the common way of doing it.

CHAPTER 14

Was Nimrod in Charge of Forcing a Rebellion Prior to the Events in Genesis 11:1–9?

Introduction

Since we just mentioned Nimrod, this is a good time to discuss a controversial subject regarding this famous person. In today’s church, many people readily repeat the claim that Nimrod was the instigator at Babel. In fact, if one were to research this, it is not a new idea. About 100 years ago, the Reverend Alexander Hislop presented this idea in his book The Two Babylons:

As the Babel builders, when their speech was confounded, were scattered abroad on the face of the earth, and therefore deserted both the city and the tower which they had commenced to build, Babylon as a city, could not properly be said to exist till Nimrod, by establishing his power there, made it the foundation and starting-point of his greatness.[1]

Further back in history, a Jewish military commander and historian named Josephus was writing about the history of the Jews by order of his Roman conquerors:

(113) Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah — a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe to God, as if it was through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness.

(114) He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power. He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for killing their forefathers![2]

In fact, other Jews like the Targum of Jonathan also repeated such things as Nimrod being the one to rebel and challenge God. But let’s turn to the Word of God to separate fact from fiction.

What Does God’s Word Say?

Genesis 11:1–9

1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.

2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.

3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.

4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.

7 “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.

9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Take note of the account of the events at Babel in Genesis 11:1–9. Nimrod is not mentioned, and the Bible clearly reveals that the people were rebelling in unison (see bold) against God’s command to fill the earth as given in Genesis 9:1[3] and reiterated in Genesis 9:7.[4]

Furthermore, the people knew the command and were intentionally trying to defy it because verse 4 indicates they were resisting the imperative to be scattered abroad.

The point is that the people collectively resisted God, and the people collectively received this mild judgment of confused languages. Nimrod was not forcing the people to do this; but they were acting of one accord (verse 6) to make a name for themselves (verse 4), which is reminiscent of the rebellion prior to the Flood where people had their own interests in mind to be men of renown (Genesis 6:4). They were not trying to make a name for Nimrod.

So where did people, such as Josephus, get this idea that Nimrod was in charge of forcing a rebellion? Let’s look at Genesis 10:8–12:

8 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.

9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.”

10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,

12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).

A repetition of this is found in 1 Chronicles 1:10 where it says:

10 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.

Researchers note the first center, or more properly the “beginning,” of Nimrod’s kingdom was at Babel (verse 10). So people logically conclude that Nimrod founded Babel and that he was in charge at Babel because this was his kingdom (verse 10). This sounds like a brilliant deduction until one realizes that this now causes some insurmountable theological problems.

Theological Problems

The first problem has already been discussed in the previous section. That is, throughout Genesis 11:1–9, there is no hint of Nimrod’s charge, and the Bible repeatedly makes it clear that this rebellion was a collective rebellion against God by all the people involved (descendants of Noah) who were traveling east[5] (obviously of Noah’s settlement and vineyard).

How could Nimrod be the one who founded Babel, when Genesis 11:3–4 says the people were building it in unison? This is a problem!

Another theological problem is that Nimrod would have been obedient to God by filling the earth and scattering. Recall Genesis 10:10. The first center of Nimrod’s kingdom was not Babel, but four places: Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh. So there was not one place that everyone was at, but instead four! So this would call into question Genesis 11:4 where it says they built a city and a tower. If the above is true, Genesis 11:4 should read “four cities.” And this brings us to another related problem.

Nimrod then went into someone else’s land and made cities there, too (Genesis 10:11)! Nimrod went into Asshur (Assyria), one of Shem’s son’s land and began building and expanding his kingdom there.

But what is the implication of this? Simply that other people, such as Asshur, must have also been listening to God’s command, had been spreading out, and were not at Babel. If such things are accurate, then God would have been in error when He said that all these people were indeed at Babel and made one city, and that they were being disobedient to Him by defying His command to scatter and fill the earth.

But the fact is that God is never wrong, which means Nimrod could not have entered Asshur until after the event of the scattering occurred, where the earth was divided into various languages, and people really did begin to fill the earth. And this is how these alleged problems are solved. The simplest solutions often make all the facts fall into place.

Solving the Problem

When we look at Genesis 1:1–2:3, we find the chronological account of creation. When we hone in on Genesis 2:4–25, we find that this does not follow chronologically. But instead, the bulk of Genesis 2 is actually a breakdown of what is going on during the sixth day of creation. If one mistakenly reads Genesis 2:4–25 as chronologically following Genesis 1:1–2:3, then all sorts of theological problems arise.

In fact, we find a theological problem in Jewish mythology that is a direct result of misreading Genesis 1–2 as though it were chronological. That is the mythical account of Lilith, the supposed first wife of Adam.

Many Jews in the past read Genesis 1 and saw that when mankind was created they were both male and female (Genesis 1:27).[6] The word for “man” in Genesis 1 is Adam, so they understand that he was indeed the first man. Then they read Genesis 2 and find the creation of Eve. So thinking that Genesis 2:4–25 follows Genesis 1 chronologically, they want to know who this first female was (in Hebrew it is nᵉqebah meaning “female”). And so mythology takes over and they invent Lilith, the supposed first wife of Adam in Jewish mythology.

Such Jewish mythologies are unnecessary when one realizes Genesis 2:4–25 is a breakdown of what is happening on day 6 of the creation week and hence, the female created in Genesis 1:26–28[7] is Eve. Genesis 2 simply gives us more details as to the specifics.

Why is all of this important? I suggest that the same thing has happened with Genesis 10–11. Genesis 11:1–9 is the chronological account of the events, and Genesis 10 is a breakdown of the language divisions and genealogies of those rebellious descendants of Noah at Babel. In other words, what is discussed in Genesis 10 is actually the result of Genesis 11:1–9, and Genesis 11:1–9 does not follow chronologically from Genesis 10.

This should be obvious since about 78 language families (minimum) are coming out of Genesis 10, and yet Genesis 11:1 opens with, “Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.” But if people mistakenly think Genesis 10 precedes Genesis 11 chronologically, then they will be left with problems that seem to elevate mythologies to fill in the gaps. And Jewish mythologies began to fill the pages with Nimrod founding Babel, which the Bible does not say. Jesus warned about the tradition of the Jews (e.g., Mark 7:13[8]), so we need to test everything against the Scriptures.

But with an understanding that Genesis 10 follows chronologically, then things fall into place and theological problems subside.

All Is Not Lost

Were Josephus and others, completely wrong? Not at all. With a proper understanding of the timing of the events between Genesis 10 and 11, we can deduce that Josephus was essentially accurate, but just had the timing wrong.

Nimrod did take over at Babel, it just makes more sense that it had to be after the scattering occurred (Genesis 10:10); pay close attention to Genesis 10:10. The Bible never says that Nimrod founded or began Babel. It says that it was the first center or the beginning of his kingdom (with three other places simultaneously).

After the scattering occurred, Nimrod takes over Babel and some other early settlements in that area (Erech, Accad, and Calneh) to be the first center for his kingdom. From there, he entered into the land allotted for Asshur and began building there as well (Genesis 10:10–12).

He may well have been angry with God and wanted to rebel as Josephus and others relate (the name Nimrod literally means “to rebel”) — not necessarily for what happened prior to the Flood, but more likely for what happened at Babel. It is possible that, as a hunter, his status was likely very high, and with the scattering and language division, much of this status is now lost. Consider that Esau’s status as a hunter was also highly favored by his father; and as many have pointed out, Nimrod’s hunting capabilities make him capable of being a “hunter of men” or a military leader as opposed to being a more mild-mannered person like Jacob was (Genesis 25:27[9]); that is, in a comparative between Jacob and Esau.

Many have commented on the meaning of “mighty hunter before the Lord” and pointed out the negative connotations behind it. H.C. Leupold, an Old Testament scholar, says of the meaning:

The course that our interpretation of these two verses takes will be determined very largely by the meaning of the word “Nimrod.” For the meaning of the verb form nimrodh, without a doubt, is “let us revolt.” Now the other words employed are, if left by themselves, either good or evil in their connotation, depending on the connection in which they appear. Gibbor may mean “hero” or “tyrant.” “Hunter” (gibbor tsáyidh) may be a harmless hunter of the fields, or he may be one who hunts men to enslave them. The phrase, “in the sight of Yahweh,” in itself expresses neither approval nor disapproval. But each of these terms acquires a bad sense in the light of the name “Nimrod.” The tendency of this Cushite must have been to rise up against, and to attempt to overthrow, all existing order. In fact, he must have used this motto so frequently in exhorting others to rebellion, that finally it was applied to him as a name descriptive of the basic trait of his character. If this be so, then gibbor must be rendered “tyrant,” or “despot” — a use of the word found also #Ps 52:1, 3; and #Ps 120:4, for which passages K.W. justly claims the meaning Gewaltmensch. So this inciter to revolt (Nimrod) came to be the first tyrant upon the earth, oppressing others and using them for the furtherance of his own interests.[10]

If one is familiar with Leupold’s positions from other comments, he holds to Nimrod leading a revolt and making the events at Babel occur. Though Leupold is right about Nimrod’s name and the meaning of the following phrase (mighty hunter before the Lord), why assume this is prior to the events at Babel and not post Babel?

Conclusion

To conclude, Josephus, and many others since who have repeated the view that Nimrod was forcing a rebelling prior to the language division, may not be the best interpretation and we should always compare such things to Scripture (Titus 1:14[11]). Though I suggest we not “throw the baby out with the bath water” as some of their conjectures may be valid.

Though much of what Josephus and others have taught is excellent, we need to compare all things to the Word of God with humbleness as we too fall short — for even I have taught that Nimrod founded Babel and was the one forcing the rebellion at Babel in the past. When we recognize that Nimrod took over Babel after the events of Genesis 11:1–9, things make more sense and theological problems are averted.

1. Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons or the Papal Worship Proved to be Worship of Nimrod and His Wife, 3rd edition (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1916), p. 23.

2. Revised Works of Josephus, chapter 4, Tower of Babel — Confusion of Tongues, 2242 B.C., lines 113–114.

3. Genesis 9:1: So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”

4. Genesis 9:7: And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it.”

5. The Hebrew word translated “east” (qedem) in Genesis 11:2 can mean “from the east” or “toward the east.” Either was Babel. This first settlement was in an east-west direction from Noah’s original settlement.

6. Genesis 1:27: So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

7. Genesis 1:26–28: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

8. Mark 7:13: “. . . making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

9. Genesis 25:27: So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.

10. H.C. Leupold, Exposition of Genesis, commentary notes on Genesis 10:8 (Columbus, OH: The Wartburg Press, 1942), p. 366.

11. Titus 1:14: . . . not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.

CHAPTER 15

Did the Continents Split in the Days of Peleg?[1]

Introduction

In Genesis 10, two-thirds of the way through the genealogies of the post-Flood patriarchs, we read in verse 25:

To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.

The same parenthetical phrase “for in his days the earth was divided” also appears in the repetition of this genealogical entry in 1 Chronicles 1:19.

Many find these genealogical lists very boring to read. So they skip over the details and often miss this parenthetical phrase. However, there are some Christians who get excited about this phrase and suggest that maybe this is where the continental drift, which secular scientists have proposed, fits into the Bible!

It seems odd that this little “nugget” should appear in this genealogy of Noah’s three sons and their descendants after the Flood. But does this phrase, “for in his days the earth was divided,” suggest that continents drifted apart in the days of Peleg as a result of God dividing and separating the continents?

Have the Continents Shifted?

In today’s secular society, people have been taught as fact that the continents were once joined together in a supercontinent that split apart and then the resultant continents drifted over millions of years into their present positions. One primary piece of conclusive evidence usually presented to support this idea is the jigsaw puzzle fit of Europe and Africa matching closely with North and South America, respectively. If the North and South Atlantic Ocean basins are closed, these continents fit together at approximately the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a range of mountains on the ocean floor centrally located in the Atlantic Ocean basins.

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is strong support for the concept of plate movement.

It was this reconstruction that led to the idea of the earlier supercontinent called Pangea. The secular concept for this continental drift, now known as plate tectonics, goes further and suggests that there were earlier supercontinents, such as Pangea, Pannotia, and Rodinia, encompassing the earth’s proposed multi-billion-year geologic history.

Creation scientists and Flood geologists do not deny that these continents may have been connected to one another in the past as a single supercontinent in light of Genesis 1:9. Actually, it was a Christian geologist named Antonio Snider in 1859 who was the first person to publicly comment on this jigsaw puzzle fit of all the continents, except that he believed the spreading apart and separation of the continents occurred catastrophically during the Genesis Flood.

Creation scientists believe, along with their secular colleagues, that there is good observational evidence that is consistent with an original supercontinent in the past that was split apart, and that today’s continents moved to their present positions on the earth’s surface. However, the main difference is the timing.

Whereas our secular colleagues believe these processes were slow and gradual over millions of years, creation scientists insist it all took place totally by catastrophic means, involving continental sprint rather than continental drift. However, many Christians who see the specific mention of the earth being divided in the days of Peleg, as quoted from Genesis 10:25, appeal to this particular time for the biblical explanation for continental shifting.

Did the Continental Division Take Place in the Days of Peleg?

The Context of Genesis 10

A careful search of the context of Genesis 10:25 clearly reveals that the referred-to division of the earth regards dividing up the post-Flood people on the basis of languages and families, and moving them into different geographical locations. In fact, all of Genesis chapter 10 is dedicated to dividing up Noah’s family into its three major divisions based on Noah’s three sons and their families, and then to further list the sub-family groups.

Because these genealogical lists encompassed all the people on the post-Flood earth, the division referred to in verse 25 must have affected the entire post-Flood human population. Several other verses dotted throughout Genesis chapter 10 indicate that it was these people who were being split up by language and moved across the earth to different geographical locations or lands:

. . . separated into their land . . . (Genesis 10:5)

. . . the families of the Canaanites were dispersed (Genesis 10:18)

. . . according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations (Genesis 10:20)

Even the culminating verse to the chapter states:

These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the Flood (Genesis 10:32).

The chronological sequence of events on what happened at the Tower of Babel is given in Genesis 11, where we are told in verse 8 that “the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth. . . .” But it’s actually in Genesis 10 where we are told about the different groups of people who were divided into their families with different languages as a result of the Tower of Babel judgment.

It is appropriate to compare Scripture with Scripture in the context it is written. There are four verses listed above in chapter 10 (verses 5, 18, 20, and 32) which explain the parenthetical statement (in verse 25) that “in his days the earth was divided,” as the division of family groupings according to the languages God gave them into different lands across the face of the earth. Verse 25 was not referring to an actual physical division of the earth from one supercontinent into today’s many continents.

Another Flood!

Let’s stop and consider for a moment what would be the effect of the break-up of a supercontinent followed by the sprinting of the new continents into their present positions. In late 2004, there was an earthquake in the eastern Indian Ocean, resulting in movements of up to 15 or more feet along faults. The energy of the earthquake was transmitted through the water above, producing an enormous tsunami that devastated coastlines all around the Indian Ocean basin. And even a few feet of movement on the San Andreas Fault in Southern California causes the ground to shake for many miles around and freeways and other structures to collapse.

If the continents did indeed split apart in the days of Peleg, moving thousands of miles into their current positions in a catastrophic manner, the resulting devastation would have utterly destroyed the face of the earth and everything living on it. The ocean waters would have flooded over the continents in huge tsunamis, creating a second worldwide flood event!

In Genesis 10 and 11, we see no written description of such an event. To the contrary, at the end of the Flood in Noah’s day, God made specific statements that He would never allow another worldwide Flood to ravage the earth’s surface and its inhabitants (Genesis 8:21–22,[2] 9:11[3]). God specifically stated that He had set the boundaries around the land beyond which the waters would never again flood the earth (Psalm 104:8–9[4]).

Of course, in order to shore up their belief that Genesis 10:25[5] is a reference to continental break-up during the days of Peleg, some may respond that God somehow miraculously held back the ocean waters to keep another flood from happening while this land division occurred. However, there is absolutely no indication in Scripture, not even a hint, that this was the case.

Quite clearly, it is far better to err on the side of caution with regard to these Scriptures. This is particularly necessary when the context of Genesis 10 has four other verses that confirm the meaning of verse 25 as referring to the division of people according to their languages into lands of their own across the face of the earth. Furthermore, this is in keeping with God’s command to Noah and his family after the Flood to be fruitful and multiply, and to fill the earth (Genesis 9:1).

A Major Geographical Problem

There is also a major geographical flaw with the claim that the continents split apart in the days of Peleg. The description of the Flood of Noah’s day in Genesis 8 says that on day 150 of that global, year-long event the ark ran aground in the mountains of Ararat. We read in verses 3–4:

And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters decreased. Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.

Why is this so significant? The mountains of Ararat should not be confused with the post-Flood volcano in Turkey called Mt. Ararat. As far as we can tell, the biblical reference to “the mountains of Ararat” speaks of mountains located in the region of eastern Turkey and eastward toward the Caspian Sea.

The buckling of the rock layers within these mountains indicates that they were formed by continental collisions. Thus, if a supercontinent such as Pangaea broke apart in the days of Peleg to arrive at its present positions, then these mountains of Ararat would only have formed in the days of Peleg. Thus, they would not have existed on day 150 of the Flood for the ark to run aground on them.

The mountains of Ararat appear to have been caused by the collision of the Eurasian Plate with the Arabian and African Plates, perhaps influenced by the concurrent collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate. Thus, it would seem that most of the continental shifting between Europe, Asia, Africa, Arabia, and India most likely would have largely been completed by day 150 of the Genesis Flood.

Plate movement resulted in the formation of the mountains of Ararat.

Naturally, there could have still been comparatively minor adjustments after this point in the Flood, as the mountains of Ararat could still have been rising as further mountain formation occurred after the ark ran aground. Again, there appear to be no hints in the biblical narrative of the Flood in Genesis 6–9 that there was any major continental shifting across the earth’s surface after day 150, at least in the region of the mountains of Ararat.

It’s possible however, that there could have still been some minor continental movement on the other side of the globe, with respect to North and South America, Australia, Antarctica, and so on. This cannot be ruled out entirely. However, according to Genesis 8:2, the fountains or springs of the great deep were stopped, and the windows of heaven were closed on day 150, implying that the Flood waters possibly had reached their zenith at that point.

Furthermore, if the springs were associated with the rifting of the earth’s crust and the sea-floor spreading, subduction and mantle convection that had moved the continental plates apart catastrophically, then the closure of these springs or fountains would seem to imply that the processes allowing for major movement of the continents would have stopped at this point, or at the very least, began to start decelerating, and eventually reach their present snail’s pace.

All the primary geologic processes responsible for forcing the catastrophic continental movements during the Flood appear to have likewise begun to rapidly decelerate on and after day 150. Also, Genesis 8:3 indicates that the Flood waters began to steadily decrease and therefore recede from this time point onward, which would seem to indicate that the Flood waters were now subject to new land surfaces and topography rising and valleys sinking as a result of vertical earth movements. This is in stark contrast to the large horizontal movement and associated mountain building that shifted the continents apart in the first portion of the Flood year.

Conclusion

Though continental division and shifting in the days of Peleg appears feasible from a superficial reading of Genesis 10:25 in isolation, this concept has some major problems associated with it:

1. When Genesis 10:25 is read within the context of the whole of Genesis 10, the four other verses (5, 18, 20, and 32) speaking of the division clearly emphasize that this was a linguistic and family division of all post-Flood people into different lands (geographical locations).

2. Had the division of continents occurred during the days of Peleg, then the associated catastrophism would have resulted in another worldwide Flood, in violation of God’s specific promise to Noah.

3. Had the division of continents occurred during the days of Peleg, then the ark (with Peleg’s ancestors) would have had no place to land, as the mountains of Ararat produced by continental collisions would not have yet existed.

4. There is tremendous fossil and geologic evidence for continental division having occurred only during the Flood.

We, therefore, gently and lovingly encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ to refrain from claiming the division of continents occurred during the days of Peleg. The phrase “for in his days the earth was divided” in Genesis 10:25 needs to be kept and read within its context of Genesis 10 to give the statement its correct meaning. On the other hand, we also want to encourage people to realize that the Flood is the only major catastrophic event and the only logical mechanism for splitting apart the continents.

Answering a Few Objections[6]

Objection 1. “To start with, the Hebrew word for ‘earth’ in Gen. 10:25, 10:32 and 11:1 is Hebrew erets in Strong’s Concordance. Strong’s says this word means earth, field, ground, land, and world. . . . In fact, the clear meaning of this Hebrew word for ‘earth’ . . . is a very strong indication that the Peleg reference has to do with actual breakup of the land mass.”

Answer: There are other uses of this word, as Hebrew lexicons readily point out, in particular nations and inhabitants. Those not fluent in Hebrew need to consult reputable Hebrew lexicons such as Brown, Driver and Briggs (BDB) or Koehler and Baumgartner (KB) to see how each Hebrew word, in its context, should be used. Naturally, these do not hit every instance but representative instances (keep in mind, erets is used well over 2,000 times in the Old Testament).

BDB uses as one of its representative examples that Genesis 11:1[7] is in reference to inhabitants of earth.[8] However, the two brought up in Genesis 10 were not mentioned.

Though KB does not reference any of the three pointed out, it does reference 2 Chronicles 12:8,[9] where erets is used for nations/kingdoms as well as several others to indicate countries and regions of people.[10]

So to exclude this definition may not be wise. And considering that BDB used erets specifically in Genesis 11:1 to refer to people confirms the point. According to leading Hebrew lexicons that utilize the context, these would be referring to the people being divided by language. Also, keep in mind that if one wants to argue for erets to mean “continent(s),” this is not even listed as a definition among the lexicons.

Objection 2. “You are incorrect that the Peleg reference comes in the middle of an account of the division of languages. It comes in the middle of a genealogy. The story of the division of languages comes afterwards, separately.”

Answer: Genesis 10 is a breakdown of the language divisions that are discussed in more detail with the chronological account in Genesis 11. Even Genesis 10 points out after each genealogy of Japheth, Ham, and Shem that it was a linguistic division in accordance with their family group to their nations. Consider the phrases in Genesis 10 that summarize and signify the context of language in these verses:

From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations (Genesis 10:5).

These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations (Genesis 10:20).

These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations. (Genesis 10:31)

The context of Genesis 10 is indeed referring to linguistic divisions from which the nations were being divided. Even Josephus, a prominent Jewish historian, understood this to mean a division of nations. Consider Josephus’s comments here:

Heber begat Joctan 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.[11]

Objection 3. “Have you carefully looked at the word for ‘divided’ in each reference? They are two different Hebrew words: vs. 25 palag, and vs. 32, parad. The former can mean to split or cleave, and the latter, to scatter. . . . What is being divided appears different since the Hebrew verb is different in both verses.”

Answer: The name of Peleg [Strong’s #06389] in verse 25 is a variant of [#06388] peleg, which in turn is a derivation of [#06385] palag. This same root word for Peleg’s name is also used in Genesis 10:25 is [#06385] palag. It makes sense why this was used in direct reference to Peleg’s name. But also, this is still different from verse 32 where [#06504] parad is used. However, they each appear in the same context.

Parad

Working backward, the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament points out that parad is in reference to the scattering of peoples under comment 1806 (discussing parad). They in turn reference A. Wieder, “Ugaritic-Hebrew Lexicographical Notes,” JBL 84: 160–164, esp. p. 163–164.

In fact, parad is also the Hebrew word used in Genesis 10:5: “From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated [parad] into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.” Deuteronomy 32:8[12] also uses parad in reference to the split of nations.

Palag

The Hebrew word palag is only used three times in Scripture outside of Genesis 10. In 1 Chronicles 1:19,[13] it repeats Genesis 10:25. In Job 38:25,[14] it refers to a splitting of a water channel when it overflows. In Psalm 55:9,[15] it refers to splitting of languages. David was speaking of his enemies and was asking of the Lord to judge them with the splitting of their tongues. Obviously, David was conjuring thoughts of the Tower of Babel and tongue shifting there.

Peleg’s name was a direct derivation of palag, and considering the context of Genesis 10, it makes sense this Hebrew name was indeed referring to the linguistic division. So there would be no reason to distance ourselves from this plain interpretation.

So to reiterate, when evaluating the question of an alleged continental split in the days of Peleg, we need to get back to the Bible. It should be obvious that “in the days of Peleg,” it is discussing the context, which is a splitting of the earth by people groups and languages. Any splitting of continents would have occurred during the Flood.

1. Special thanks to Dr. Andrew Snelling for his contributions to this chapter.

2. Genesis 8:21–22: Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.”

3. Genesis 9:11: Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.

4. Psalm 104:8–9: They went up over the mountains; they went down into the valleys, to the place which You founded for them. You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they may not return to cover the earth.

5. Genesis 10:25: To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided

6. These are actual comments made to Answers in Genesis regarding the issue of an alleged continental split during the days of Peleg.

7. Genesis 11:1: Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.

8. Francis Brown, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2005), p. 76.

9. 2 Chronicles12:8: Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.

10. Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, Vol. 1 (Boston, MA: Brill Publishers, 2001), p. 90–91.

11. The Works of Josephus, Complete and Unabridged, translated by William Whiston (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988), p. 37.

12. Deuteronomy 32:8: When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples. . . .

13. 1 Chronicles 1:19: To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg,[a] for in his days the earth was divided. . . .

14. Job 38:25: Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water. . . .

15. Psalm 55:9: Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues. . . .

CHAPTER 16

By What Means Did Those Scattering from Babel Travel?

Well, let’s rule out air travel right from the start! However, it is possible that advanced technology existed in these cultures, such as hot air balloons.[1] But would such things be used for scattering? Likely not. If anything, such balloons were used for surveying and spotting, if they existed at this time.

There are several ways to migrate to different parts of the world — over land is the most obvious — but I would not discount sea migration either. Let’s take a look at the feasibility of both.

By Sea

The pages of Scripture make it rather clear that there were “isles,” “maritime,” or “coastland” peoples who came out of Babel:

From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations (Genesis 10:5).

To go from coast to coast and island to island to settle required the use of boats and potentially much larger ships in due time. This may have become their “specialty.” Those of Javan (Greece) and his sons as well as Tiras (known for early piracy) and some Canaanites like the Phoenicians were among the early tribes who settled many coasts in the Mediterranean Sea.[2]

We need to remember that Noah was a capable shipbuilder, as were his sons. Noah lived for nearly 350 years after the Flood, until 1998 B.C. (according to Ussher). Noah and his son Shem, who lived 500 years after the Flood, would also have been alive during and after the Tower of Babel, when the earth was divided by languages.[3]

They could easily have passed along boat-building skills or even helped build some boats themselves. Many ancient boats were quite impressive, so it would not surprise me if many people traveled by ship.[4] Some modern experiments have helped us understand that even simple, smaller boats, such as Ra II (made from totora reeds), can cross the Atlantic Ocean.[5]

Ra II, an Egyptian reed-style boat built by four Aymara Indians from Lake Titicaca in South America. It left Safi, Morocco, with crew and supplies and landed in Barbados in 57 days. It was led by Thor Heyerdahl in 1970. This is a photo of the craft that is now in the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo.

Boats explain how Hawaiian people arrived at Hawaii, as well as other islands that have even older civilizations. Mayan history has a legendary leader, Itzamna (who has since been deemed “godlike”), who brought them from the east via the water.[6] It is difficult to say when the Mayan civilization began and when the earlier Olmec civilization (which we know little about) left off.[7] This leader could very well have been the one who brought the Olmec people to Middle America by boat. Even the language of the Olmec uses a West African script.[8]

Also, some could have come by boat across the Atlantic from Europe or Africa and mixed as well (e.g., think of what the Vikings did) or simply followed the sea coast until they found the Americas from Asia.

By Land

From Babel, we would expect that civilizations closer to the region would be settled first and then those farther away. Initial civilizations such as Babylon, Egypt, and Greece were among the first to rise.[9]

The next general areas people spread to were Europe, Asia, and Africa. Of course, there would be obstacles such as rivers and mountains, but nothing that would completely stop migrations in these three continents.

It makes sense that there would be peoples represented from most if not all nations having settlements initially in the Middle East. Some families could have packed up and moved farther away over time. Others may have remained and an offshoot family could expand and move away. Acts 2:5–11 points out that representative people of every nation had become Jews, and that both Jews and proselytes were dwelling in Jerusalem during Pentecost. Some of the peoples listed were from quite a distance, and yet still in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Beyond these three continents would be Australia and North and South America. First, most Native Americans likely came across the Bering Strait from Asia to Alaska. Did they swim? Not at all!

Land Bridges

Most creationists believe there was an ice age that followed the Flood. Creationists and evolutionists agree for once. We agree that the ocean sea level would have dropped about 350–400 feet as a result of all this frozen water now sitting aloft on top of the land.[10] Of course, there are differences.

In the secular viewpoint, there were many ice ages extending back hundreds of thousands of years. Whereas, in the creationist reckoning, there was a major ice age that followed the Flood and was triggered by the Flood.[11]

An ice age is a rare event. If we just cooled the globe, we would get a cool globe; but other factors need to be involved to cause the tremendous amounts of snow and ice, and subsequently have cooler summers so that new ice and snow will not melt off entirely. This is what caused a successive growth of compacted ice and snow, and hence, glaciation.

The Flood solves this problem. Increased heat of the oceans due to continental movements, possible rapid decay of some radioactive materials, volcanism and so on means there would be more evaporation, and hence more condensation of snow and ice in winter months.

But what about cooler summers? When Mount St. Helens, a relatively small volcano, erupted in early 1980 (and also in 1982), it shot fine dust particles into the upper atmosphere. As a result of these lingering particles, much sunlight was reflected back to space (this is called the HAZE effect) and ultimately cooled the global temperature about one-tenth of a degree! This is a very large change, considering we usually see fluctuations of a tenth of a degree over the course of years.

Remnants landscape revealing the destruction of the Ice Age all the way to the coast in Sweden near Kungshamn

Consider this with regard to mountain building (Psalm 104:8–9[12]) at the end stages of the Flood and soon after as the world became adjusted to its new arrangements. There still remains the evidence of immense numbers of inactive volcanoes around the world that were likely from this stabilization period. Many of these volcanoes dwarf the size of Mount St. Helens. The global temperature could have remained rather cool for some time. And let’s not forget other factors such as “higher cloudiness, highly reflective snow, and lower carbon dioxide,” which could also contribute to a growing ice age and cause this to extend for hundreds of years.[13]

An atmospheric scientist, Mike Oard, has worked on a model for the Ice Age (Dr. Larry Vardiman has worked on this subject as well).[14] By their reckonings, the Ice Age peaked about 500 years after the Flood (400 years after Babel).[15] If their calculations were correct, then the peak of the land surface areas would have been about this time as well. In fact, that would correlate rather well with dispersion of people to various places around the world from the Americas, to Britain, to Japan, potentially even to Australia, and beyond.[16]

For the land beneath the Bering Strait to be exposed, the ocean level would have to be lower. And this mechanism is rather plausible. The Ice Age that followed the Flood would be the perfect mechanism to remove water from the ocean and deposit it on land, thus reducing the ocean level.

This is based on the current depth of the Bering Strait, which Oard believes was a bit shallower in the early stages of the Ice Age. Regardless, there was a place to cross and perhaps even settle in.

Any Evidence of Settlements in Land Bridge Areas?

Actually, there is more than one may realize. Many have pointed to the offshore Japanese Temple at Yonaguni Jima. Researchers initially heard of the claim and thought it was a natural formation. But upon investigation, they have changed their tune.

There is much evidence that cannot be interpreted without the hand of man’s involvement.[17] There are ten structures off of this site and also five structures that have been identified off the coast of Okinawa. One such feature is a step pyramid or ziggurat.[18]

The Yonaguni underwater formation

Flipping to the European side, a news report pointed out what fishermen have known for quite some time.[19] It was not uncommon for fishermen, using boats like beam trawlers, to bring up things at the bottom of the North Sea being that portions of it are rather shallow and the nets drag along the ground. From time to time, they would bring up artifacts from ancient cultures. Divers have now been studying the subject and found a number of things, especially ancient tools.

The land was clearly part of the mainland due to lower ocean levels with evidence of mammoths and civilization that was ultimately overrun by rising sea levels. One Dutch archaeologist has accumulated over 100 artifacts already.[20]

Genealogist and historian James Anderson perhaps unwittingly pointed out that residual affects of this were happening up into Roman times near Denmark. He writes in the 1730s of the Danes (Cimbrians):

But being incroached upon by the inundation of the Sea, They petition’d the Romans for a Settlement in their Dominions, and the Romans neglecting them, the Cimbrians joined the German Nations against Rome, and by their Sword, three Roman consuls were defeated. . . .[21]

The sea had driven them back into Jutland (modern-day Denmark) and even today the Danes build dams to try to reclaim just small portions of land from the sea.

Many other examples could be cited, but this should suffice to get the point across. This is but the beginning and an entire book could be published on the subject or even on the undersea findings alone. In fact, I would hope more research is done on this subject in due time.

Migration Times

How long would it take for people to travel to the Americas? Oard suggests:

Sixty years is a crude back-of-the-envelope calculation to estimate the minimum time it would take to reach South America. The actual migration would likely have been more complicated and slower. Migration could have happened in spurts. Some tribes could have settled for a while in a location before moving on[22] [emphasis Oard’s].

Oard calculates that migrating people could make it to South America in a minimum of about 60 years. I completely agree that this was not the most likely scenario. As Oard points out, the migrations would be slower than this, probably in spurts.

It would take time to travel, as a tribe would probably settle in an area for a while before moving on or, more specifically, before their descendants moved along. Many early tribes were probably migrating from time to time, too. These spurts would include the time to get to the Bering Strait from the Middle East as well as the time to spread through the Americas. From there, they went south and spread throughout the continent and on down to Central and South America.

So, logically, a couple hundred years would be ample time to spread across Asia to the Bering Strait. Many of the first travelers to the Americas probably arrived about 200–500 years after the Flood, or 100–400 years after Babel, at about 2142 B.C. to about 1842 B.C. (again based on Ussher’s dates). It could be sooner for the travelers who went by boat.

In the same way, such land bridges could be exposed to Australia, which has an extensive continental shelf to its north that connects with islands in Southeast Asia and ultimately to the mainland. Of course, it is much deeper in some places that may have been affected by tectonic activity (which is common in that area today). This could have caused it to be much lower today as opposed to the time of the Ice Age.

There is quite a bit of evidence left behind that confirms the extent of the Ice Age in North America, in Europe, and even in other parts of the world. Those arriving by boat — whether from Asia, Europe, Africa, or other places — would not have been limited to the time the Bering Strait or other land bridges were accessible. Some could have come earlier or even much later.

1. There is evidence that the ancient Chinese in Asia (unmanned) and the Nasca in Peru (likely manned) nearly 2,000 years ago used balloons. The Nasca people may well have used these to help construct the famous Nasca lines and animal geoglyphs by attaining a height perspective above the desert floor.

2. For more on this see chapter 17 and the ensuing maps.

3. We are not certain of the age of Japheth and Ham. The Bible simple does not reveal this information. Many have postulated they lived ages comparable to Shem, that is, unless an accident or disease caused their life to suddenly shorten.

4. Larry Pierce, “The Large Ships of Antiquity,” Answers in Genesis, http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/cm/v22/n3/ships.

5. Mysteries of the Ancient Americas: the New World Before Columbus (Pleasantville, NY: The Reader’s Digest Association, 1986), p. 16; and Thor Heyerdahl, “The Voyage of Ra II,” National Geographic, January 1971, pp. 44–71.

6. Gary R. Varner, Mysteries of the Native American Myth and Religion (Raleigh, NC: OakChylde Books/Lulu Press, 2007), p. 76.

7. There are similarities among Olmec writing and glyphs that are similar to the much larger and later Maya. For more on this, see Mary Pohl, Kevin O. Pope, and Christopher von Nagy, “Olmec Origins of Mesoamerican Writing,” Science 298, no. 5600 (2002): 1984–1987.

8. Paul A. Barton, “The Olmecs: An African Presence in Early America,” The Perspective, http://www.theperspective.org/olmecs.html.

9. Larry Pierce, “In the Days of Peleg,” Answers in Genesis, http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/cm/v22/n1/peleg.

10. Sea Level During Last Ice Age, Ice Age Now website, ,http://www.iceagenow.com/Sea_Level_During_Last_Ice_Age.htm.

11. There would have been some minor growths and retreats of the ice naturally throughout this glacial time. One such regrowth is known as the “Little Ice Age.”

12. Psalm 104:8–9: The mountains rose; the valleys sank down to the place which You established for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass over, so that they will not return to cover the earth (NASB).

13. Mike Oard, An Ice Age Caused by the Genesis Flood (El Cajon, CA: Institute for Creation Research, 1990), p. 93.

14. Ibid.

15. We would leave open options of this peak being sooner or later. This calculation is good, but not seen as absolute.

16. There could also have been tectonic activity that caused some sea floors to become even deeper since the time of the Ice Age, so it may not be as easy to discern some possible land bridges today.

17. Julian Ryall, “Japan’s Ancient Underwater ‘Pyramid’ Mystifies Scholars,” National Geographic News, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070919-sunken-city.html.

18. Ibid.

19. Rob Waugh, “ ‘Britain’s Atlantis’ Found at Bottom of North Sea,” Daily Mail Online, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2167731/Britains-Atlantis-North-sea--huge-undersea-kingdom-swamped-tsunami-5-500-years-ago.html#ixzz234X0Z5XE.

20. L. Spinney, “Archaeology: The Lost World,” Nature 454 (July 9, 2008): p. 151–153.

21. J. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, published by James Bettenham, 1732, p. 415.

22. Mike Oard, Frozen in Time (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2004), p. 132.

CHAPTER 17

Where Did All the People Go Initially?

Genesis 10 looks like one of those boring genealogies with names that can hardly be pronounced, and many people see this and “gloss over it” in their Bible readings. But genealogies are helpful, particularly if approached in a slightly different manner. (See chapter 13 for a Table of Nations chart.)

These names in Genesis 10 are the direct ancestors of all people, even the reader of this treatise. And many of these people were incredibly famous — some were even kings!

For this volume, many of these people were researched in more detail. There is a shocking amount of information recorded in history on many of these patriarchs, and the Bible discusses many of them. Historians, as well as ancient maps, records from Church fathers, other ancient documents, and so on, tell us which nations came from various people. So often, the Church and culture simply miss it.

Part of the reason it seems irrelevant is due to the fact that many of people have been taught a different history in the school systems they attended. On a personal level, this author attended public/state schools in the 1980s and 1990s, and the general trend of history that was taught consisted of an evolutionary history. The evolutionary view of history claims that when man became smart enough, he invented tools, moved out of Africa, grouped into civilizations, and became farmers. The first few civilizations were in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus River Valley, and so on.

From that basic evolutionary history, teachers often touch on Egypt, and then move to Alexander the Great, and then to the Roman Empire and the fact that they had some possession in Britain. Once the Roman Empire dissolved and split into two, according to the history often taught in schools, there was little to no history until 1066 when the Normans conquered England, and so began history until today. This was generally how it was presented to this author.

So with one look at Genesis 10 and 11, to most, it makes no sense. But after researching, much of the storytelling of the false evolutionary history can be recognized . . . and this is where it gets exciting. There are so many pieces of fascinating history and exciting nuggets in history that it is difficult not to give the glory to God.

An Example to Get Started

As an example, remember the ark of Noah? According to Moses, it landed in the mountains of Ararat (Genesis 8:4[1]). Why were these mountains called “Ararat”? There were no other surviving people (other than those on the ark) around to name this mountain range on which the ark ran aground. It is because the name actually came later.

After the dispersion of people at Babel, many places were named for the their inhabitants. The Uraratu people (spelled “rrt” in Hebrew, the identical spelling of Ararat in Hebrew)[2] settled in this region, and their name was essentially given to this range of mountains. Moses, having been educated in Egypt, was aware of this people group, and these mountains that were named for this people group. So when editing Genesis together, he used the name “Ararat.”

But here is another connection to Ararat. Ararat and Urartu are actually variants of Armenia, and one portion of this region even exists by this name. Josephus, a Jewish historian living at the latter part of the first century, points out that Armenia (and hence, the Urartu people) are descendants of Hul, the son of Aram, the son of Shem, the son of Noah.[3]

Josephus used the later name and Moses used the earlier name, but it makes sense. The connection is that the early ancestral people living in Armenia (by and large) are direct descendants of Hul, the son of Aram, the son of Shem, the son of Noah. This is just the start. Before looking at some of the other descendants of Noah, there are some criteria to consider.

Criteria

When looking at this information, it is good to understand how to categorize it or more properly “give the proper weight” to a source. The Bible, being the ultimate source because God is the ultimate authority on every subject, should be noted. God is the highest authority:

For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself (Hebrews 6:13).

Sources outside the Bible can never be trusted with certainty. There is naturally a rank, though. For example, historians’ comments can be trusted far more than mythology, legends, and oral tradition. This is not to say that there is no truth to these others, but that requires discernment.

Then there are genetic studies to link people groups and language families that also have merit but are not worthy of the level of Scripture or, at this stage, not even worthy to compete with historians’ comments, but they do have some value. After all, people can conquer other people groups (or bring back captives, or migrate, and so on) and intermixing can cause strange results in genetics studies as well as affect language. The language of Rome, for example, has affected much of Europe due to the Roman Empire’s influence.

The following sections and maps are a partial accumulation of research to date.[4] However, there may be factors and other information involved that has not come to light. What are outlined here are the basics. There is more to it than this, but for this layperson-friendly book, this will have to do. Research is only as good as the sources available on this topic, so keep in mind this is just a guide.

Building on biblical statements, the next step is showing how a historian’s writings are used to accumulate this information. A prominent Jewish historian, Josephus, has pointed out nearly 2,000 years ago where numerous people developed from various descendants of Noah. And Josephus’s work will be a jumping-off point for the rest of this information. A bibliography of consulted works used to accumulate the information on these maps is below:

1. Genesis 10–11, plus other Scriptures

2. Josephus, Antiquity of the Jews

3. H.C. Leupold, Exposition of Genesis

4. John Gill, Commentary on the Bible

5. Associates for Biblical Research

6. Baker Bible Atlas

7. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament

8. Believer’s Bible Commentary

9. Nennius, History of the Britons

10. Edgar Truax, “Genesis according to the Miao People,” ICR Website

11. Russell Grigg and Harold Hunt, “The Sixteen Grandsons of Noah,” Creation magazine

12. Michael Grant, A Guide to the Ancient World (Michael Grant Publishing Ltd., 1986; Barnes and Noble Books, 1997)

13. Polybius, The Rise of the Roman Empire

14. Tacitus, The Annals of Imperial Rome

15. Plutarch, Appendix The Age of Alexander

16. Julius Caesar, The Civil War

17. Seutonius, Twelve Caesars

18. Herodotus

19. James Ussher, The Annals of the World

20. Strabo, Geography

21. Snorri Sturluson, Prose Edda

22. James Anderson, Royal Genealogies

23. AnswersinGenesis.org

24. Isaac Newton, Newton’s Revised History of Ancient Kingdoms

25. Henry Morris, The Genesis Record

26. Geoffrey Keating, The History of Ireland

27. Francisco Colin, The Native Peoples and their Customs

28. Arthur Custance, Noah’s Three Sons

Others: CreationWiki, various printed dictionaries, Bible.org, Book of Jasher,[5] and Imninalu.net for minor details

In many cases, there are some disagreements among historians and commentators, but these maps should illustrate an accumulation of some of their work, though not all of it. In an attempt to keep this layperson-friendly, certain aspects were judged unnecessary to include.

Outside of Scripture, sometimes one historian is right and another is wrong; another time both are right, even though they give two different ancestries for a nation (e.g., the Danes through Cimbri to Gomer or the Danes through Danius to Ashkenaz, where both are true since these people groups comingled[6]); and in some cases each historian may be incorrect. After sifting through so much, it gets monotonous, and in an attempt to reduce the monotony, this author was selective in what was put on the maps.

But rest assured, there is much more to learn if one decides to research this further. For the astute researcher, the suggestion is to research with the original works when possible.

These maps and historical accounts are a good confirmation of what we read in the Bible: that we are all related and go back to Noah and ultimately Adam. This means we are all in same boat, sinners in need of a Savior, Jesus Christ. It also means there has been much information withheld by the secular media and education systems.

Josephus — a Wonderful Steppingstone

Josephus was a first-century Jewish historian with an intriguing history of his own. He served as governor of Galilee, fought against Rome in the first century, and was eventually captured. His surrender ultimately took him to Rome, where his captors were Roman emperors (Vespasian and his son Titus). He was ordered to write a history of the Jewish nation because of all the strife that had been going on in that area.

But the history to be discussed is not Josephus’ life, but something he wrote about. In his book about Jewish history, The Antiquity of the Jews (specifically chapter 6, of which the bulk is reprinted in the following), Josephus gave Christians a brilliant “steppingstone” to the genealogies in Genesis 10.

Table of Nations

Josephus connected many of the nations that formed after the confusion at the Tower of Babel with the nations around him. He often listed the common Greek name for these nations, which provided a solid translation of ancient history into his era. From his work, Christians can connect those nations to the nations we have today. Hence, we have a steppingstone between nations and people groups soon after the Flood and those today.

For example, Josephus mentions that Gomer, one of Noah’s grandsons, had descendants that the Greeks called Galatians. Paul wrote an epistle to the Galatians who were living in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).

Another intriguing connection is that of Magog — also one of Noah’s grandsons. Josephus’ research reveals that the Scythians were descendants of Magog. The Scythians are now a variety of people groups living north of the Black Sea.

Another exciting aspect of Josephus is that his table of nations gives extra-biblical support to Genesis 10 and the division of the peoples by family group when God confused their languages. A chart that shows Josephus’ table of nations can be found in chapter 13.

Consider how similar this is to the Bible’s table of nations, which obviously influenced Josephus. And consider how much we can learn from Josephus’ comments on the subject.

Conclusions

Although Josephus’ work is not infallible, it does confirm biblical accuracy. Take particular notice of some of the names of Canaan’s sons. The Bible reveals them as people groups, such as Jebusites, Sinites, Girgashites, and so on. Josephus gives the specific names of Canaan’s sons, such as Jebuseus, Gergesus, Sineus, and so on. These are fascinating confirmations of the Bible’s teachings.

Excerpts

The following are excerpts from Josephus’ Antiquity of the Jews as translated by William Whiston and adapted in the Online Bible. The names of Noah’s grandsons are numbered, and his great-grandsons have a letter associated with their father’s number, and so on. Also, if the name is not obvious, the likely connection is linked to the biblical genealogies in brackets.

Japheth

Now they were the grandchildren of Noah, in honour of whom names were imposed on the nations by those who first settled them. Japheth, the son of Noah, had seven sons; they inhabited so, that, beginning at the mountains Taurus and Amanus, they proceeded along Asia, as far as the river Tanais, and along Europe to Cadiz; and settling themselves on the lands which they came upon, which none had inhabited before, they called the nations by their own names; for

1. Gomer founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, [Galls,] but were then called Gomerites.

2. Magog founded those who from him were named Magogites, but who are by the Greeks called Scythians.

3. Now as to Javan and Madai, the sons of Japheth; from Madai came the Madeans, who are called Medes, by the Greeks;

4. but from Javan, Ionia, and all the Greeks, are derived.

5. Thobel [Tubal] founded the Thobelites, who are now called Iberes;

6. and the Mosocheni were founded by Mosoch [Mechech]; now they are Cappadocians. There is also a mark of their ancient name still to be shown; for there is even now among them a city called Mazaca, which may inform those who are able to understand, that so was the entire nation once called.

7. Thiras [Tiras, Tyras] also called those whom he ruled over, Thirasians; but the Greeks changed the name into Thracians. And so many were the countries that had the children of Japheth for their inhabitants.

1A. Of the three sons of Gomer, Ashkenaz founded the Ashkenazians [Germany], who are now called by the Greeks Rheginians.

1B. So did Riphas found the Riphasians, now called Paphlagonians; and

1C. Togarmah the Togarmans, who, as the Greeks resolved, were named Phrygians.

4A. Of the three sons of Javan also, the son of Japheth, Elishah gave name to the Eliseans, who were his subjects; they are now the Aeolians.

4B. Tarshish to the Tarshians; for so was Cilicia of old called; the sign of which is this, that the noblest city they have, and a metropolis also, is Tarsus, the tau being by change put for the theta.

4C. Cethimus [Kittim] possessed the island Cethima; it is now called Cyprus; and from that it is that all islands, and the greatest part of the sea coasts, are named Cethim by the Hebrews; and one city there is in Cyprus that has been able to preserve its name; it has been called Citius by those who use the language of the Greeks, and has not, by the use of that dialect, escaped the name of Cethim. And so many nations have the children and grandchildren of Japheth possessed.

Now when I have premised somewhat, which perhaps the Greeks do not know, I will return and explain what I have omitted; for such names are pronounced here after the manner of the Greeks, to please my readers; for our own country language does not so pronounce them; but the names in all cases are of one and the same ending; for the name we here pronounce Noeas, is there Noah, and in every case retains the same termination.

Ham

The children of Ham possessed the land from Syria and Amanus, and the mountains of Libanus; settling 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 names entire.

1. For of the four sons of Ham, time has not at all hurt the name of Cush; for the Ethiopians, over whom he reigned, are even at this day, both by themselves and by all men in Asia, called Cushites.

2. The memory also of the Mesraites is preserved in their name, for all we who inhabit this country [of Judea] called Egypt Mestre [Mizraim], and the Egyptians Mestreans.

3. 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; where it is that we may see the greatest part of the Greek historiographers mention that river and the adjoining country by the appellation of Phut;

2A. but the name it has now, has been by change given it from one of the sons of Mizraim, who was called Lybyos [Ludites]. We will inform you presently what has been the occasion why it has been called Africa also.

4. 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:

1A. Sabas [Seba], who founded the Sabeans;

1B. Evilas [Havilah], who founded the Evileans, who are called Getuli;

1C. Sabathes [Sabtah], founded the Sabathens — they are now called by the Greeks, Astaborans; (135)

1D. Sabactas settled the Sabactens; and

1E. Ragmus [Raamah] the Ragmeans; and he had two sons, the one of whom, Judadas, settled the Judadeans [Dedan], a nation of the Western Ethiopians, and left them his name; as did Sabas [Sheba] to the Sabeans.

1F. But Nimrod, the son of Cush, stayed and tyrannized at Babylon, as we have already informed you.

Now all the children of Mizraim, being eight in number, possessed the country from Gaza to Egypt, though it retained the name of one only,

2A. the Philistim [Casluhites; for the Greeks call part of that country Palestine.

2B. As for the rest, Ludicim [Ludites], and

2C. Enemim [Anamites], and

2D. Labim [Lehabites/Lybybos], who alone inhabited in Libya, and called the country from himself,

2E. Nedim [Naphtuhites] and

2F. Phethrosim, and

2G. Chesloim [8th son that that came after the biblical table of nations?], and

2H. Caphthorim; 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.

4A. The sons of Canaan were these: Sidonius, who also built a city of the same name — it is called by the Greeks, Sidon;

4B. Amathus [Hamathites] inhabited in Amathine, which is even now called Amathe by the inhabitants, although the Macedonians named it Epiphania, from one of his posterity;

4C. Arudeus [Arvadites] possessed the island Aradus;

4D. Arucas [Arkites] possessed Arce, which is in Libanus; but for the seven others, [Eueus,]

4E. Chetteus, [Hittites?]

4F. Jebuseus [Jebusites founded Jerusalem],

4G. Amorreus [Amorites],

4H. Gergesus [Girgashites],

4I. Eudeus [Hivites?],

4J. Sineus [Sinites, Sinai is named for this tribe, and perhaps those that left and settled in the Orient],

4K. Samareus [Zemarites] 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.

Shem

Shem, the third son of Noah, had five sons, who inhabited the land that began at Euphrates, and reached to the Indian Ocean.

1. For Elam left behind him the Elamites, the ancestors of the Persians.

2. Ashur lived at the city of Nineveh; and named his subjects Assyrians, who became the most fortunate nation beyond others.

3. Arphaxad named the Arphaxadites, who are now called Chaldeans.
Aram had the Aramites, which the Greeks called Syrians;

4. as Laud founded the Laudites, which are now called Lydians.

5. Of the four sons of Aram,

5A. Uz founded Trachonitis and Damascus; this country lies between Palestine and Coelosyria.

5B. Ul [Hul] founded Armenia; and

5C. Gather the Bactrians; and

5D. Mesa [Mechech] the Mesaneans; it is now called Charax Spasini.

3A. Sala was the son of Arphaxad;

3A1. and his son was Heber [Eber], from whom they originally called the Jews Hebrews.

3A1A. Heber begat Joktan and Peleg: he was called Peleg, because he was born at the dispersion of the nations to their various countries; for Peleg among the Hebrews signifies Division.

Now Joktan, one of the sons of Heber, had these sons: Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, 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.

Ham

This section begins to map out Ham’s descendants to see this visually, including Josephus’ comments as well as many other connections from other historians and sources, and naturally, the Bible. And remember these maps (and all of those in chapter 17) are currently an accumulation of the best research but are not absolute. It is important to reiterate this. It is the Bible that is absolute. And with people constantly migrating, warring, intermixing, engaging in human trafficking (slavery), settling in areas that no one had been before, and so on, there are likely factors involved that we may never understand.

As a general trend, Ham is the father of many peoples in Africa, some in the Middle East and likely Southeast Asia. Japheth is seen as the father of the European peoples, of some in the Middle East (like Turkey and the Medes in Persia), and of some to the Far East and Northern Asia. Some Medes may have traveled as far as India. Shem was primarily the father of many in the Middle East extending into Asia and India. But let’s look at some specifics.

Map of Mizraim and his descendants

Brief Commentary on the Map of Mizraim

Mizraim is the Hebrew name for Egypt. When one reads the word Egypt in the Old Testament, the Hebrew behind it is Mizraim. We get the name Egypt as a derivation of the Greek name for Egypt, which is Aiguptos. Mestre or Menes are variant names for Mizraim.

Genesis 10:14 says, “and Pathrusim and Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and Caphtorim).” One of Mizraim’s sons was Casluhim, and Moses points out that Philistines came through this particular son.

Most historians agree that Phut founded Libya. However, most of the Phutites moved west and some that remained might have comingled with descendants of Mizraim and others since. Josephus gives us a clue here. He points out that one of Mizraim’s sons, whom he named Lybyos, correlates with Lehabim or Lubim (Daniel 11:43[7]; 2 Chronicles 12:3,[8] 16:8[9]; Nahum 3:9[10]; Acts 2:10[11]) in the Table of Nations and was in possession of this land. Acts 2:10 points out that part of Libya was adjacent to Cyrene (North Coast of Libya) and therefore Egypt.

Josephus points out that several of Mizraim’s sons’ cities had been overthrown in the Ethiopic War by Cush (Ethiopia) who lived south of them. This was an early war even to Josephus’ day. If their cities were overthrown, did they migrate elsewhere? Many may have been assimilated into Egypt or fled to other parts of the world, taking their peoples and languages elsewhere.

The history of the Maio people in China record that Lo-Han begat Cusah and Mesay, or to put this in biblical terms, Ham begot Cush and Mizraim.[12] Interestingly, in the region between India and China there still remains an area called Mizoram with the Mizo people. In recent times, it became a state in India (1987). Their language family is part of the Tibeto-Burman, which is unique enough to be different from the Sino-Tibetan tongues that came through the Sinites of China. Is it possible that these people came through Mizraim? It is possible.

Brief Commentary on the Map of Cush

Map of Cush and his descendants

Cush is the name for Ethiopia, and many there call themselves “Cushites.” This is likely where Cush and others of his progeny survived after the Babel dispersion. There was also the Hindu Kush, who lived well to the east of Babel. Did they come out of a specific son listed in the Table of Nations from Cush and yet retain the name of Cush for their people? It is possible. Recall too, though, that some listed in the Table of Nations could have had sons afterward; so two sons of Cush born after Babel could have descendants who retained this name as well.

One old map places the Getuli (Gaetuli) in North Africa (the Getuli were descendants of Havilah, son of Cush). Havilah settled in Arabia (Genesis 25:18[13] and 1 Samuel 15:7[14]), so he may have migrated from Arabia to this part of North Africa. There were many migrations even in the time of Abraham and Ishmael; and Abraham’s other progeny, with Keturah, also took over much of Arabia. This may have caused some peoples to move away or be assimilated into the Arabic language. Even some of Abraham’s grandsons through Keturah can be traced to North Africa. This may explain why much of North Africa spoke Arabic, a language very similar to biblical Hebrew, and opened the door for the Getuli to migrate there.

Nimrod, the son of Cush, remained in Babel, took it over, and invaded Assyria (Asshur), so that area originally comingled with Asshur and Cush. The Akkadian Empire came out of Cush and Nimrod. It is fascinating that the secular world places the Akkadian Empire long before the Flood and Noah, yet the empire could not exist until Akkad (Accad), a great-great-grandson of Noah was born.

Soon after the events at Babel, many in that day may have elevated Nimrod, the first recorded king in the Bible (Genesis 10:10), to a position of god-like status due to his conquering and rebellious nature. Many names for him were transferred among these various tribes in the Middle East from titles like Belus (where we get the name Baal), among others.[15]

An interesting point is made with Raamah, the son of Cush, and his sons Dedan and Sheba. Josephus seemed to know where Raamah settled, likely in Arabia, but the exact position is not known to this author at this point. Ezekiel 27:22[16] associates Raamah with Sheba, so it is surely near in location. But of course we cannot be certain today. This was most likely in the southwestern portion of Arabia (think of modern-day Yemen). Some likely crossed over into Africa as well, which was just across the sea.

But here is where it gets difficult. Sheba and Dedan are brothers. And there are two other brothers named Sheba and Dedan who are the grandsons of Abraham and Keturah (Abraham’s wife after Sarah died) through their son Jokshan (Genesis 25:1–3[17]).

So now we have two “Dedans” and two “Shebas” who gave rise to various people groups. Abraham’s Sheba and Dedan would have spoken Hebrew or a variant form like Arabic (they came well after the Table of Nations). But it gets worse. There is a third ancient Sheba. He was the son of Joktan, the son of Eber, the son of Selah, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem in the Table of Nations. This Sheba would have come out of Babel with a new language, too. So we have three Sheba’s with three different languages settling in three different areas (or we hope three different areas). One of these three spoke Hebrew.

So which is which? Josephus says that Sheba of Raamah left his name to the Sabeans, who reside in Arabia. This particular group is associated with Muhammad, the leader of Islam around A.D. 600, where they were a powerful tribe that Muhammad used to conquer many parts of Arabia. Josephus also places Dedan (also known as Judadas) of Raamah on the opposite side of the Red Sea in Africa (they were called the Judadeans). They were a tribe in Western Ethiopia and could rightly be called Cushites.

Much of the southern part of Africa was known as the Lower Cush. It makes sense that Cush’s descendants migrated to many of these areas initially. However, we also need to keep in mind that people like Greeks and many others throughout history were migrating via coastlines. So a number of people groups and language families could easily be introduced in various parts of the southern half of the continent.

In relatively recent times, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, English, Italian, Dutch, Belgian, and other European groups began colonizing Africa (and other parts of the world) during the age of exploration. To assume nations throughout history did not colonize during migrations would not be wise. Africa, when all is said and done, has a varied makeup of people groups.

To the east of Babel is the Hindu Kush. Continuing in this general direction to the northeast part of India, there is the Indian Kush or Indian Ethiopia (Gangen region). Continuing down the Malay Peninsula, there are tribes and places that reflect the named Seba or Sabah. Interestingly, Seba was one of the sons of Cush.[18] There is even a genetic connection between Australian aborigines and some Africans and Indians. So this Cush, particularly Seba, could have made it this far and then continued in this general direction.[19]

Map of Phut and his descendants

Brief discussion of the Map of Phut

Many Phutites remained in the region of Libya. Others pushed westward and dominated much of North Africa and West Africa. The Moors came out of Phut, and correspondingly, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, and other places as well.

Along the coasts came Greeks and other seafaring peoples like the Phoenicians (through Canaan). They too had cities and colonies. In many cases these groups mixed. North Africa also had its share of wars as well as the most extensive slave trade in the world. So people were often mixed and shifted in these regions. But Phut was the dominant group. The Bible does not list any children for Phut in the Table of Nations, so it is expected that they had one language family originally and from there deviations came.

Some relate the Olmec in Middle America to Phut as well, and with good reason. The Olmec were precursors to the Mayans; whether they assimilated, were conquered, or simply moved elsewhere (perhaps South America), we do not know. But they left some archaeological clues. They were one of the few groups in the Americas that had a written language.

This language does not match anything in North or South America. A linguist (Clyde Winters) of African languages recognized it. He said it was very similar to a language group (Mende) in Mali, West Africa. Many archaeological finds of the Olmec reflect images similar to African culture and features commons to African Phutite peoples. So this is a possibility.[20]

Phut expansion continued as many Islamic Moors later invaded Europe and conquered Spain and Portugal in A.D. 711. Their final expulsion did not come until nearly 800 years later, so their influence and ancestry also mingled in the Iberian Peninsula.

Map of Canaan and his descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of Canaan

Canaan was the one cursed by Noah in Genesis 9 because of Ham’s actions against Noah. He was still living at Noah’s farm at this point. It may have been this incident that was precursory to the Great Migration to the plain of Shinar, though we cannot be sure.

Most Canaanite tribes lived in the land of Canaan, as attested to by most historians and commentators — and rightly so, as the land of Canaan was well known with biblical texts and much of that land was given to the Israelites, Edomites, Ammonites, and Moabites. Seven of the tribes of Canaan fell under the Israelites. However, Joshua failed to conquer them all, so some Canaanites assimilated into Israelite tribes (Zechariah 14:21[21]). Even one of Jesus disciples was Simon the Canaanite (Matthew 10:4). Other Canaanites were dispersed to find homes elsewhere in the world.

One group of Canaanites was the Sinites. One initial settlement was in the Sinai Peninsula, so named for them. But also, China has often been seen as the land of the Sinites. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown concur that “the Arabians and other Asiatics call China Sin, or Tchin.” Hence, the origin of the name China.[22] John Trapp points out that the Greek geographers call China “Sinois.”[23] Many affirm this because of what Isaiah 49:12 says:

Surely these shall come from afar; look! Those from the north and the west, and these from the land of Sinim (Isaiah 49:12).

Many rightly see the land of Sinim in the Sinai Peninsula just off of Egypt as descendants of Sinius, and in one sense rightly so, for many Sinites dwelt there (think Wilderness of Sin, Mt. Sinai, and so on). But given the context of “coming from afar” in Isaiah 49:12, this may well be in reference to a farther group of Sinites.

As for China, there is still a reflection of the Sinites, even in modern times, with the Sino-Japanese war between China and Japan. Some Sinites surely made their way to the land that is now China, perhaps very early. It is possible that many Sinites also populated many other areas in Asia, or at least dominated them.

Is it possible that some of the other tribes of Canaanites also moved toward the East, like China and beyond? This is very probable. If the Sinites, some of whom lived in the Middle East, had migrated to East Asia, could some of the other tribes as well? It is possible. And they could have brought a host of language families with them, perhaps even to the Americas or other East Asian regions — perhaps within the boundaries of China today. Five or six language families (five are more dominant) are still within the borders of China today.[24]

One group in China that did not come from Sinius was the Miao people. They have a lineage that comes through Gomer, the son of Japheth, but they were conquered and assimilated. Maio history lists six ancestors who presumably populated China:

Lo-han then begat Cusah and Mesay. Lo-shan begat Elan and Nga-shur.[25]

So outside of the Maio ancestry to Gomer, they point out that Cush (Cusah), Mesay (Mitzraim) from Ham (Lo-han), and Elam (Persia/Medes, Elan) and Asshur (Nga-shur) through Shem (Lo-shan) were also in the region of Southeast Asia. This does not include the dominating sixth, the Sinites.

Often when areas are conquered, some languages disappear. This may have happened with the Gomer influence. The leading group in China is the Han (hence Ham or perhaps the Hamathites, descendants of Canaan) and has the Sino-Tibetan language family (from the Sinites or Sinius, the son of Canaan, the son of Ham).

One language family in China is associated with the Tajik language in Iran (Persia/Elam). Another is within the Turkish family, but this language likely came in with the powerful Turks Tartar nation in the north later. Mongolia is a mix, having Turkish (Togarmah) and Scythians/Magyar (Magog), among others’ influence. Two other language families are still present in China, including:

1. Austro-Asiatic family, including the language of the Va and Bulang.

2. Austronesian family, including the language of the Gaoshan and the Hui.

Do these relate to Egyptian, Cush, and Asshur? This is a likely possibility with Asshur, since we do not know original Assyrian because Nimrod early on, and later Abraham’s son, conquered these areas. The original Assyrian language was essentially lost. Perhaps linguists could study this in more detail in the future.

The Hindu Kush (Cush, Cusah), which includes the Himalayas and sits north of India, could easily have been a jumping-off point for colonization into China on the west side.

Though most Canaanites started in the land of Canaan, their next dispersion at the hands of Israel due to judgment potentially sent them around the world. The Phoenicians, who were skilled sailors and Canaanites themselves, could surely help their kin find settlements. How far did they go? East Asia, the Pacific? Perhaps even the Americas? Dr. Gill points out:

And afterwards were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad; not only these eleven, but two more which are not mentioned, the Canaanites properly so called, and the Perizzites; these families at first dwelt in one place, or within narrow limits; but, as they increased, they spread themselves further every way, and in process of time possessed all the country from Idumea and Palestine to the mouth of the Orontes, and which they held about seven hundred years, when five of these families, with the two other above mentioned, were cast out of the land for their sins, and to make way for the people of Israel.[26]

Once the Israelites were in the land, they were disposed and dispersed. Where did they go? Did these languages make it to the diverse shores of America and the Pacific? The Phoenicians were sailing around Africa, and the later Romans were trading with India . . . so it is possible.

The ancient Chinese were well aware of the Americas that they denoted as “Fu Sang.” They even had a map that had some unmistakable detail of features in the Americas, like feather people and Grand Canyon.[27]

So not only was trade involved but likely they had some direct relational connection to the peoples in America. The Asiatic Fathers of America offers numerous lines of evidence that could easily connect the Chinese and Koreans to the Americas, such as ancient Chinese coins dug up in British Columbia and archaeologists finding some ancient Chinese texts in Mexico.[28]

Interestingly, some linguists have pointed out the connection between the Na-Dene language family of several Native American tribes (that extends from Alaska through Western Canada, nearly to the border of the United States, and also exists with Native Americans in some of the American Southwest and Texas) with that of the Sino-Tibetan language family in Asia. It has been suggested that this latest migration was due to old world turmoil when Genghis Khan conquered and destroy the Xi-Xia kingdom in Northwest China.[29]

Summary of Ham and the Alleged Curse of Ham

Ham’s descendants settled in many parts of Africa and the Middle East and can even be traced to Central America. Is it possible some made it to other parts of the Americas or Australia? It is possible.

A myth needs to be dispelled at this time. Genesis 9 says:

And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.

So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants He shall be to his brethren.”

And he said: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem; and may Canaan be his servant” (Genesis 9:20–27).

Some have assumed that the so-called “Curse of Ham” (Genesis 9:25) caused Ham’s descendants to have dark skin. While it is likely that African peoples descended initially from Ham (Cush, Phut, and Mizraim), it is not likely that they are descended from Canaan — the curse was actually declared on Canaan, not Ham (Genesis 9:25). Sadly, people trying to make this claim are doing so out of prejudice, for there is no reason to assume that a variant skin shade is “cursed” in any respect.

This false idea of the “Curse of Ham” goes back to a cult teaching by polytheistic Mormons (otherwise known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Mormon doctrine from 1958 states:

We know the circumstances under which the posterity of Cain (and later of Ham) were cursed with what we call Negroid racial characteristics.[30]

What had happened was that the religion of secular humanism (i.e., evolution, millions of years, no God) had crept into society. And sadly, many churches in the 1800s and early 1900s began adopting aspects of this religion, such as millions of years, evolution, and racist ideas (many churches remained true to God’s Word and opposed such things, and they are to be commended for that).

Along with reinterpreting who Christ is, the Mormons also bought into some evolutionary ideas like “higher” and “lower” races of man, an idea Charles Darwin promoted in his book The Descent of Man. They tried to reinterpret this concept as lower races being cursed with dark skin. Of course, there is only one race — the human race — and we are all related and all in need of Jesus Christ, regardless of skin shade.

Another cult, Jehovah’s Witnesses (i.e., Russellites, who are unitarian in their belief), stated in The Golden Age, a publication of The Watchtower:

Question: Is there anything in the Bible that reveals the origin of the Negro?

Answer: It is generally believed that the curse which Noah pronounced upon Canaan was the origin of the Black race. Certain it is that when Noah said, “Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren,” he pictured the future of the Colored race.[31]

Unlike Mormons, they at least got the curse correct in that it was directed at Canaan, not Ham. However, the descendants of Canaan are not the ones with far darker shades of skin. And many of these Canaanites were wiped out and dispersed by the Israelites for their sin. Finally, consider the Chinese Sinites (Sinim) through Canaan, who have very little dark skin.

The point is that these cults tried to incorporate a false racist belief into their doctrines that comes from the false religion of secular humanism. This should be a lesson to any Christian — do not mix biblical Christianity with other religions. The curse was on Canaan, but has nothing to do with skin shade.

Instead, it had more to do with territory. God honored this with Shem (Abraham and his posterity, specifically), dominating Canaan and forcing them to be subjective servants “to dwell in the tents of Shem.” Additionally, take note of the enlargement of Japheth’s territory as denoted in Noah’s curse, for the descendants of Japheth have increased steadily into Asia, the Americas, Australia, and many other places.

Is it possible to associate some of the peoples with decreased land areas with the descendants of Canaan (e.g., Americas, Australia, and so on)? Potentially — but then with so much mixing, it is hard to tell at this point.

Shem

Introduction

The descendants of Shem include the lineage to Abraham and to Christ. The decision was made to also include a separate map specifically dedicated to Abraham. His descendants dominated the Middle East and parts of Africa.

To begin this section, it would be pertinent to discuss the Medes and Persians (Elam) who comingled early in their associations.

Map of Madai and Elam and their descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of the Madai and Elam

One group of Japhethites (Madai) comingled with Elam of Shem, who gave rise to the Persians. The Medes and Persians basically became inseparable and were often mentioned together in Scripture. The Bible discusses the law of the Medes and the Persians (Esther 1:19[32]; Daniel 6:8[33]). The kingdom of the Babylonians was given over to the Medes and Persians after the “fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote”[34] on the wall in Daniel 5:5.[35] Darius the Mede was made king[36] over the Chaldeans in Daniel 9:1,[37] and even Medes were represented at Pentecost!

Famous to history, the Elamites had their name changed to Persians by Cyrus, one of their powerful kings. Parsis and Parthaia reflect these names, too. The Persian Empire extended into India. This was the second of the world empires (beasts) that Daniel described (the four were Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome). The Medes, Parthians, Persians, and some others who spoke the same language like in Bactria, combined were deemed the Aryan people. And the language of Darius the Mede was called “Aryan.”[38] This is likely the name of the language of the Medes (or possibly the old Persian language) that dominated much of the area.

What is interesting is that the term Aryan was adopted by the Nazis and Adolf Hitler in the early 20th century to describe a people group they deemed as purely Germanic (must be of one people group) and more “evolved” than the rest of European peoples and the rest of the world. And yet, the true Aryans were one of the most famous groups of people who were of mixed descent. Hitler and the Nazis were playing off of Charles Darwin’s model of higher and lower races. This idea, claimed by this humanistic religion, has been a cause of terrible atrocities in WWI, WWII, and mass exterminations of people by leaders like Stalin (Soviet Union) and Mao (China), among others.[39]

The languages of the Medes and Persians extend into the northern parts of India and form a part of the Indo-European language family. Likely, these people were co-mingled with many who were in India as well (likely Joktan, who was ultimately out of Shem, as the Arabs concur and is discussed elsewhere in this treatise).

Some of Elam even settled as far as the western part of China, making up the Tajik language speakers, who speak a language associated with the Persians and Elam.

Brief Discussion of the Map of Asshur

Map of Asshur and his descendants

Asshur is known as Assyria in the Bible. A handful of Noah’s descendants were named for people and places pre-Flood. Asshur is one of them. There was a region named Asshur or Assyria before the Flood, and the Hiddekel River flowed toward the east of it.

This Asshur settled relatively near to the original site of Babel but north. Portions of Asshur were conquered early and some of his allotted land was taken over by Nimrod (Genesis 10:10–11). Did languages combine or get lost at this early point in history? It is a possibility.

However, early on, Assyria became a very powerful nation and empire in and of itself. Assyria in 722 B.C. conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel because of their sin, and Israel was taken into captivity as prophesied in Numbers 24:22.[40] Later, Babylon emerged and conquered everyone around them, including the Southern Kingdom of Judah because of their disobedience, and Judah was taken into captivity. But Assyria also conquered Chaldea in southern Mesopotamia and laid it to waste (Isaiah 23:13[41]).

But we have to consider that many of Abraham’s descendants settled and took over Assyria, specifically Surim (Shuhites) and much of northern Mesopotamia. So these later empires have Abrahamic ancestry in them as well. Because of the mixing and dominating, the language was a form of Hebrew.

Did some of Asshur’s progeny go elsewhere prior to this? Did they make it as far as the Americas, taking a unique language with them? I would leave open the option. Ancient listings of people from Babel in Maio traditions of the Chinese list a variant of Asshur, as was discussed in the section on the map of Canaan.

Map of Arphaxad and His Descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of Arphaxad

Arphaxad has the lineage of Christ down through Peleg. In this, we find the lineage of Christ via Abraham. A separate chart on Abraham is available further in this section, even though some of his descendants appear in the above chart. The reason is due to Abraham’s dominance in the Middle East and even North Africa. Though there was much mixing, the language of Abraham (and Eber) in its various forms (e.g., Arabic, Aramaic, and so on) now dominated the Middle East and even many parts of North Africa.

This is the main reason many languages in the Middle East are dubbed Semitic even though the people are of other descent like Hamitic (e.g., Akkadian or Acadian, where Akkad was the son of Nimrod, the son of Cush, the son of Ham).

The descendants of Arphaxad dominated much of the Middle East. Speaking of Joktan, Dr. John Gill writes:

Whom the Arabs call Cahtan, and claim him as their parent, at least, of their principal tribes; and say he was the first that reigned in Yaman, and put a diadem on his head; and there is a city in the territory of Mecca, about seven furlongs or a mile to the south of it, and one station from the Red Sea, called Baisath Jektan, the seat of Jektan, which manifestly retains his name; and there are a people called Catanitae, placed by Ptolemy in Arabia Felix.[42]

Gill continues in his notes on verse 26:

And twelve more mentioned later: the Arabic writers say he had thirty-one sons by one woman, but all, excepting two, left Arabia, and settled in India.[43]

Commentators Keil and Delitzsch concur and add:

His brother Joktan is called Kachtan by the Arabians, and is regarded as the father of all the primitive tribes of Arabia. The names of his sons are given in vv. 26–29. There are thirteen of them, some of which are still retained in places and districts of Arabia, whilst others are not yet discovered, or are entirely extinct. Nothing certain has been ascertained about Almodad, Jerah, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, and Jobab. Of the rest, Sheleph is identical with Salif or Sulaf (in Ptl. 6, 7, Dalapeenoi’), an old Arabian tribe, also a district of Yemen. Hazarmaveth (i.e., forecourt of death) is the Arabian Hadhramaut in South-eastern Arabia on the Indian Ocean, whose name Jauhari is derived from the unhealthiness of the climate. Hadoram: the Adrami’tai of Ptol. 6, 7, Atramitae of Plin.6, 28, on the southern coast of Arabia. Uzal: one of the most important towns of Yemen, south-west of Mareb. Sheba: the Sabaeans, with the capital Saba or Mareb, Mariaba regia (Plin.), whose connection with the Cushite (v. 7) and Abrahamite Sabaeans {#Ge 25:3} is quite in obscurity. Ophir has not yet been discovered in Arabia; it is probably to be sought on the Persian Gulf, even if the Ophir of Solomon was not situated there. Havilah appears to answer to Chaulaw of Edrisi, a district between Sanaa and Mecca. But this district, which lies in the heart of Yemen, does not fit the account in #1Sa 15:7, nor the statement in #Ge 25:18, that Havilah formed the boundary of the territory of the Ishmaelites. These two passages point rather to Chaulotai’oi, a place on the border of Arabia Petraea towards Yemen, between the Nabataeans and Hagrites, which Strabo describes as habitable.[44]

If many of the sons of Joktan did settle in Arabia and then moved over to India, it makes sense. India is a melting pot of languages. During my days at the university, I knew some people from India whose families lived a couple of miles from each other in India. Even at such a close distance, the languages were so diverse that they could not communicate outside of English.

With at least ten language families in India and their subsequent changes over time, it makes sense how the languages of India can be as incredibly diverse as they are. But consider other migrations of people toward Asia. Mountain ranges like the Zagros, Himalayas, Hindu Kush, and so on, form a natural barrier to force migrating people toward the subcontinent of India. How many other languages and peoples made it to India? It could be more than we know.

The Himilayan Mountain range runs in an arc that is 1,500 miles long.

The Chaldeans were the descendants of Arphaxad as well, as Josephus points out. Abraham was called out of Ur of the Chaldeans, and he left his family heritage for the place God would give his descendants as an inheritance (Genesis 11:28–31).

Not much is given of Eber and Selah. But scholars know for a fact there were other sons and daughters born to Arphaxad, Selah, and Eber (Genesis 11:13–14, 17). Their names or any element of their languages are simply not given.

What’s more, many language families and peoples could easily have arisen from them, and yet it is unclear where they went or who they are. In doing a study like this, one must realize that it is just not possible to trace all peoples. Not all of them will have an easily deciphered genealogy to Noah through the Tower of Babel for this very reason.

One prominent person described like this stands out in the Scriptures. His name was Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God. He is described as having no genealogy (Hebrews 7:3–6[45]) or mother or father or beginning of days or end of days. In other words, there was no record of his parents, age of birth or death, or other genealogical data. Was this a son as described in Genesis 11:11,[46] 13–14,[47] or 17[48]? It is possible.[49]

Map of Lud and his descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of Lud

Little is known of Lud and his descendants. Many of his known progeny settled in southern Anatolia/Asia Minor or in modern terms, southern Turkey. There were some prominent empires built by the Lydians, but they in the end have fallen to Greeks, Romans, Turks, and others.

The Lydian peoples include Luvians, Lycians, Maeonians,[50] Mysia and Caria,[51] and cities such as Laodicea. Laodicea was famed as one of the seven churches that John wrote to in the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Historian Strabo, about 2,000 years ago, pointed out that he was only aware of one city that still spoke some of the original Lydian language.[52] That language has now gone extinct unless it survives elsewhere in the world unbeknownst to us. However, there are some written forms of it, but it is just now being unlocked to scholars today.

There is a possible connection from Lud to the Lutim/Lutum/Luti/Lutae in Jutland (Denmark) and may have been assimilated with the Danes (Ashkenaz) and Cimbri (Gomer), but the arguments may not be convincing at this point. So this was left merely as a questionable option. Denmark is discussed later in the section on Ashkenaz. Did some of Lud’s descendants make it to the Americas or Australia? It is possible.

Typically, if only a few of a people group were left in the Middle East and the surrounding areas, then it makes sense that the bulk of that people group went elsewhere. It may be like this for several peoples, such as Assyria and others. This is where some language family correlations could be helpful if linguists would research the American and Australian languages to see if there are correlations to some of these rare or extinct languages in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia that do have ties to the Table of Nations.

Map of Aram and his descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of Aram

Aram was the father of the Aramaeans (Arameans) or Syrians, otherwise known as Arimi. Being so close to Canaanite settlements, they likely intermixed and maybe even comingled their languages initially. The Phoenicians came out of Canaan, but they likely mixed with Aram, too. Carthage was a settlement of the Phoenicians. So rightly these may be considered both Aram and Canaan.

Uz, the son of Aram, founded Damascus. The Arameans founded several places in the Mesopotamian areas like Padan Aram and Aram Naharaim. Syria had a dominant empire early on. But the progeny of Abraham overcame and dominated the area. The languages of Eber influenced the language of Aramaic so much so that what is known today as Aramaic is very close to Hebrew.

Aramaic was a common trade language and many Hebrew speakers learned this one, likely for ease. The Chaldeans knew it (Daniel 2:4[53]), the Persians knew it (Ezra 4:7[54]), and even the Assyrians knew it (Isaiah 36:4–12), whereas Greek later became a common trade language due to Alexander the Great’s exploits, which occurred about 325 B.C. Even Christ cried out in Aramaic on the Cross (Matthew 27:46[55]), showing the language’s influence even in Christ’s day.

Other descendants of Aram include Hul (Ul), Gether, and Mash (Mesa or Meshech, who went north a little) generally settled north and east of Mesopotamia. Hul gave rise to the Armenians or Urartu and recall that that name is also given to the mountains that Noah landed in (Ararat). Gether gave rise to the Bactrians. This region is now part of Afghanistan.

Recall that there were two ancient Meshechs. One was from Aram and the other was the son of Japheth. Aram’s Meshech was likely south of Japheth’s Meshech. Japheth’s Meshech was near Tubal on the northeast side of the Black Sea and then migrated north to found Moscow (or Meshech or Meshera). They mixed with Magog, but some may have extended as far as the Americas. One culture in the region of Peru was the Moche or Moschi culture with names very similar to that of Meshech and its variations.

Map of Abraham and his descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of Abraham’s descendants

This history of Abraham’s son Isaac and Jacob (Israel), through whom the blessing of Christ would come, is rather well known. But Abraham had other sons. There was Ishmael from Hagar, and others were from Keturah. According to the Bible, Abraham’s sons and grandsons (and some great-grandsons) were:

1. Isaac with Sarah

a. Jacob (Israel)

1. Reuben with Leah

2. Simeon with Leah

3. Levi with Leah

4. Judah with Leah

5. Issachar with Leah

6. Zebulun with Leah

7. Joseph with Rachel

8. Benjamin with Rachel

9. Dan with Bilhah

10. Naphtali with Bilhah

11. Gad with Zilpah

12. Asher with Zilpah

b. Esau

1. Eliphaz with Adah the Hittite

i. Teman ii. Omar iii. Zepho iv. Gatam v. Kenaz. v. Amalek vii. Korah

2. Reuel with Basemath (Ishmael’s daughter)

i. Nahath ii. Zerah iii. Shammah iv. Mizzah

3. Jeush with Aholibamah the Hivite

4. Jaalam with Aholibamah the Hivite

5. Korah with Aholibamah the Hivite

2. Ishmael with Hagar

a. Nebajoth

b. Kedar

c. Adbeel

d. Mibsam,

e. Mishma

f. Dumah

g. Massa

h. Hadar

i. Tema

j. Jetur

k. Naphish

l. Kedemah

3. Zimran with Keturah

4. Jokshan with Keturah

a. Sheba

b. Dedan

1. Asshurim

2. Letushim

3. Leummim

5. Medan with Keturah

6. Midian with Keturah

a. Ephah

b. Epher

c. Hanoch

d. Abidah

e. Eldaah

7. Ishbak with Keturah

8. Shuah with Keturah

Let’s not forget about Lot, who was almost seen as the adopted nephew of Abraham as well as who the Ammonites and Moabites came through. Abraham allotted him a portion of his land and let Lot have his pick of it.

The biblical text follows the deeds of Isaac, then Israel and his 12 sons. The Israelites ended up in Egypt and then came out miraculously with Moses and Aaron. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years due to disobedience, and then Joshua led them into the Promised Land to judge the Canaanites for their ruthless sin, as discussed in Leviticus 18.

A Few Biblical Connections

The Amalekites fought viciously against the Israelites even unto David’s day. These Amalekites were descendants of Esau and Eliphaz through Amalek. They were Edomites. This is not to be confused with an earlier group of Amalekites that were in Abraham’s and Lot’s earlier days.

You may also recognize Teman, the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau. This is who the Temanites descended from. Eliphaz the Temanite was likely named for his ancestors (Job 2:11[56]). Another of Job’s friends was Bildad the Shuhite. The Shuhites came out of Abraham’s son with Keturah named Shuah.

Take note that Joseph was sold to some traders who in turn sold him in Egypt. Who were these traders? They were Midianites, heading to Egypt for trade. But who were the Midianites? They were out of Midian, the son of Keturah and Abraham. Joseph was not sold to mere strangers, but to his cousins. These Midianites were mixing with Ishmael’s progeny as they were all living in and near the same place. The Bible recognizes this. In Genesis 37:28,[57] these traders were called both Midianites and Ishmaelites. They were indeed relatives.

Some Other Connections

Josephus points out:

Abraham after this married Keturah, by whom six sons were born to him, men of courage, and of sagacious minds: Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. Now the sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Letushim, and Asshurim, and Leummim. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, and Abida and Eldaah. Now, for all these sons and grandsons, Abraham tried to settle them in colonies; and they took possession of Troglodytis, and the country of Arabia Felix, as far as it reaches to the Red Sea. It is related of this Epher, that he made war against Libya, and took it; and that his grandchildren, when they inhabited it, called it (from his name) Africa. And indeed Alexander Polyhistor gives his attestation to what I here say; who speaks thus — “Cleodemus the prophet, who was also called Malchus, who wrote a History of the Jews, in agreement with the History of Moses, their legislator, relates, that there were many sons born to Abraham by Keturah; nay, he names three of them, Apher, and Surim, and Japhran. That from Surim was the land of Assyria named; and that from the other two (Apher and Japhran) the country of Africa took its name; because these men were auxiliaries to Hercules, when he fought against Libya and Antaeus; and that Hercules married Aphra’s daughter, and of her he begat a son, Diodorus; and that Sophon was his son; from whom that barbarous people called Sophacians were named.”[58]

From here some of Abraham’s descendants with Keturah took over much of Arabia. Ishmael also took over much of Arabia, so the language of Eber that Abraham spoke would now dominate. Arabic, as it is presently known, is actually very similar to Hebrew (or more properly Judean) that the Israelites spoke. They are Semitic languages (languages that come from Shem, as opposed to Hamitic or Japhetic languages that come from Ham and Japheth’s descendants in the Table of Nations, respectively). Even many other places in the Middle East now speak Semitic languages because of the dominance of Abraham’s sons and offspring.

Josephus points out that many of Abraham’s progeny conquered and settled in areas from North Africa (Libya and beyond to Assyria [Northern Iraq] and the Arabian Peninsula). Truly Abraham became the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4–5[59]).

A couple of interesting nuggets surface in this Josephus quote, though. One is the name of Africa. Josephus relates that the name Africa comes from Abraham’s grandson Epher (Aphra or Ophren), hence the name Africa (think “Ephrica” or “Ophrica”). He points out that Epher went to war with Libya and won and settled there. Japhran (Jokshan) also went into Africa, as they together were auxiliaries with a leader in Greece named Hercules, who fought against Libya.[60] This explains why Arabic languages dominate much of North Africa, and helped open the door for Islam which swept through by the hands of Arabic-speaking warriors.

And Surim (Asshurim) went in and conquered Asshur (Assyria). Many put Abraham’s grandsons Sheba and Dedan in Arabia closer to the southeastern side, near where the modern United Arab Emirates and Oman are. They may have even migrated to areas where the original Sheba and potentially some of Dedan remained from the Table of Nations. Did Abraham, knowing that he would be the father of many nations, prophetically name some of his sons and grandsons for places they would ultimately take over and be given as possessions? It is possible, as Abraham was to be the “heir of the world.” Paul wrote:

For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith (Romans 4:13).

Japheth

Introduction

Japheth has commonly been seen as the father of most European and northern Asian nations. After researching this, there is little doubt. Typically, the sons of Japheth migrated north, northeast, and northwest of Babel.

Unlike some places, Europeans kept track of much history in written form, or at least it has survived unlike some other places in the world where written history is scant. This has made map-making easier as many of these histories correlate in Europe. Though, of course, there are always some exceptions.

After much research, it seems likely that many of the people groups in Genesis 10 settled in multiple places. Even though they may not be one of the dominant groups in a place where they settled, they nonetheless make up a portion of the population of an area whether denoted here or not. But members of the same people group are likely the dominant group in another area. However, there is not space to explore all of those isolates and subgroups within a population in this volume.

Map of Gomer and Riphath and their descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of Gomer and Riphath

Gomer is one of Noah’s grandsons whose descendants inhabited much of modern-day France, Wales, and beyond (this does not include Gomer’s other sons Ashkenaz and Togarmah, who also have many descendants). The old name of France, Gaul or Galla, is a variation of Gomer. Other varieties of the name still reflect with Galatia or Galicia and even Celts (Gelts), where the letter g and the letter c were fairly close in pronunciation, so variation arose prior to fixed spellings (which became a bit more stable with the printing press in the A.D. 1500s). “Portugal” is literally from Port of Gaul inhabiting that coast. Most historians concur with these well-known connections.

The name for the Old Welsh language is well known as Gomeraega, Gymraeg, or Cymraeg; and the Welsh call themselves Cymri. And this makes sense, especially since much of the North Sea and English Channel would have been exposed land during migration times during the post-Flood Ice Age. They could easily come by boat as well.

The Celts extended into much of Europe and likely mixed with a number of the other European peoples like the Scots, Germans, Irish, and perhaps others. The ancient Celts dominated much of western Europe and had close cultural ties with the ancient German peoples.[61] Historians concur that the Cimbri people in Denmark are also likely one such group that is of Germanic origin and perhaps Celtic origin. Likely they are both. Though they were originally of Celtic/Gomer origin, they later mixed with the Germanic groups through Danius and Gutae (sons of Ashkenaz) when the sea encroached on them and Rome ignored their request to allot some land for them. They joined with the Germans in Denmark and fought against Rome.[62] The Celts even mixed with Slavs and Germans to make up the Czech people. Even the northern portions of Italy spoke Celtic languages.

Have they gone elsewhere? Surely they did. One such people group with a lineage to Gomer is the Miautso (Miao) people residing in parts of China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. There are many people groups living within China that did not come through the Sinites but were conquered by them. This is one group. Their genealogy goes back to Gomer. Wherever the French and Danes have gone, so has the blood of Gomer.

Galicia and Portugal (think Port of Gaul), the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula, were descendants of Gomer (surely some mixing with Tubal, from whom the Spanish proper came). Galatia in Asia Minor and in Romania (Galati) were the result of a later migration of Gauls moving east by chieftain Brennus but who were finally conquered about 279 B.C.[63] One group was left in Asia Minor, which was the extent of their exploits. Paul in the New Testament blessed the Galatian Christians in the first century with a letter of Scripture.

Per Josephus, Riphath settled in the northern part of Asia Minor and potentially mixed with other of Japheth’s descendants and the Lydians to the south, Greeks and Thracians to the west, and Meshech and Aram to the east. Though Asia Minor became a melting pot of cultures, empires, and invasions, in its long history since it is the crossroads of Asia and Europe. The Turks (Togarmah, the son of Gomer) ultimately conquered this area in recent times.

The name Europe has an uncertain origin. Many have commonly been seen as a going back to “Europa,” a Phoenician princess who was kidnapped from the mainland and taken to the Greek island of Crete.[64] Others suggest that Europa or Europe is actually a variant of the name of Riphath (think Eu-riphath).[65]

Some of Riphath’s descendants migrated north and made it to the Ural Mountains, which were called the Rafu Mountains originally, as denoted in the pseudepigraphical Book of Jubilees.[66]

Map of Ashkenaz and his descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of Ashkenaz

Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for Germany. Many Jews who lived in Germany called themselves the Ashkenazi Jews. The name “Germany” is actually the name given to them by the Romans and encompasses most groups in Europe, including many groups that did not come from Ashkenaz. In other words, some Scythians (Slavs), some Gauls and Celts, and others were seen as Old Germans to the Romans and other groups. It was more of a generic term.

In fact, it is like this somewhat with the name Scythians, too, as research has afforded. Scythians were primarily the stock of Magog, but this term took on more of a generic meaning to include many other groups in antiquity — even some Germans (of Ashkenaz) were sometimes denoted as Scythians! Both lived near each other early on, so it is understandable how the terms could get misapplied and expanded. When discussing this, I am going to try to speak of Germany today or German descent through Ashkenaz or Scythians as the descendants of Magog. This has made research quite tedious, because these names are used often and one has to discern whether it is a generic use or a pointed use.

Early 18th-century historian James Anderson points out that Ashkenaz originally settled at Tanias on the west coast of the Black Sea, which was originally called the Euxine Sea.[67] Euxine was actually a variation of the name Ashkenaz (Asken or further variant Euxine). Even the old Persian name for it was Akhshaena Sea, as can be found in some etymology dictionaries.[68] His original location was very close to where the Scythians of Magog inhabited above the Black Sea (perhaps even some intermixing).

Ashkenaz came into Europe with his 20 dukes (sons) at the time. He had others after this, like Mannus, who became king to succeed Ashkenaz in a unified German kingdom. He founded the German and Sarmatian people groups. Among his 20 sons were Sarmata, who gave rise to Sarmatia; Dacus or Danus, who gave rise to the Danes; Geta, who gave rise to the Getae or Geats; Gotha, who gave rise to the Goths; Phrygus (or Brigus), who gave rise to the Phrygians; Albanus, who gave rise to the Albanians; and many others.[69]

Scytha gave rise to the original Scythian people, and Anderson points out that some thought Scytha was the brother of Ashkenaz. However, Josephus points out that the Scythians were formerly called “Magogites.”[70] And variations of Scythians (e.g., one group of Norse through Suevi, Scoti [Scots], and others) are of Magog descent by their own history. So Josephus was likely correct and Scytha was the son of Magog, not a later son of Gomer. It makes sense that many would think Ashkenaz and Scythia were brothers; they lived fairly close originally and many Germans migrated out of the area later known as Scythia (north of the Black Sea).

Surely there was some mixing. In the north of Europe, the Germans actually mixed with some of Magog, in particular the Suevi in Scandinavia (Suevus, the son of Magog). As the Germanic groups moved north (Danus, Gutae, and Gotha; think Danes, Geats, and Goths in Northern Europe mainland and Southern Sweden) they met with the Suevi (think Swedes/Swedland of Magog) moving south and after heavy mixing the Suevi (Suebi) were essentially given Germanic status.

Now here is where it gets confusing. There was another group of Suevi (sometimes denoted as the Royal Suevi, Sueves, or German Suevi) that were of German stock. They were descendants of the eighth king of Germany (having Ashkenaz as the first). His name was Suevus and he gave rise to many German nations including the Angli (i.e., Angles, who came into England much later); Longobards or Lombards, Pomerania, and much of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which was formerly called the Suevian Sea. According to Anderson, he was born about 17 years before the death of Joseph. But the confusing part is that some of the German Suevi crossed the Baltic Sea and invaded Swedland or Sweden and mixed with the Goths, Geats, Danes, and the other Suevi (of Magog) who were there![71]

To continue with the confusion, the next king of Germany was Vandalus, whose progeny were the Vandals. Some settled from Danzig to Spain! But the confusing point is that there was another group of Vandals who were Slavic (Scythian of Magog) and who gave rise to the Slavi, Polanders (Polish), Bohemians, and Croatians.[72]

The German tribes migrated in all directions: north and west inhabiting Norway, Netherlands, England, Iceland (and possibly much further[73]) and to the south and east incursions into Asia (Sarmatia) and Italy and Gaul. During the Age of Exploration, Germanic tribes from Germany (in central Europe) to Denmark to Netherlands to England went around the world making settlements in places that became the United States, Australia, Angola, New Zealand, and many others. The British Isles are home to many peoples who migrated there and can go no farther, like the Irish (of Magog), Angles, Saxons, and Jutes who were Germanic (Ashkenaz), Welsh (Celt of Gomer), Scots and Picts (of Magog and Gomer and possibly Tiras), and Britons (of Gomer, Tubal and possibly Javan). Some of these will be discussed further in following sections.

According to Anderson, Ashkenaz went by other names, which was also common, especially after the confusion of languages. Some of his names were Askanes, Tuizo, Tuisco, Tuitschen, and even Mercury (by the Romans). Tacitus, in his book Germania, written about A.D. 98, also refers to the ancestor of the Germans as “Tuisto” or “Tuisco” and his son Mannus.[74] Interestingly, the second king after Ashkenaz/Tuisco of the unified Germans from their own history was his son Mannus, as denoted by Anderson.[75]

After Ashkenaz’s death, he was worshiped as the interpreter and ambassador of the “gods.” For Tuitschen (and presumably these variants) and Mercury meant “interpret.” Tuisco was also denoted as a giant/tall person.[76]

Interestingly, people in Northern Europe average the tallest men in the world (#1 Netherlands, #2 Iceland, #3 Norway, #4 Sweden, and #5 Denmark). And of the top 22, most have Germanic blood[77] (see the following chart).

Countries

Height (cm)

Height (in)

Heavy Germanic Descent?

Netherlands

181,0

5'11.3"

Yes

Iceland

179,8

5'10.8"

Yes

Norway

179,7

5'10.7"

Yes

Sweden

179,3

5'10.6"

Yes

Denmark

178,8

5'10.4"

Yes

Finland

178,4

5'10.2"

Mix

Czech Republic

178,3

5'10.2"

Mix

Slovenia

178,1

5'10.1"

No (Scythian)

Luxembourg

178,0

5'10.1"

Yes

Croatia

177,6

5'9.9"

Some (minority)

Germany

177,4

5'9.8"

Yes

Estonia

177,1

5'9.7"

Some (minority)

Austria

177,0

5'9.7"

Yes

Belgium

176,6

5'9.5"

Yes

Serbia

176,5

5'9.5"

Some (minority)

Switzerland

176,5

5'9.5"

Yes

United States

176,4

5'9.4"

Mix (through Germans and English)

Australia

176,3

5'9.4"

Mix through English

Poland

176,0

5'9.3"

Some (minority, Scythian)

Greece

175,7

5'9.2"

No

New Zealand

175,5

5'9.1"

Mix (through English)

United Kingdom

175,4

5'9.1"

Yes (through Angles, Saxons, and Jutes)

Even many Norse/Germanic myths have discussed the “Frost Giants,” or Jötunn, who were a group of people who often intermarried with them and sometimes warred with them. Their land was a place of ice, mist, and fog, which was separated by mountains and dense forests. One can see how mythology arises out of some real people who are taller and in many cases war against them. Even the Israelites were prone to exaggerations when faced with the giants in Canaan (Numbers 13:32–33[78]). And even the Israelite army was fearful of a mere single giant (Goliath) until David stood up with God against him (1 Samuel 17).

Another king of the unified Germans was the tenth king, named Teuto or Deuko or Deutsch (Dutch). Not only did he found the Dutch, but also a group known as the Teutones or Teutonarii. This has become the name of many German peoples (think “Knights of the Teutonic Order”). His timing was about ten years after the birth of Moses, according to Anderson.

Scandia, Scania (the southern-most province of Sweden), and Scandinavia still find a reflection of Ashkenaz’s name (think “Ascandia”). The Jewish Virtual Library points out:

. . . a possible source of explanation may be in the name Scandza or Scanzia, the designation of Scandinavia in several sources, which was regarded as the cradle of some Germanic tribes. The association of Ashkenaz with Scandza is found as early as the sixth century in the Latin addendum to the chronology of Eusebius.[79]

An old map of Scandinavia around 2,000 years ago from Claudius Ptolemy’s Geographia, recreated by Jacob d’Angelo in his 15th century atlas Cosmographia Claudii Ptolomaei Alexandrini in 1467.

This is a later map with more detail of Scandia.

The Carta Marina by Olaus Magnus (1490–1557)

There is an ancient Lake Askania, now known as Lake Iznik in Turkey, that may reflect Ashkenaz’s name. Some of Ashkenaz’s descendants still reside in the area (Jeremiah 51:27[80]). Another popular name correlation is Saxons (or Sachsen), recognized by a number of historians. It is a famous German group that is a variation of Ashkenaz (think Saxon without the s, as in “Askon”; the “sk” was replaced with the “x”).[81]

An interesting reflection is to be noted of Ashkenaz and the unified German peoples. Their records retain the lineage of kings that resulted from the oldest son of Noah (Japheth) and his oldest son (Gomer), to the oldest son of Gomer (Ashkenaz). This is essentially the royal post-Flood line, and we have records of these kings who reigned from Ashkenaz for nearly 1,300 years after the Flood in direct succession. Then the kingdom was split into three parts.[82]

These are simply highlights, and it is much more complicated. There is much more that could be said, as there is much German history recorded. One last note to mention is that of all the nations that Rome conquered and dominated, Germany, though not too far from Rome, was the one that withstood. Germanic peoples have a rich history that books could fill.

Map of Togarmah and his descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of Togarmah

Togarmah was most often associated with the Turkish groups. One 17th-century historian relates the name of one of Togarmah’s sons as Tarki, which is likely where the name “Turk” came from.[83]

They originally settled east of the Caspian Sea. The Turks extended into the far reaches of Siberia, and one Turkish Empire (that was likely mixed with many Scythians who originally had this territory), the Tartars, controlled much of area to the Arctic Ocean. See the map by Nicolaes Witsen from the 1700s.

This map is particularly significant for its depiction of Russia, Siberia, and parts of Chinese Tartary. Nicolaes Witsen, Amsterdam 1705

They met up with the Scythians (Magyars, Magog) spreading west and fought with them many times and even mixed with them (upon conquering or being conquered). One particular group of Turks mingled with the Scythians (and some of Meshech — see the section on Meshech below for more) and formed the Huno-Bulgars. The majority of the stock was from Magog (potentially others like Meshech, who was also mixed with Magog early in Northern Russia), but the language adopted had some element of Turkish. This group gave rise to the Hungarians. In this same language family are the Finns (Finland), some Baltic areas, and some regions in the far north of Russia. Some of the famous Hungarians were Attila and Buda (Bleda), brothers. Attila the Hun was ruler of the Hunnic Empire, and his brother Buda founded Budapest. Interestingly, one of Togarmah’s sons was Balgar. So it was likely this son’s descendants that mixed.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Bulgarians also came from Turkish tribes mixed with Scythians (of Magog) and Thracians (of Tiras):

Bulgar, also called Bulgarian, member of a people known in eastern European history during the Middle Ages. A branch of this people was one of the primary three ethnic ancestors of modern Bulgarians (the other two were Thracians and Slavs). Many scholars posit the origins of the Bulgars as a Turkic tribe of Central Asia (perhaps with Iranian elements). . . .[84]

Togarmah is listed alone in the Table of Nation in Genesis 10, so all of his descendants would have been speaking one language that we know today as the varieties of Turkish. One powerful Turkish Empire came about by the Ottoman tribe. One of Togarmah’s sons was Ongal, who may have given rise to the Oghuz Turkish language, which was the Turkish group that the Ottomans later came from.

Interestingly, what we know as Turkey today originally had no Turks! The Turks moved into the area of Asia Minor or Anatolia when the Byzantine Empire was fading. They took the opportunity to conquer the region and much of what the Byzantines failed to hold onto. This empire lasted for quite some time.

Another group of Togarmah is the Armenians. Dr. Henry Morris wrote, “A third son of Gomer, Togarmah, is almost certainly the ancestor of the ancient people known as Armenians. The Armenian traditions themselves claim this.”[85]

Josephus pointed out that Armenia was originally founded by Hul (Ul), the son of Shem.[86] From him, the Urartu people came and, hence, the mountains of Ararat are named (as discussed previously). But as Turks moved into the area, they likely mixed and became dominated by the Ottoman Turkish group for their long enduring empire. So both are likely true — being descendants of Hul and also of Togarmah.

As a side note, Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as the state religion, estimated at A.D. 301, and the Armenian Apostolic Church is the oldest national church still in existence in the world.[87] Two apostles, Bartholomew and Thaddeus, were missionaries to this land in the first century and this is some of the fruit of their work; of course, the Holy Spirit gets the glory.[88]

Map of Magog and his descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of Magog

Though many Middle Eastern and Southern European historians (from Rome and Greece) have a very limited understanding of Magog, histories throughout Europe abound with references to him. His accompanying map is merely a slight indication of the extent of his descendants.

Magog gave rise to the Magogites, who were also called Scythians according to Josephus. Magog had an unknown number of sons, but Anderson records several lineages in Royal Genealogies from which we can decipher some.

From the Swedish records of Anderson, two are listed as Suevus (or Sweno), who founded the Swedland and the Suivi who mixed with Ashkenaz in Sweden. The other son was Gethar or Gog (some have Gog as another son of Magog, per Anderson). It has been disputed where he reigned, but this may have been due to migrations. Some say he ruled in Swedland after Suevus, while others have him ruling in the region known as Russia today, which many Scythians inhabited as they moved north. Perhaps it was both. Gether gave rise to the Scythian Goths, not to be confused with the German Goths.[89]

Another three sons of Magog listed in Irish records are Baath, Jobhath, and Fathochta.[90] Rhose, and possibly Scythia like Anderson has also related other sons as “Scythia” and “Rhose,” which explains the name Scythia as peoples. [91] There may be other sons as well.

Some suspect that the name “Scythians” is an early variation of the name of Ashkenaz, due to early mixing.[92] So the conclusion is that the name of Ashkenaz as Scythia remained with the people of Magog, but the bulk of the people were Magogites. They were both living side-by-side above the Black Sea, and the Greeks, who called them Scythians, may have used one name to associate them both. Then as Ashkenaz and his family migrated to central Europe, those remaining mixed with the Magogites, who then grew to dominate this area, and the Greeks still called them Scythians. I would not reject this possibility, since the personal name of someone called Scythia does not appear in any genealogical list, or anything close to it. Though with a language division, some people may have been called by other names; Magog may possibly have been called Scytha in the same way Ashkenaz was also called “Tuisco” and “Mercury.”

The Scythians (many of whom were later called Slavs, which is a Latin-based word for “slave”) were the dominant group of Magogites. They extended from north of the Black Sea to the Arctic across Siberia and perhaps beyond. This obviously includes big portions of Russia and the Ukraine. The origin of the name Russia has been debated. Where many have it going back to Rhose, the son of Magog, others point out that the Swedish Vikings, who were called Rus, dominated much of Western Russia about 1,000 years ago.[93] So does the name come from these Swedish Rus? It would not be a surprise if both histories have some elements as to the success of this name by the peoples living in Russia, as that name still survives today.

Isolated groups were in Asia Minor, and some circled around and came down in Sweden (Swedland) and mixed with Ashkenaz (German peoples). Others went by boats to various parts of the world. Several groups of Magogites made it to Ireland and Scotland according to various genealogies.

Naturally, with the range of many Magogites, there was considerable intermixing in some areas. In Asia, there was mixing with the Turks (Tartars); some mixing with Sarmatians (Ashkenaz [German] heading east); and some mixing with Meshech (Moscow and region, but this will be discussed in a moment), who the Magogites (Scythians) conquered and assimilated with as they moved north.

An interesting group that descended from Magog are the Magyars in Hungary and Asia. This group, though the specific history is shrouded and debated, has some elements of Turkish (the language has some similarities to the Turks [Turkick language family]) and Meshech (Finns and other related groups).[94] It is understandable that when groups mix, sometimes one language collects aspects of another, other times they mix, and other times they could even form a unique variety that is difficult to place. In this case, it took some elements from Turkish but is dominated by the Finnish or Meshech language, and has a mixed stock with Magog.

The language, though, has some elements of the Turkick, but it actually is very close to the Finnish groups (Suomi, in Finland, Estonia, and the far reaches of Northern Russia). Many historians conclude that this is a result of mixing, and there is little doubt (granted there have been differences of opinion as to the exactness of how this happened, and as mentioned, we may never know all the details). The group that formed the Hungarians is the Huno-bulgars. Balgar is one of the sons of Togarmah, from whom the Turks came, and there is a specific Bulgar Turk people. So this may be the connection within this “Scythian people in the Fens of the Palms Maeotis” (Magogites) that mixed.[95]

However, there may be more to this that is lost to ancient history. Hungarian, Finnish, and the like, though having elements of Turkish in their language, are not classed as Turkick due to being so different from that language family. Nor is it even close to Scythian/Slavic or even Germanic. So what is the solution? The suggestion is that the Turkish elements were added later when one Turkish group (during the time of the Tartars) co-mingled after the Magyars (some Scythians of Magog) and Muscovy (Moscow/Meshech) already had. Meshech and Magog were inevitably at odds and encroaching on each other’s territory, especially as Magog (Scythia) continued to expand; surely they warred (perhaps repeatedly, which is quite common when two groups of peoples interact). But as to the language being different from other Scythians, one historian pointed out what this author had suspected when speaking of Russia:

The Muscovites possessed only the southern province of it, derived from Meshech, the son of Japheth, who traveled from Shinar, as the dispersion, to the north and north-east of Syria, to the confines of Colchis and Armenia, where they were called Moschi, inhabiting the mountains which old authors called Montes Moschica, and in process of time, a large colony of them traveled northward into Muscovy, so called for them. . . . The Huns and other such nations as found a passage westward into Old Germany, seemed to be colonies of the ancient Russians and Muscovites, at least their very near neighbors.[96]

In other words, these two groups early on, taking the name of Scythians (specifically Magyars, who founded Huns) but being mixed stock with Meshech and his language, were conquered or at least coexisted with other Scythians (Magogites), but kept their distinction during migrations. Many of the Finnish groups are located where the great center of Meshech/Muscovy was from Moscow to the north, east, and west. As Magogites continued pushing north into these territories, much of Meshech was mixed with Scythians, long before the Tartars (who spoke a form of Turkish) ever came. So the bulk of the language retained is Meshech but with elements of Turkish that came later and, of course, some others, like Scythians. So it makes the most sense that the Magyars who gave rise to the Huns are a mix with Magog, but in large part the progeny of Meshech, likely retaining much of the language of Meshech with elements of other languages, which is common upon mixing.

Researchers studying genetics have suggested a link between many Native Americans to Altai in Siberia, Russia.[97] This is highly possible, and it is a crossroads between several groups of people from Magog (Slavic), Tubal (Iberians/Siberians), Togarmah (Turks), Sinites (China), and possibly others like Meshech, Asshur, and so on. So this author would suspect that these groups (as well as some groups whose location we do not know) were able to make it across the Bering Strait when the passage was open during the post-Flood Ice Age, though many others could have easily come by boat.

The Irish have records of several colorizations by descendants of Magog.[98] Of course, Ireland has had its share of invaders since this time such as the Celts (of Gomer), the Vikings (of Ashkenaz with some mix of Magog), and the Normans (of Gomer and Ashkenaz).[99]

An interesting tidbit in the research about Magog in the Cadelian records (one Irish group) is that it was his grandson Feniusa Farsa (the son of Fathochta, the son of Magog, who became king of the Scythian [Magogite] nation) who commissioned 72 learned men from his nation to learn 72 languages. Upon their return nearly 60 years later, they went into Greece and founded a university to train people in the universal languages. Then he built seminaries in Scythia for further dissemination of knowledge.[100]

In an entirely different history, that of Ashkenaz (who founded the Germans), Ashkenaz personally invented the letters of his language. Someone learned this language named Kadmus who imitated it and took it to Greece. As result, they claim that High Dutch and Greek have some similarities in words. It is likely that this is a connection with this established place of learning languages, as Ashkenaz would have been alive at this time.[101]

After Babel, people were clearly not put into the dark ages, but learning continued and the brilliance of early man abounded. It was likely later, due to wars and loss of language skills, that some peoples lost their ability to write.

Map of Javan and his descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of Javan

Javan is the Hebrew name for Greece. When one reads “Greece” or “Greeks” in the Old Testament, it is Javan; that is, unless it was translated directly as Javan. It is where the term “Father Jove” comes from for the Greeks.

Since j is more of a modern letter from the Middle Ages (just before the printing press), most things that start with a capital J today started with an I then. So Javan, Japheth, and Jesus were Iavan, Iapath, and Iesus. With any familiarity with the Greeks, many are also called “Ionians,” and the land “Ionia.” This particular portion of ancient Greece was what was conquered in coastline areas of Anatolia (Asia Minor or modern day Turkey). Much was conquered early by Athens, but then later Greece conquered and annihilated Troy, taking dominion about 1184 B.C., according to Ussher. This would have been in the time of the Judges.

Greece in the New Testament (i.e., Acts 20:2[102]) is the Greek word Hellas. Hellas is actually a derivation of one of Javan’s sons Elishah (or Ellen, Ellada, Hellenistic, Hellas, Hellenic, and so on). A number of Greek places like Macedonia (from where Alexander the Great hailed) and Thessaly (where Thessalonica was, to whom Paul wrote two New Testament letters). It was this form of Greek (Koine) that was the tongue of Alexander, and the New Testament is written in this form due to the dominance of Alexander the Great and these Grecians prior to the Romans. This form of Koine Greek was dying just a few hundred years after Christ and is much different from modern Greek, too. Elishah also gave rise to the Aeolian Greeks.

Javan had four sons listed in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10; however, they will not be subdivided in this book. But this means that there were at least four languages, and likely five Greek tongues came out of Babel, each being unique. This would be Javan’s four sons as well as Javan, who likely continued with a new language for his children born after the events at Babel. Worthy of note, the Greeks located in the area were divided into four major groups (Dorians, Aeolians, Achaeans, and Ionians.) These four may correlate with:

Dorians: Dodanim or possibly from Dorus son of Elles (Elishah)

Elishah: Aeolians

Ionians: Javan (Iavan, i.e., Father Jove)

Acheans: (Achaia from Kittim? or Tarshish, where this one is named for a subsequent descendant?)

Both Kittim and Tarshish seemed to live a little farther away from the rest of the Greeks. There will be more on this in the discussion of the seafaring abilities of the Greeks. Many of these Greeks were settling all over the place and intermingling, too.

Genesis 10:5, immediately after recording the sons of Japheth and specifically Javan, mentions that these people were spread out as the “coastline” people. These were the maritime peoples, or people who went by boat. It makes sense that they would be among the first to be settling coastlines in the Mediterranean Sea and beyond. One such area that these coastline peoples inhabited was the islands of Japan. Historian Francisco Colin writes of the Japanese islands:

Although these are islands it will not be necessary to fatigue the mind by discussing (as do San Agustin and other authors in respect to other islands and to America) whence and how people and animals came to them. For if some of these islands have been, at any time since the flood, part of a continent, from that time men and animals could remain in them; while if they have always been islands, the nearness of some of them to others, and of some of them to the mainland of Asia, whence began the propagation of the human race and the settlements of the descendants of Noah, is sufficient reason why some of them could come to settle these regions. And that this was really so, and that the principal settler of these archipelagoes was Tharsis, son of Javan, together with his brothers, as were Ophir and Hevilath of India, we see in the tenth chapter of Genesis, which treats of the dispersion of peoples and the settlement of countries, as we establish in another place.[103]

This would be Tarshish, the son of Javan and his Greek brothers. Surely there was some mixing with the dominant Chinese in East Asia, who were Sinites of Ham. Note the progeny of Ophir and Havilah, descendants of Joktan, who were among those who settled in India after leaving Arabia (as already discussed).

In ancient Japanese history, among the original settlers were the Jomon, which is strikingly similar to Javan in phonetics. Yet mixing with other Asian cultures afterward (most likely Korea and China) was expected and most agree on this.[104]

One cannot help but note the similarity of name of the Indonesian island Java to Javan. Even animals found on this isle are known as Javan tigers, Javan rhinoceros, Javan leopards, Javan hawk-eagle, and so on. The coastline peoples like the Greeks (Javan in Hebrew) were likely ancestors of this island. Later, some Indians (from India) also co-inhabited this island after Sugriva, the chief of Rama’s army (an Indian army) was dispatched there.[105] Like many places, mixing has occurred.

The Greeks (Javan) became a great nation and powerful kingdom in the Middle East. Daniel 10–11 prophesied of the world empires (four beasts) that would come in succession. One of them was Greece, led by Alexander the Great.

Greeks, as a whole, colonized many places in the Mediterranean, including the southern parts of Italy.[106] There is Tarshish, the son of Javan, who settled in Spain and in Asia Minor. Tarshish in Spain sits just inside the Mediterranean Sea, which is an ideal place for maritime traders to port while going out and about into Africa and Europe (and beyond to places like Sheba around Africa in Arabia per Psalm 72:10[107]). Tarshish is actually mentioned far more than Greece (Javan) in the Old Testament. Tarshish was a known trading center. In 2 Chronicles 9:21[108] and Ezekiel 27:10,[109] some of the goods they were able to trade are mentioned (silver, gold, lead, apes, iron, tin, ivory, and monkeys). Most of these items could be attained in Africa and Europe and easily be brought into port at Tarshish for further trade. Another reference to Tarshish is found in Jonah 1:3.[110] Jonah was trying to flee from God’s presence. And that did not work!

Another son of Javan was Kittim (or Cethimus, Cethima, Cethim). The island of Cyprus was denoted as Kittim by ancient authors. The Bible often translated Kittim as Cyprus, as in Numbers 24:24,[111] Isaiah 23:1,[112] Daniel 11:30,[113] and others. The descendants of Kittim likely spread by boat to many places, being seafaring peoples. Even one city on Cyprus is called Kition.[114]

The last son of Javan was Dodanim or Rodanim. He gave rise to the island of Rhodes (in the southern part of Asia Minor), which is the largest of the islands of the Dodecanese, which is populated by Rodanim, too. The famous Colossus of Rhodes, one of the largest statues in ancient times, is said to have inspired the Statue of Liberty.

A rendition of the Colossus of Rhodes

Dodanim also gave rise to the Greeks in the Dardanelles region from the Aegean Sea and to the Sea of Marmara, which is just south of Constantinople (Istanbul) that connects to the Black Sea. Dodanim likely gave rise to the Dorian Greeks as well.

Some coastline peoples settled in Italy to North Africa and some relate how the history of the Britons came through Javan, the Latins (who, like many in Northern Italy, surely came through Gomer as the language of Latin is similar to French, Spanish, and Portuguese, which are of Gomer), and some reports also have Troy, through a man named Brutus, which is where we get the name British and Briton, which occurred about 1100 B.C.[115] He founded a city named New Troy (Trinovantum), which is the old name for London, England.[116] For Troy, being a centralized place, was Greek (Javan), but also contained Thrace (Tiras) and potentially other groups.

Tacitus, a Roman historian and senator, thought that the British came through Iberians who crossed over from Spain. He said:

Who were the original inhabitants of Britain, whether they were indigenous or foreign, is as usual among barbarians, little known. Their physical characteristics are various, and from these conclusions may be drawn. The red hair and large limbs of the inhabitants of Caledonia point clearly to a German origin. The dark complexion of the Silures, their usually curly hair, and the fact that Spain is the opposite shore to them, are an evidence that Iberians of a former date crossed over and occupied these parts.[117]

If this is true, then that would be some of the blood of Tubal, from whom the Iberians came. And that brings us to Tubal.

Map of Tubal and his descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of Tubal

Tubal is mentioned eight times in Scripture, including Genesis 10 and 1 Chronicles 5. Many times these people are associated with Meshech. Large numbers of each inhabited the far north, where Meshech was in the region surrounding Moscow, and Tubal was in the region surrounding Tobolsk with numerous names of places and towns similar to that of Tubal and his Greek name Iberia (Tyumen, Irtysh, Tyrskoi, and so on). From the Caucasus Mountains, Tubal’s descendants moved north and eastbound. The accompanying old map fragment by Jean Baptiste Bourguignon d’Anville from 1773 lists this area.

An old map fragment by Jean Baptiste Bourguignon d’Anville from 1773.

Many Tubalites (or Iberians/Siberians) in the area of Russia near Tobolsk and beyond were later assimilated into the Russian empire by Slavs/Scythians of Magog, which dominated for so long. The Historians History of the World states of Russia:

Out of the seeming chaos of Russian ethnology emerge definitely three principal elements — Finns, Tatar, and Slav, which last has to-day to a great extent absorbed the other two.[118]

Naturally, there were many other groups, but these three dominate as of the 1900s. These three concur with the research by other historians in that the Finn peoples are likely those of Meshech, Tatars were of Togarmah (the Turks), and finally the Slavs (Scythians of Magog). As mentioned, it was this latter group, the Slavs, that now dominate and have for quite some time. But note how other groups have been virtually assimilated by these three. That Tartar nation was the most recent within the past 1,000 years. Early nations like that of Tubal and Tobolsk have been swallowed up or possibly moved across the Bering Land Bridge. There has been a connection to peoples in the vicinity of the convergence of these peoples (Tubal, Togarmah, Magog, and Meshech) in the Siberian highlands that have some genetic similarities to some in North America.[119]

The Tubalite people mentioned in association with Meshech were likely those in the Caucasian Iberian area between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Some of both Tubal and Meshech lived in this region. The Moschi culture of Meshech was adjacent to Tubal (Iberes) in this same region and likely even intermixed. And so they were easily within the reaches of trade and knowledge by the Israelite writers.

These groups were also often associated with Magog (Scythia), who lived immediately north of them both. Many of the Scythians became very powerful and extended their power, even conquering Moscow and much of Russia, including the region of Tobolsk. But much of this is discussed in the section on Magog. Surely many were put under the dominion of the Scythians of Magog, but others may have migrated farther, perhaps even to the Americas.

Creation Wiki points out that there may also be a connection with the Bulgarian tribes and Mongolians with Tubal.[120] This is a possibility since Tubal lived in the region where some of these migrations began.

Josephus points out that Tubal (Thoebel) gave rise to the Iberian peoples (as the Greeks called them).[121] To the Greeks, Tubal was the Tibaronoi and to the Romans they were Tibareni. The ancient historian Herodotus even mentions the Tibarenians.[122] If the T is dropped, one can see where the name Iberia is derived. This connection really helps.

The Iberians were in the region we know as Caucasian Iberia between the Black and Caspian Seas. This is where Tbilisi is located in modern-day Georgia. Tbilisi still reflects the name of Tubal. This area is a mixing pot and the bottleneck for peoples migrating north. This particular region is home to many different ethnic peoples from Babel or later from Africa and the Middle East. Mike Edwards points out that there are more than 50 ethnic groups and languages in the Caucasus region.[123]

The Iberians are also on the Iberian Peninsula; this would include Spain and specifically the Castilian peoples who live throughout the central portion of the Iberian Peninsula.[124]

So some of Tubal’s descendants migrated likely by boat to the reaches of Spain. In the Iberian Peninsula, it was known as the land of Tubal, as The History of Ireland denotes when speaking of Spain:

There were fourteen wedded couples and six servants in each of the ships; and they routed the natives thrice, after they had come to land, that is, the race of Tubal son of Japhet.[125]

In Spain, we still have the Ebro River (old name was Iber or Iberus). And a town in Portugal has the name Setúbal, where Tubal is still retained in the name.

The same is with Siberia where many of Tubal’s descendants went. If you drop the S, the name again reflects Iberia. Siberia is home to Tobolsk and the Tobol River, which are just a few clues of evidence of ancestry of Tubal in this area. There is so much more to be said, but these nuggets should suffice to excite readers to further research. There simply is not space in this book to examine every aspect of these genealogies.

Map of Meshech and his descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of Meshech

Descendants of Meshech lived from the Middle East, not far from Israel, into Asia Minor (Cappadocians per Josephus and Strabo) and up through Caucasian Iberia, which is between the Black (Euxine) Sea and Caspian Sea. Dr. John Gill points out:

Meshech was a son of Japheth, #Ge 10:2; whose posterity are thought by some to be the Muscovites {z} and Scythians, a barbarous sort of people: Meshech is frequently mentioned with Tubal and his brother, and with Gog and Magog, #Eze 38:2,3 39:1; the Targum here calls them Asiatics. Rather the Cappadocians, according to Josephus {a}; and Strabo {b} makes mention of a city of theirs, called Mazaca: and the rather, since they are mentioned with the Kedarenes, or Arabian Scenites, and were nearer to the land of Judea than the former.[126]

From these areas closer to biblical lands they moved north into Asia beyond the initial Scythians (Magog). Meshech were involved in some migrations and mixing as well. Those discussed in Psalm 120:5[127] were clearly the Meshechians remaining nearer to Israel as they had mixed with the descendants of Kedar (who is the son of Ishmael per Genesis 25:13[128] and hence they mixed with Arabs). Above, Gill associates these specifically with the Arabian Scenites.

Meshech and variant names such as Meshera, Moksha, Moscha, Moshica, Moche, Muscovy, and so on are present in and around the Moscow region of Russia. The old name of Moscow was Meshech or Meshera, and there is still the Meshera Lowland in the area and the famous Meshera National Park.

It is likely that the language family spoken from this region across the far north of Russia both east and west (as far as Finland) is closer to the original Meshechian language. Magog and the Scythians (as did the Turks of Togarmah farther east) in many migrations and wars dominated much of Russia and the Moscow region. This is why much of the area up to Moscow now speaks Slavic languages (Scythians of Magog). It may well have been because of some of these Magog expansions that some groups (e.g., the Huns and others) potentially moved out of the region where Meshech lived.

There was a group of people known as Moche or Moschi or Meshera in Peru in South America. I would leave open the possibility that these people were descendants of Meshech that traveled this far. It would be nice to see if their language was similar to this people’s in northern Europe and Asia. However, their language went extinct about 100 years ago. So this may be a question for a dedicated linguist to work with what little research is available.

“A Map of Colchis, Iberia, Albania, and the neighbouring countries.” A map of the Caucasus / Crimea / southern Russia region during classical antiquity (the ancient period). Note that the “Albania” referred to was on the Caspian Sea (not the modern Albania in the Balkans). Copper-engraved map, no publisher or date, London, ca. 1770 (or 1729?).

Map of Tiras and his descendants

Brief Discussion of the Map of Tiras

Tiras originally founded Thrace, which was in portions of modern-day Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, and moved north and west to places like Moldova, Romania, and Serbia. Numerous people in southeastern Europe came from him. His descendants moved westward and even settled in the central portions of Italy and Tyrol in northern Italy and eastern Austria mixing with Germans (Ashkenaz) and Gauls (Gomer).

They even settled in the northwest portion of Asia Minor and likely had influence in Troy, even though that was primarily a Greek city. Troy was a melting pot for many nations. Troy is not named for Tiras, but instead for a Greek named Troas, who built it around the time of Othnial, Judge of Israel. It is from Troas that the Trojans receive their name.[129]

Tiras’ name is found reflected in many parts of southern Europe though. We find the Tiras (Tyras River) now called the Dniester River that empties into the Black Sea. There is still a city called Tiraspol, which is the second largest city in Moldova. There are the Taurus Mountains that still bear his name in southern Turkey. There is the Tyrrhenian Sea between Sicily, Italy, and Sardinia, and a group of people in Italy were called the Tyrsenoi, or otherwise the Etruscians. This latter name gave rise to the name Tuscany. The Etruscans have been said to be the descendants of Tiras.[130]

Some of the Tyrsenoi names of islands they possessed in the Aegean Sea reflect the names of several tribal names in the Americas. Creation Wiki tabulates[131]:

Islands of the Aegean

American Indian Tribal Names

Ios or Xious

Sioux

Tinos (Tenos)

Aztecs (named their island in the midst of Lake Texcoco, Tenochtitlan)

Andros

Androa tribe in Oregon. The name means “One which lives amongst trees,” as does Andros

Patmos

Patoes tribe in Colombia

Leros

Lecos of Brazil

Piraeus

Piros of Chihuahua

Naxos

The Hahos tribe

Aquis

Aquios (Haquios) of Guatemala

Sikinos

The Siquias of Honduras

Anafi (Anafe)

Anafes of Brazil

Karpathos

The Karpazos from Colorado

People traveling by boat could easily make it to places like the Americas if they really wanted to.

Tiras’ descendants mixed with numerous groups like the Greeks (Javan) to their south, the Germans (Ashkenaz) to their north, and Scythians (Magog) to their east, and many others. Thrace was the crossroads between Europe and Asia Minor, lending itself to many peoples passing through, and even conquering nations like Rome as well as the Getae (German group through Ashkenaz) who destroyed the city of Tyras on the Black Sea. The group that inhabited this area thenceforth was called the Tyragetae, Tyrangitae, or Tyrageti, which is merely a combination of the two groups’ names. The Greeks have dominated the area since then.

Though some reckon that the Getae came from Tiras, it is likely the other way around. Many Germanic groups, such as the Goths and Getae specifically, conquered and intermixed with the Thracians. Getae (Geta) was the son of Ashkenaz.[132]

Tiras (Tyras, Tiwaz) was the “king of the gods” in Germanic/Norse mythology and his name was given to our third day of the week, Tuesday (Tiwaz-day).[133] Again, this was a case of an ancestor being deified by later peoples. The name given to him by the Romans was Mars, who is found among their listing of “gods.” The equivalent name of Mars for the Greeks was Ares.[134]

Tiras, in line with many other grandsons of Noah, likely lived to greater ages than his great, great grandchildren. So it makes sense why people look at ancestors like this as immortals. The immortals in these ancient cultures still died — they just outlived everyone else. See chapter 23 for more on this.

Some reckon that Tyras is the same one as Thor or Thorus, who was the “god of war” in many northern mythologies. Most historians saw the Thracians as a warlike people. However, there may be more to this. Keep in mind that the ancient Germanic and Norse knew the two to be different, having Tuesday in honor of Tiwaz (Tiras) and having Thursday as Thors-day.

But there is more. Oden (Woden) is found in the royal genealogies for much of northern European and Anglo-Saxon royal lineages from the pre-migrations period (the period when the Angles and Saxon came into England in waves), which means Oden is not to be associated with the time of Tiras. One historian, Snorri Sturluson, wrote in Prose Edda around the 14th century:

Near the earth’s centre was made that goodliest of homes and haunts that ever have been, which is called Troy, even that which we call Turkland. This abode was much more gloriously made than others, and fashioned with more skill of craftsmanship in manifold wise, both in luxury and in the wealth which was there in abundance. There were twelve kingdoms and one High King, and many sovereignties belonged to each kingdom; in the stronghold were twelve chieftains. These chieftains were in every manly part greatly above other men that have ever been in the world. One king among them was called Múnón or Mennón; and he was wedded to the daughter of the High King Priam, her who was called Tróán; they had a child named Trór, whom we call Thor. He was fostered in Thrace by a certain war-duke called Lóríkus; but when he was ten winters old he took unto him the weapons of his father. He was as goodly to look upon, when he came among other men, as the ivory that is inlaid in oak; his hair was fairer than gold. When he was twelve winters old he had his full measure of strength; then he lifted clear of the earth ten bear-skins all at one time; and then he slew Duke Lóríkus, his foster-father, and with him his wife Lórá, or Glórá, and took into his own hands the realm of Thrace, which we call Thrúdheim.[135]

Sturluson also proposes that Asgard is Asia (think Asia Garden) and Midgard was Troy, which was the capital seat for many places at one point. This area is located between the three continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa. This is why it is called Midgard or “Middle Garden.” Today we see much of this area as the Middle East. Such places have been vestiges that are memorialized in Norse and Germanic mythologies, as have Oden and Thor. But they were real people and real places that have simply been embellished over the years.[136]

There is much to say about Tiras and Thrace, but this should whet one’s appetite if he wants to research this nation and tribe further.

The world as known to the Hebrews.

Chart of People Groups and Likely Ancestry

Note: There will be repetitions as some people co-mingled as discussed above. Also, this is a minimum list, so there are others. This was tabulated based on the research performed, whereas not all of these groups were discussed in detail in the text. This book is intended to be a diving point for further research.

Descendant of Noah

Japheth

1

Gomer

France, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, northern Italy, Denmark (anywhere French migrations have taken people), northern Spain

2

Ashkenaz

Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Poland, Czech Republic, England, Austria, Northern Spain, and any place Germans, English, and Vikings migrated to), Americas?

3

Riphath

Northern Turkey; perhaps some in mainland Europe?

4

Togarmah

Turkish groups like Turkey, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kirgizstan, some in Mongolia and China and Russia, possibly Hungary?

5

Magog

Scythians, Ireland, Scotland, some in Sweden, Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Poland, and most Slavic-speaking peoples, Americas?

6

Madai

Iran, northern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan

7

Javan

Greece, southern Italy, Turkey, possibly Britain, Spain, Saxony, many Mediterranean coasts, including Africa and beyond (much mixing within the Greek tribes), Japan, Java

8

Elishah

Greece, southern Italy, Turkey, Britain, Spain, Saxony, many Mediterranean coasts and beyond (much mixing within the Greek tribes), Japan

9

Tarshish

Greece, southern Italy, Turkey, Britain, Spain, Saxony, many Mediterranean coasts and beyond (much mixing within the Greek tribes), Japan

10

Kittim

Cyprus, Greece, southern Italy, Turkey, Britain, Spain, Saxony, many Mediterranean coasts and beyond (much mixing within the Greek tribes), Japan

11

Rodanim

Greece, southern Italy, Turkey, Britain, Spain, Saxony, many Mediterranean coasts and beyond (much mixing within the Greek tribes), Japan

12

Tubal

Spain, Portugal, Britain, Georgia, Siberian Russia, some to Italy, Mongolia, Americas?

13

Meshech

Moscow region of Russia and the far north, Finland, Hungary, Georgia, and possibly some Peruvians (Moche culture), other Americas like Eskimo and Aleuts?

14

Tiras

Thrace, like Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, and perhaps further into Europe like Scotland, Americas

Shem

15

Elam

Persians (Iran), Afghanistan, and Pakistan and northern India.

16

Asshur

Assyria, some to China?

17

Arphaxad

Most of the Middle East — Israel, Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, North Africa, Syria, Yemen, Oman

18

Others (Genesis 11:13)

?

19

Selah

Most of the Middle East — Israel, Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, North Africa, Syria, Yemen, Oman

20

Others (Genesis 11:14)

?

21

Eber

Most of the Middle East — Israel, Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, North Africa, Syria, Yemen, Oman

22

Others (Genesis 11:17)

?

23

Peleg

Most of the Middle East — Israel, Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, North Africa, Syria, Yemen, Oman

24

Joktan

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

25

Almodad

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

26

Sheleph

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

27

Hazarmaveth

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

28

Jerah

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

29

Hadoram

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

30

Uzal

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

31

Diklah

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

32

Obal

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

33

Abimael

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

34

Sheba

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

35

Ophir

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

36

Havilah

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

37

Jobab

Arabia, India, Indonesia, and perhaps beyond

38

Lud

Southern Turkey?

39

Aram

Syria, some Phoenicians (Mark 7:26)?

40

Meshech

Northern Iraq, possibly Peru (with the Moche culture?), beyond?

41

Gether

Afghanistan and beyond?

42

Uz

Damascus, Syria?

43

Hul

Armenia, Turkey?

Ham

44

Cush

Ethiopia, Iraq, Sudan, lower Africa, Hindu Kush, northeast India, Malaysia and possibly Australia

45

Seba

Arabia?

46

Havilah

Arabia, North Africa

47

Sabtah

Arabia?

48

Raamah

Arabia?

49

Sheba

Arabia?

50

Dedan

Arabia and west Africa

51

Sabteca

?

52

Nimrod

Iraq?

53

Babylon

Iraq?

54

Erech

Iraq?

55

Akkad

Iraq?

56

Calneh

Iraq?

57

Nineveh

Iraq?

58

Rehoboth-Ir

Iraq?

59

Caleh

Iraq?

60

Resen

Iraq?

61

Mizraim

Egypt (some in the region between China and India, east Asia, Americas?)

62

Ludites (Lud)

Egypt, North Africa?

63

Anamites

Egypt, North Africa?

64

Lehabites

Egypt, Libya (Lubim)

65

Naphtuhites

Egypt, North Africa?

66

Pathrisites

Egypt, North Africa?

67

Casluhites (Phillistines)

Egypt, North Africa, Israel/Palestine, some Mediterranean islands

68

Caphtorites

Egypt, North Africa?

69

Put

North and west Africa from Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and beyond, Central America, possibly South America?

70

Canaan

Israel/Palestine, Syria and beyond after being the Israelite conquest of the land of Canaan

71

Sidon

Israel/Palestine, Syria, some Mediterranean islands?

72

Hittites

Turkey, northern Israel, and Syria

73

Jebusites

Israel/Palestine, Syria?

74

Amorites

Israel/Palestine, Syria?

75

Girgashites

Israel/Palestine, Syria?

76

Hivites

Israel/Palestine, Syria?

77

Arkites

Israel/Palestine, Syria?

78

Sinites

Sinai Peninsula, China, Americas?

79

Arvadites

Israel/Palestine, Syria?

80

Zemarites

Israel/Palestine, Syria?

81

Hamathites

Israel/Palestine, Syria?

1. Genesis 8:4: Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.

2. Sometimes you may see words in proper Hebrew with or without vowel points. Either is fine to use. The vowel points were added around A.D. 700–1000 because biblical Hebrew was becoming a completely dead language, even among the Hebrew Masoretes who were copying it. So they developed a vowel point system to know how to pronounce it. For example, Ararat and Urartu are spelled the same in Hebrew (no vowels in Hebrew, so it would be “rrt” for both with their Hebrew letters), but pronounced differently. One referred to a region and one to a people group. Hebrew speakers used to know this (think “bass” — the guitar — and “bass” — the fish — in English). But vowel points were added to help alleviate any mispronunciations.

3. See the next chapter for more.

4. With everything this author has accumulated, many of the grandsons of Noah would almost require a book in itself. So only certain big-picture elements have been preserved in this volume.

5. In all likelihood, the Book of Jasher mentioned in Joshua 10 and 2 Samuel is lost. There are several different ones floating around today. One is by Alcuin, and many view this as an 18th-century forgery. Another is called Pseudo-Jasher and is not supposed to have existed until after A.D. 1625. It is a book based on Jewish legends. There are others, too. What we can ascertain is what people believed about history at these particular points in history (the latter half of the A.D. second millennium).

6. Ezekiel 30:5 points out there are comingled people even in his day. Also, the Canaanites were eager to mix with the Israelites in Genesis 34:8–10.

7. Daniel 11:43: “He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.

8. 2 Chronicles 12:3: with twelve hundred chariots, sixty thousand horsemen, and people without number who came with him out of Egypt — the Lubim and the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians.

9. 2 Chronicles 16:8: “Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand.”

10 .Nahum 3:9: Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was boundless; Put and Lubim were your helpers.

11. Acts 2:10: “Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes.”

12. Edgar A. Truax, “Genesis According to the Miao People,” Institute for Creation Research, http://www.icr.org/article/341/289/.

13. Genesis 25:18: (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.) He died in the presence of all his brethren.

14. 1 Samuel 15:7: And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt.

15. Many others have researched the various names of Nimrod in languages and ancient cultures and found a relationship between this real person and his elevation to a “god-like” status within ancient cultures. Much of this surely had to do with his status as a conquering king. For more on Nimrod’s influence on ancient pagan cultures, see Steven Merrill, Nimrod: Darkness in the Cradle of Civilization (Greensboro, NC: Diakonia Publishing, 2005), p. 329–338.

16. Ezekiel 27:22: “The merchants of Sheba and Raamah were your merchants. They traded for your wares the choicest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold.

17. Genesis 25:1–3: Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.

18. Francisco Colin, The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898, trans, James Alexander Robertson, available online at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/30253/30253-8.txt.

19. “Australian Aborigines Were Once Indians — Study,” Science 2.0, http://www.science20.com/news_articles/australian_aborigines_were_once_indians_study; and Ewen Callaway, “First Aboriginal Genome Sequenced,” Nature, http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110922/full/news.2011.551.html.

20. Paul A. Barton, “The Olmecs: An African Presence in Early America,” The Perspective, http://www.theperspective.org/olmecs.html.

21. Zechariah 14:21: In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.

22. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, commentary notes on Isaiah 49:12, http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Bible.show/sVerseID/18649/eVerseID/18649/RTD/JFB.

23. John Trapp, commentary notes on Isaiah 49:12, as adapted in the Online Bible, Larry Pierce, 2012.

24. This research was done by Chinese linguists and published in China Languages (Zhongguo Yuyan) from Commercial Press. The following news items give highlights: http://culture.people.com.cn/GB/87423/6792706.html; http://news.xinhuanet.com/book/2008-01/21/content_7460791.htm (both accessed September 19, 2012). Both are in Chinese, but for translations see General_Zhaoyun, “How Many Languages Are Spoken in China Today?” Chinese History Forum, http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?/topic/28491-how-many-languages-are-spoken-in-china-today/.

25. Truax, “Genesis According to the Miao People,” http://www.icr.org/article/341/289/.

26. John Gill, Exposition of the Bible, notes on Genesis 10:18, http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/genesis-10-18.html.

27. Hendon M. Harris, The Asiatic Fathers of America, Charlotte H. Rees, editor (Taipei, Taiwan: Wen Ho Printing Co., 2006), p. 14–43. See also: http://www.asiaticfathers.com.

28. Ibid., p. 76–80.

29. Joseph Wilson, “Relatives Halfway Round the World: Southern Athabascans and Southern Tarim Fugitives,” Limina: A Journal of Historical and Cultural Studies 11 (2005): 67–78, available online at http://www.limina.arts.uwa.edu.au/__data/page/90432/wilson.pdf. For more on this debate see also MES Online Library, http://www.midwesternepigraphic.org/stewart.html.

30. Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2nd edition (Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft, 1958), p. 616.

31. “Bible Questions and Answers,” The Golden Age (July 24, 1929): p. 702.

32. Esther 1:19: “If it pleases the king, let a royal decree go out from him, and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it will not be altered, that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.”

33. Daniel 6:8: “Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.”

34. This is where we get the phrase “the handwriting is on the wall,” indicating that an event is imminent.

35. Daniel 5:5: In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

36. To understand this kingship in more detail, commentators Keil and Delitzsch state in their commentary on Daniel 9:1, “In the word haamªlakª {see definition 04427} the Hophal is to be noticed: rex constitutus, factus est. It shows that Darius did not become king over the Chaldean kingdom by virtue of a hereditary right to it, nor that he gained the kingdom by means of conquest, but that he received it (qabeel, {see definition 06902} #Da 6:1) from the conqueror of Babylon, Cyrus, the general of the army. The first year of the reign of Darius the Mede over the Chaldean kingdom is the year 538 B.C., since Babylon was taken by the Medes and Persians under Cyrus in the year 539 B.C. — 538 B.C. According to Ptolemy, Cyrus the Persian reigned nine years after Nabonadius.”

37. Daniel 9:1: In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans. . . .

38. Roland G. Kent, Old Persian: Grammar, Texts, Lexicon, 2nd edition (New Haven, CT: American Oriental Society, 1950), available online at http://archive.org/stream/OldPersian/Kent-OldPersian_djvu.txt.

39. Bodie Hodge, “The Results of Evolution: Could It Be the Bloodiest Religion Ever?” Answers in Genesis, http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/07/13/results-evolution-bloodiest-religion-ever.

40. Numbers 24:22: Nevertheless Kain shall be burned. How long until Asshur carries you away captive?”

41. Isaiah 23:13: Behold, the land of the Chaldeans, this people which was not; Assyria founded it for wild beasts of the desert. They set up its towers, they raised up its palaces, and brought it to ruin.

42. Gill, Exposition of the Bible, notes on Genesis 10:25, http://m.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/genesis-10-25.html.

43. Gill, Exposition of the Bible, notes on Genesis 10:26,http://m.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/genesis-10-26.html.

44. C.F. Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, notes on Genesis 10:25, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2006).

45. Hebrews 7:3–6: . . . without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

46. Genesis 11:11: After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

47. Genesis 11:13–14: After he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters. Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber.

48. Genesis 11:17: After he begot Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters.

49. Some have thought this Melchizedek was Shem. But as for Shem, we know his genealogy and father, his age and when he was born, and so on. It makes sense that if this was Shem, Moses would have said so. Others have postulated that it was perhaps the Son of God, Jesus Christ, Himself. But with Christ, we have the most perfect genealogy of human lineage when He became a man. He is the Son of God. And further, Hebrews 7 equates Christ as a priest in his order and even distinguishes Him from Melchizedek. Regardless, one cannot be certain of any ties to others here.

50. Strabo, Geography, Book 8, chapter 3, http://rbedrosian.com/Classic/strabo13e.htm.

51. Gill, Exposition of the Bible, notes on Genesis 10:2, http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/genesis-10-2.html.

52. N.P. Milner, An Epigraphical Survey in the Kibyra-Olbasa Region conducted by A.S. Hall (Monograph) (Ankara, Turkey: British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara, 2998).

53. Daniel 2:4: Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

54. Ezra 4:7: In the days of Artaxerxes also, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabel, and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in Aramaic script, and translated into the Aramaic language.

55. Matthew 27:46: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

56. Job 2:11: Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place — Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him.

57. Genesis 37:28: Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

58. Flavius Josephus, The Antiquity of the Jews, chapter 15, http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/josephus/index.htm#aoj.

59. Genesis 17:4–5: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.”

60. For more on the myths of Hercules, which were based on a real man, please see chapter 23 on ancestor worship. For this Hercules was a real king and many of his embellishments are a corruption of Samson by later descendants.

61. Merle Severy, “The Celts,” National Geographic (May 1977): p. 582–633.

62. James Anderson, Royal Genealogies (James Bettenham, 1732), p. 415.

63. Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v. “Brennus,” http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/78817/Brennus (accessed November 9, 2012).

64. Online Etymology Dictionary, s.v. “Europe,” http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Europe (accessed November 9, 2012); Oxford Dictionaries, s.v. “Europa,” http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/american_english/Europa?region=us&q=europa (accessed November 9, 2012).

65. Arthur Custance, “The Family of Japheth,” The Roots of the Nations, http://custance.org/old/noah/ch2h.html.

66. The Book of Jubilees, translated by R.H. Charles, http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/jub/jub22.htm#fr_292.

67. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 441.

68. Online Etymology Dictionary, s.v. “Euxine,” http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Euxine (accessed October 1, 2012).

69. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 441.

70. See section about Josephus earlier in this chapter.

71. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 440–442.

72. Ibid., p. 442.

73. Stuart S. Seaman, “Who Came before Columbus?” Creation Research Society Quarterly 13, no. 3 (1976): 150–154.

74. “Tacitus: Germania,” trans. Thomas Gordon, Fordham University, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/tacitus-germanygord.asp.

75. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 441.

76. Ibid., p. 441.

77. “Average Height by Country (Males >20 Years),” Interbasket, http://www.interbasket.net/news/4385/2009/09/average-height-by-country-males-20-years/, (accessed October 1, 2012). Furthermore, this is expected since most giants in the land of giants (Deuteronomy 2:20, e.g., Canaan) were wiped out, leaving other descendants of Noah to be the average tallest. There are specific tribes of people that can be taller, but not as a national average.

There may be other mixing factors here than heavy Germanic descent, but I wanted to give a general idea.

78. Numbers 13:32–33: And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

79. “Ashkenaz,” The Virtual Jewish Library, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0002_0_01462.html.

80. Jeremiah 51:27: Set up a banner in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her, call the kingdoms together against her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a general against her; cause the horses to come up like the bristling locusts.

81. Arthur Custance, “The Family of Japheth,” The Roots of the Nations, http://custance.org/old/noah/ch2h.html.

82. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 441–443.

83. See chapter 13 for more.

84. Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v. “Bulgar,” http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/84067/Bulgar (accessed November 9, 2012).

85. Henry Morris, The Genesis Record, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1976), p. 247.

86. See the section on this earlier in this chapter.

87. “Armenia: First Christian Nation,” WelcomeArmenia, http://www.welcomearmenia.com/armenia/first_christian_nation

88. “FAQ: The Nicene Creed,” The Armenian Church, http://www.armenianchurch-ed.net/our-church/what-we-believe/faq/; “Chapter One: The Apostles—Where Did They Go?” Bethel Church of God, http://www.bethelcog.org/church/the-origin-of-our-western-heritage/the-apostles-where-did-they-go.

89. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 424.

90. Ibid., p. 777; see also The History of Ireland by Geoffrey Keating.

91. Ibid., p. 404. Though the Germans say Scythia was a brother of Ashkenaz, this is highly unlikely. He instead was likely the son of Magog, and cousin to Ashkenaz.

92. It likely had to be very early, since most descendants of Magog associate themselves as Scythians.

93. Robert P. Jordan, “ When the Rus Invaded Russia: The Viking Trail East,” National Geographic (March 1985): p. 278–317.

94. Stephen Sisa, “Who are the Magyars?” The Spirit of Hungary, http://www.hungarianhistory.com/lib/hunspir/hsp05.htm.

95. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 400.

96. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 404. Updated spellings by author.

97. Rob Waugh, “Native Americans Actually Came from a Tiny Mountain Region in Siberia, DNA Research Reveals,” Daily Mail Online (U.K.), http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2092258/Native-Americans-actually-came-tiny-mountain-region-Russia-DNA-research-reveals.html; Katherine Unger Baillie, “Penn Anthropologists Clarify Link Between Asians and Early Native Americans,” University of Pennsylvania, http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/penn-anthropologists-clarify-link-between-asians-and-early-native-americans.

98. Geoffrey Keating, The History of Ireland, Ex-Classics Project, http://www.exclassics.com/ceitinn/foras.pdf.

99. Richard Connif, “Ireland on the Fast-Forward,” National Geographic (September 1994): p. 2–35.

100. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 777.

101. Ibid., p. 441.

102. Acts 20:2: Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece.

103. Francisco Colin, The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898, trans, James Alexander Robertson, available online at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/30253/30253-8.txt.

104. Ronald E. Dolan and Robert L. Worden, editors, Japan: A Country Study (Washington, DC: Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, 1994), http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Japan.html.

105. Kamlesh Kapur, “Impact of Indian Culture and Indian Civilization,” History of Ancient India, (New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Private Limited, 2010), p. 465.

106. Arthur Custance, “The Family of Japheth,” The Roots of the Nations, http://custance.org/old/noah/ch2h.html.

107. Psalm 72:10: The kings of Tarshish and of the isles will bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts.

108. 2 Chronicles 9:21: For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.

109. Ezekiel 27:10: “Those from Persia, Lydia, and Libya were in your army as men of war; they hung shield and helmet in you; they gave splendor to you.”

110. Jonah 1:3: But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

111. Number 24:24: But ships shall come from the coasts of Cyprus, and they shall afflict Asshur and afflict Eber, and so shall Amalek, until he perishes.

112. Isaiah 23:1: The burden against Tyre. Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no harbor; from the land of Cyprus it is revealed to them.

113. Daniel 11:30: “For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.

114. Charles F. Pfeiffer, Baker’s Bible Atlas (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1979), p. 40.

115. Troy was likely a mix of Javan (Greece) and Tiras. For more on the tentative Brutus connection, please see chapters 4–5 of Bill Cooper’s After the Flood (Norfolk, United Kingdom: New Wine Press, 1995).

116. Cooper, After the Flood, p. 71.

117. Tacitus: The life of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, UNRV History, http://www.unrv.com/tacitus/tacitus-agricola-2.php.

118. H.S. Williams, The Historians History of the World, Vol. 17, Switzerland, Russia and Poland (London, United Kingdom: The History Association, 1905), p. 85.

119. Jennie Cohen, “Native Americans Hailed from Siberian Highlands, DNA Reveals,” History, http://www.history.com/news/native-americans-hailed-from-siberian-highlands-dna-reveals.

120. Creation Wiki: Encyclopedia of Creation Science, s.v. “Tubal,” http://creationwiki.org/Tubal.

121. See earlier section in this chapter.

122. Herodotus, The History (Histories), Book VII, trans. G.C. Macaulay, available online at http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_text_herodotus_7_4.htm.

123. Mike Edwards, “The Fractured Caucasus,” National Geographic (February 1996): p. 126–131.

124. For a map of people distributions in Spain, I suggest P. White, “Spain,” National Geographic (March 1978): p. 303.

125. Geoffrey Keating, The History of Ireland, Ex-Classics Project, http://www.exclassics.com/ceitinn/foras.pdf.

126. John Gill, Commentary on the Old Testament, notes on Psalm 120:5, http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/psalms-120-5.html.

127. Psalm 120:5: Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

128. Genesis 25:13: And these were the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

129. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 214.

130. Pfeiffer, Baker’s Bible Atlas, p. 40.

131. Creation Wiki, s.v. “Tiras,” http://creationwiki.org/Tiras.

132. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 441.

133. Online Etymology Dictionary, s.v. “Tuesday,” http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=tuesday.

134. John Gill, Commentary on the Old Testament, notes on Genesis 10:2.

135. Snorri Sturluson, “Prologue,” Prose Edda, http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/pre03.htm.

136. Sturluson, “Gylfaginning,” Prose Edda, http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/pre04.htm.

CHAPTER 18

What About Asia, the Americas, and Australia?

Historically, the origin of all people groups begins at the Tower of Babel. Genesis 10:32 says:

These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.

But as more and more time passes since the events at the Tower of Babel, it becomes increasingly difficult to ascertain with much certainty where everyone went. Generally, from the Middle East in the land of Shinar (modern-day Iraq, where Babel was), Japheth’s descendants went north toward Europe and Asia, Ham’s went toward Africa, and Shem’s remained in the Middle East, moving into the surrounding areas and east. Of course, there were exceptions to this.

Recall, for example, Ham’s descendant through Cush (Nimrod), who remained in the land of Shinar (Genesis 10:8–12). Also, some of Japheth’s descendants remained in the Middle East (Madai, whose descendants became known as the Medes, were often associated with the Elamites — otherwise known as the Persians). Some of Shem ended up in Africa. But far away it gets tougher to determine. There are some clues that help, and while there could be more, the details may never be known, but only retained in the knowledge of God.

There were some persons in Genesis 10 that had connections to the Americas, but let’s evaluate this in more detail to see why it becomes more difficult to connect peoples farther away to people at Babel. The main reasons are rather simple:

1. Lack of written history

2. Legends and oral traditions may go back to ancestors, but these particular ancestors are far later than those listed at Babel

3. Many peoples simply lost or forgot who their greatest ancestors were and thus this information was not passed along

But there are some clues that may be helpful in this puzzle. So let’s take a look.

Geographical Names

First, names of places and people groups tend to be concentrated in various places, which is a strong indication that a people group occupied a particular area early on. There are some that are easy to place, such as Noah’s grandson Javan, which is still the Hebrew name for Greece, or Noah’s grandson Mizraim, which is still the Hebrew name for Egypt.

However, when it comes to North America and even portions of South America, European settlers have usurped many names and places and provided new names. Although some native names still exist (e.g., Illinois, the French variant of the Illini tribe; Tennessee or Tanasi was a Cherokee Village; or Hawai’iloa, the legendary founder of the Hawaiian), the bulk have been lost and forgotten. But this is still where correlations could help.

The name Tanasi is very similar to Tanais, which was the old name for the Don River north of the Black Sea. Tanais was associated with the people of Tubal originally and may be a reflection of his name. Many of Tubal’s descendants (Iberians, Siberians) were moving to the region of Siberia, which is in the direction of the Bering Strait land bridge to the Americas. This is one of the most probable groups to make it to the Americas by land bridge.

The Cherokee, or Tsalagi in the native tongue, may still be a deviation of the name Tanasi. Cherokee is part of the Iroquoian language family and may connect with other speakers in this family. One Native American language website explains, “Our original name for ourselves was Aniyunwiya, but Cherokee is fine, too (though we say it Tsalagi).”[1]

Creation Wiki suggests several connections:

Minor colonies of Tubal may be the Canadian Ottawa Indians, the Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu, and Tablas Island in the Philippines. In the Malay Archipelago we find the Tobalai, Tuba, and Tawali islands, as well as Table Bay in New Guinea and Table Island in the Andaman Islands.[2]

In Louisiana, there is a city, swamp, and region that has the name Manchac but is pronounced “Meshech.” Could this be a connection to one of the biblical Meshechs listed in Genesis 10? It is possible.

James Anderson points out that the Amazons of Europe and Asia are descendants of Magog (Scythians), and interestingly we have Amazon tribes in South America.[3]

There is a connection to the Na-Dene language family of some North American tribes, including the Athabasca natives like the Navajo to some Chinese and Tibetan language family.[4] Even features of some of these tribes resemble Asian features found in China and Tibet.

Spanish chronicler and historian Francisco Colin draws a connection between the Malay (Malaysia), the Filipinos (Philippines), and the mainland region of Malaca:

Of the nature, languages, and letters of the Filipinos: In accordance with the origin which we ascribed to the civilized nations of these islands in chapter four, so also are their capacity, languages, and letters. They are descendants of the Malays of the mainland of Malaca, whom they also resemble in their capacity, languages, and letters. From the shape, number, and use of the characters and letters of this nation it is quite evident that they are all taken from the Moro Malays and originated from the Arabs.[5]

This was likely the result of Islamic expansion into the islands after Muhammad. Colin suspects that the Pacific islands are a mix of people who were Japonic (of Javan), Chinese (of Sinites of Ham), and Indian (of Joktan). Colin also suggests that Filipino Indians came through New Guinea and all have Malay descent. Even Malaysian history concurs that they are essentially a comingling of three groups: Indians, Arabs, and Chinese, where the oldest are tribal in the Sebah clan.[6] The Geographia website says, “The oldest inhabitants of Malaysia are its tribal peoples. They account for about 5 percent of the total population, and represent a majority in Sarawak and Sabah.”[7]

Interestingly, one tribe that comes from Cush is “Seba” or “Sabah.” Perhaps it is this same Sebah who gave rise to the Hindu Kush and the Gangen (Cush) region of India. One region in the northwest area of India (Gangen) even retains a river named Ganga, which was formerly known at “Etyopia” or more properly Cush.[8] This makes sense since this the direction of the Hindu Kush (Cush) moving eastward and likely went farther into India as well, but it is difficult to be certain.

Another issue here is that many geographical names may be derived from various descendants well beyond the names given in Genesis 10. In other words, these places may be named for great-grandsons of Noah’s great-great-great-great-grandsons. If this is the case, there is no direct tie to a family unit leaving Babel without more information.

Logically, the farther away from Babel people traveled, the more likely the descendants were to “pick up the torch” and continue moving about and filling the earth as per Genesis 9:1.[9] Certain descendants of Noah, perhaps those listed in Genesis 10, would travel only so far, but their descendants were the ones to pick up their tents and keep moving. So some names that do not appear in the Babel account become harder to trace back unless they were written down and documented, which many American and Australian tribes did not do.

Language Family Correlations

A second factor is based on language families. Of course, due to wars and migrations of people, languages often intermingle with other families. For example, because of Roman occupation, the Latin language infiltrated many areas, and so Spanish, Romanian, Portuguese, French, and modern-day Italian all belong to the same language family (these are called Romance Languages). Even English has extensive Latin influence.

Nations well beyond Rome’s grasp offer a different story. In India, a whole host of languages and a number of language families exist, which is a strong indication that numerous descendants from Babel likely ended up in that area. This makes sense considering that the geography funnels people toward India on their way to Asia, Australia, or the Americas. It is simply an easier route than crossing mountains. Of course, a far northern route through Russia/Siberia could have been taken, which is possible, but the Ice Age may have made migration more difficult and dangerous.

With regard to Native North Americans, a handful of language families seem to dominate, and this can give us clues. A language family consists of a number of languages that are all similar and have a common origin, ultimately dating back to Babel. Of course, languages are always changing and this makes things difficult.

Dominant Indigenous Language Families

North America: 9[10]

South America: 6[11]

Australia: 1[12]

Of course, there are many others, but none that take up a significant portion of the respective continents. In the far north of Australia there are several where people made small settlements, likely from Indonesia, New Guinea, and other coastal peoples. But the bulk of Australia and the aborigines inland to Tasmania spoke variants of one language family that is unique from all others.[13] If this language or people could be tied to a descendant in Genesis 10, then a possible lineage could be made. Recent genetic testing by Indian scientists has placed a possible tie to India after leaving Africa before settling in Australia.[14] The most likely candidates are Cush or Phut, both having extensive coasts in their territories. The language family of Aborigines is not like the language family of Phutites (Moors). So the better connection may be Cush and one of his sons.

Most ended up in Africa or Arabia (initially). Nimrod remained in Babylonia and went into Asshur (Assyria) per Genesis 10. One group of Cushites did manage to move east to found the Hindu Kush and then moved on to the Ganges River area. They were possibly even among the first tribes of the Malay people in Malaysia. In Malaysia, a tribe and district still bears the name of Seba/Sebah, which is the name of one son of Cush. In Indonesia, there is a city called Sabang and there is also a region in Malaysia called Sebang. Some Dravidians in India were originally known as Sibae.[15]

This genetic connection with Australian aborigines to some Dravidians may be through Seba and this would explain a connection to African Cush. Aborigines may be more recent than some other peoples in other parts of the world. It is estimated that the Aborigine population in 1788 was only about 300,000 people on the whole continent and Tasmania.[16] This is a very small percentage of the world’s population estimates at the time.

Languages can only help so much though. Consider the United Kingdom and Ireland. They speak English, because the Angles and Saxons brought that language to the island. Yet scholars have been able to trace Ashkenaz, Javan, Magog, Gomer, and Tubal to these small islands. This same trend surely happened in many places. Language families can help to a degree, but unless the exact history, migrations, and genealogies are known, some big pieces to the puzzle may be missing.

Roadblock: Lack of Written History

One roadblock with determining Native American heritage is the scarcity of a written language.[17] Such languages were passed on orally, which allowed for many changes.

Even in written language, consider that the English of 1,000 years ago is hardly recognizable to the modern English speaker. Consider also that Australian English did not even exist 200 years ago. So although the language family may help identify relationships of various tribes and nations, it still may not be enough to tie these language families directly back to an ancestor from Babel.

Some rare cases may have a connection to Babel, though. The Olmec, who may have been the precursors to the Mayans (or were possibly conquered by them), did have an ancient written language that has not been entirely deciphered yet.[18] And there is controversy at this stage as to whether this language is of African descent — specifically West African, as some linguists are claiming.[19] If this claim is verified, then it has a Babel connection. Many in West Africa are descendants of Phut, Noah’s grandson through Ham, who settled along the northwest of the African continent and spread around the coast (for example, the Moors of old and modern Mauritania, Morocco, and so on came from Phut). Others of Ham’s descendants also inhabited Africa, such as Cush (Ethiopia) and Mizraim (Egypt and Libya), and their descendants settled other parts of Africa, too.

What we can learn is that there were several language families, which means that there were likely several family groups (or at least their descendants) that made it from Babel to North America. But without much written history over the past 4,000 years or so, researchers need other angles.

Histories and Mythologies

From here, evaluating the various oral histories of Native tribes and nations requires some discernment. Sometimes there is a nugget of truth waiting to be rediscovered behind the accounts — even in some of the mythologies.

For example, in Norse and Germanic mythologies, there is a person named Oden (Woden), and he happens to be found in post-Flood genealogies that lead to many royal houses throughout Europe.[20] In Greek and Roman mythologies, there are a few correlations to the biblical Table of Nations, such as Chronos (or Saturn) being Kittim/Cethimus under Javan. In other cases, Chronos and Saturn are seen as Noah, but obviously there is a mix of attributes attached to these so-called gods, and they become rather convoluted. Regardless, mythologies often have a remnant of truth in them, but the stories are embellished.

This would be an exciting area of study for Native Americans to evaluate their historical traditions and to pick out the nuggets of truth in them — especially looking for any connections back to Genesis 10. Keep in mind language variations and the possibility that some of these traditions are further removed from Babel.

A number of native legends are readily available in books and on the Internet, but well-versed individuals may be familiar with others. Some of these legends obviously have ties as far back as creation, which is expected (creation and Flood legends abound in cultures the world over). Naturally, the stories have deviated over several thousand years. This is where discernment is needed.

God, the true Creator, was kind enough to provide a revelation (the Bible, specifically Genesis) to mankind as to what really happened when He created. This invariably serves as the ultimate standard of truth and real history. Furthermore, Genesis has not undergone changes — being written/compiled by Moses and ultimately inspired, guided, and preserved through the work of the Holy Spirit. Interested parties should study these legends and folklore in more detail in light of what Genesis says.

So the short answer is that Native Americans originally came to North and South America as a result of the dispersion at the Tower of Babel. But to connect the migration route dots will require more diligent research, which, naturally, should be encouraged. Should a careful individual undertake researching this topic and come up with viable explanations, this author would be interested in hearing about them.

1. “Native Languages of the Americas: Cherokee (Tsalagi),” Native Languages of the Americas, http://www.native-languages.org/cherokee.htm.

2. Creation Wiki, s.v. “Tubal,” http://creationwiki.org/Tubal.

3. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 440.

4. Joseph A.P. Wilson, “Relatives Halfway Round the World: Southern Athabascans and Southern Tarim Fugitives,” Lumina: A Journal of Historical and Cultural Studies 11 (2005): 67–78, available online at http://www.limina.arts.uwa.edu.au/__data/page/90432/wilson.pdf.

5. Colin, Native Races and Their Customs, http://www.gutenberg.org/files/30253/30253-8.txt.

6. “KaleideCulture,” Geographia, http://www.geographia.com/malaysia/cultures.html.

7. Ibid.

8. Colin, Native Races and Their Customs, http://www.gutenberg.org/files/30253/30253-8.txt.

9. Genesis 9:1: So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”

10. “Native American Languages,” Indiana University, http://www.cogsci.indiana.edu/farg/rehling/nativeAm/ling.html.

11. Language Maps, Freelang.net, http://www.freelang.net/families/language_maps.php.

12. Derek Mulvaney, The Prehistory of Australia (Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin Books, Ltd., 1975), p. 68.

13. Ibid.

14. “Aborigines Landed in Australia via India,” The Age, July 22, 2009, http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-world/aborigines-landed-in-australia-via-india-20090722-dsg3.html.

15. Creation Wiki, s.v., “Seba,” http://creationwiki.org/Seba.

16. The Angus and Robertson Concise Australian Encylcopaedia, entry under “Aboriginal People and Traditional Society” (London, UK: Angus and Robertson Publishers), p. 1.

17. Keep in mind that written language goes back to Adam, likely given supernaturally by God, because of the Book of the Genealogy of Adam listed by Moses in Genesis 5:1. So it makes sense that written languages could easily survive until the Flood and even Babel, but were then lost or abandoned by various people groups during their migrations. Those who traveled the farthest may well have been the ones more likely to lose that ability. There is the possibility that during the dispersion and confusion of languages, written abilities then needed to be re-developed.

18. K. Kris Hirst, “Undeciphered Scripts,” About.com, http://archaeology.about.com/od/ancientwriting/ss/undeciphered_2.htm.

19. This would not be a problem for biblical creationists, who have openly taught that as people traveled to various parts of the world from Babel, they could have used boats (recall, Noah and his sons were master shipbuilders).

20. See James Anderson’s Royal Genealogies and Bill Cooper’s After the Flood.

CHAPTER 19

Were Noah’s Three Sons Triplets?

Why do people look so different if Noah’s three sons were triplets and all inherited the same genetic information? The Bible indicates that Noah had three sons prior to the Flood (Genesis 6:10[1]). But many people mistakenly think that they were triplets and hence may have looked identical, due to Genesis 5:32.

Noah’s sons were not all the same age, but let’s begin with Genesis 5:32:

And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

This indicates that Noah was 500 or just over when his first son was born. Listings such as these are rarely an indication of age; rather, they show that Noah began having children when He was 500 (Genesis 11:26[2]). The listing of children often started with the most important one (through Shem we receive the blessing of Christ). We know the relative ages of each from Genesis 10:21 and Genesis 9:24.

And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder (Genesis 10:21).

So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son [Ham] had done to him. (Genesis 9:24, brackets mine).

Genesis 10:21 indicates that Japheth was the oldest and was born when Noah was 500 years old. Ham is the youngest, as indicated in Genesis 9:24, after Ham’s inappropriate actions to his father.

Therefore, Shem had to be born in between Japheth and Ham. Shem was not born as a triplet or twin of Japheth when Noah was 500, as shown by Genesis 7:6 and Genesis 11:10.

Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth (Genesis 7:6).

This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood (Genesis 11:10).

Noah was 600 when the floodwaters came on the earth, and two years later Shem was 100. Therefore, Shem had to be born to Noah when he was 502. We are not sure of Ham’s exact age in Scripture, but he had to be born after Shem. Thus, Genesis 5:32 introduces us to Noah’s sons all together, and other passages give more detail about their birth order and age.

But readers can infer a little about their characteristics even though they were not triplets. As a general rule of thumb, descendants of people tend to have common characteristics of their ancestors. So from a big-picture standpoint, readers can ascertain, based on where the various descendants of Noah’s three sons and their respective descendants went, a general concept of basic characteristics.

One example might be that Japheth was lighter in skin tone than Ham, as many (but not all) of their descendants populated Europe and Africa, respectively. But one needs to be careful of such inferences too, because there are so many factors involved. Many of Ham’s descendants also populated China and the Middle East, which do not typically have darker skin. It is possible that these features become more pointed with grandsons or great grandsons.

Did Noah Have Other Children after the Flood and Babel?

Consider these passages:

And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Genesis 5:32).

Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Genesis 6:10).

Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation (Genesis 7:1).

So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood (Genesis 7:7).

These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated (Genesis 9:19).

Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood (Genesis 10:1).

These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood (Genesis 10:32).

There are no hints of Noah having children after the Flood. Note also that at Noah’s death, there is no mention of other sons and daughters, like was common among other patriarchs in these genealogies:

And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died (Genesis 9:28–29).

Dr. John Gill suggests that people have reasoned that Ham’s actions in Genesis 9 may have involved castration or something that rendered Noah impotent (Gill mentions a number of claims that have been proposed). He further relates that this may be the reason for the widespread mythologies of Jupiter castrating his father Saturn, and Chronus his father Uranus.[3]

Such claims are without warrant and perhaps unnecessary. But this author has been curious as to why Noah’s wife was absent during all of this in Genesis 9. It seemed strange that it was the responsibility of Shem and Japheth to cover their father, unless Noah’s wife was gone or perhaps had already died (perhaps the very reason for Noah’s state of drunkenness). This would be an obvious reason as to why Noah had no more children, even though he was to live for 350 years after the Flood. Though again, one cannot be dogmatic.

1. Genesis 6:10: And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

2. Genesis 11:26: Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

3. Gill, Exposition of the Bible, notes on Genesis 9:22, http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/genesis-9-22.html.

CHAPTER 20

Did Those Listed in the Account of the Tower of Babel Have Other Children after They Left Babel?

There are times when people look at the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 and see a rigid set of families and assume “this was it.” In other words, they see these names and think these people had no other children after the events at Babel. Not only was this highly unlikely, but there is a good biblical evidence to show otherwise for some of these listed in the Table of Nations (see discussion below). But the issue becomes, which ones had children after this and how many? And which ones did not, since the Bible does not tell us much about many of these families after Babel?

In surveying the Table of Nations in Genesis 10, readers will find that Arphaxad had Selah and Selah had Eber as we follow the lineage to Christ. So our initial assumption is that Arphaxad had only one son, Selah. However, when we read Genesis 11:13,[1] we find that Arphaxad had other sons and daughters. In fact, we also find that Selah had other sons and daughters (Genesis 11:15[2]).

This is significant since there is more information (e.g., names of offspring) about the other nations at this time period than there is about the lineage of Shem to Christ in this era. But a question arises: Did these other sons and their families come out of Babel with new languages? In other words, were some of these sons born and old enough to have a new language when the events at Babel occurred? Indeed, this is possible.

Remember, the Bible gives us sufficient information, not all information. Clearly, some people in the Table of Nations, specifically in the lineage from Shem to Peleg (going toward Christ) were not given. This makes sense because this is the lineage that is picked up again after the account of Babel is discussed in Genesis 11:1–9. So this author would leave open the option that Arphaxad, Selah, and Eber may well have had other sons prior to Babel.

Furthermore, due to Genesis 11:11,[3] is it possible there were other sons born to Shem prior to Babel? That option should be left open as well. What is certain is that those listed at Babel came out with a new language family, and there may have a been a few more. So I suggest that the 78 is a minimum number of language families (that is a tally of those listed in Genesis 10 subtracting Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Peleg).

Did those listed in the Table of Nations have children after Babel? There is no doubt! For Peleg had Reu (Genesis 11:19[4]). So it makes sense others did too. Gomer had other offspring to make the Gauls, Galatians, Celts, and so on. How many did he have? We simply do not know. Magog also had children. To reiteratate what we have already referenced in this volume, one historian and genealogist in the 1700s, Dr. James Anderson, found records that Magog had no less than three sons. The oldest son was Seuvus (or variant Sweno), who gave rise to Swedes and who later mixed with Geats from Ashkenaz (Germanic group). Another son was Gethar, who gave rise to the Slavic Gothic nations. This same historian points out that some people think Gether had a son named Gog, but other historians say that Gog was also a son of Magog.[5]

Was there a son who had had a dead lineage or otherwise did not have children to carry on the name and language? The Bible does not say. Many of these listed in Genesis 10 can be traced to one or more people groups somewhere in the world. But for a few of these, it is simply not known where they went. Did their family line cease or assimilate into another group? It is entirely possible, but in light of Genesis 9:7[6] and the Lord making people scatter to fulfill His purpose, then it makes sense these people had offspring.

1. Genesis 11:13: After he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.

2. Genesis 11:15: After he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.

3. Genesis 11:11: After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

4. Genesis 11:19: After he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.

5. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 424.

6. Genesis 9:7: And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it.”

CHAPTER 21

Did People Really Live Those Great Ages from Creation Well Past the Tower of Babel?

Imagine the possible headlines of long ago:

“Methuselah and Adam Have Long Talk”

“Noah Outlives Great-Great-Great Grandson Peleg”

“Shem and Abraham Go Fishing”

Many people are unfamiliar with the historical figures in Genesis. It is sometimes difficult to believe that people lived such long lives, too — but they did. There is much to learn from these patriarchs (early fathers of the human race). But let’s simply do some introductions to the group here.

The Great Ages

Many of the ancient people listed in the Bible’s genealogies lived very long lives. Methuselah holds the title of oldest-known man at 969 years old (and yet died before his father Enoch, who was translated without death). After Methuselah died, the Flood came.

After the Flood, the ages of these men declined. For example, Noah lived to be 950 years old, Shem to 600, Shelah to 433, and Abraham to 175.

Ages of the Patriarchs from Adam to Jacob

Patriarch

Age

Bible reference

1

Adam

930

Genesis 5:4

2

Seth

912

Genesis 5:8

3

Enosh

905

Genesis 5:11

4

Cainan

910

Genesis 5:14

5

Mahalalel

895

Genesis 5:17

6

Jared

962

Genesis 5:20

7

Enoch

365 (translated)

Genesis 5:23

8

Methuselah

969

Genesis 5:27

9

Lamech

777

Genesis 5:31

10

Noah

950

Genesis 9:29

11

Shem

600

Genesis 11:10–11

12

Arphaxad

438

Genesis 11:12–13

13

Shelah

433

Genesis 11:14–15

14

Eber

464

Genesis 11:16–17

15

Peleg

239

Genesis 11:18–19

16

Reu

239

Genesis 11:20–21

17

Serug

230

Genesis 11:22–23

18

Nahor

148

Genesis 11:24–25

19

Terah

205

Genesis 11:32

20

Abram (Abraham)

175

Genesis 25:7

21

Isaac

180

Genesis 35:28–29

22

Jacob (Israel)

147

Genesis 47:28

Until the Flood (Noah’s day), living to about 900 years old was the norm . . . except in the cases of Enoch or Lamech. Like Elijah, Enoch was translated without dying (Genesis 5:23[1]; Hebrews 11:5[2]). Lamech, it seems, was a bit unusual by being about a quarter of a century away from making 800.

The Overlaps

It is hard to imagine that Abraham could have spoken to Shem (Noah’s son), who surely talked to his great-grandfather Methuselah, who in turn could have spoken to Adam, the first man, directly. Although the Bible never records that Adam and Methuselah or Abraham and Shem met, that possibility is likely. Consider the other patriarchs that could have talked to one another.

Patriarchs from Adam to Israel (Jacob)

Everyone today shares the same lineage from Adam to Noah, since only Noah’s family survived the Flood. Technically, everyone today can be called “Adamites” or “Noahites.” Furthermore, everyone since the Flood has an ancestor who never died — Enoch. After the Flood, Noah’s three sons and wives populated the earth. Noah had three sons: Japheth, Shem, and Ham (Genesis 9:24,[3] 10:21[4]).

The list of men in the table above record Shem’s line to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who is also called Israel. Israel had 12 sons, and through his son Judah, the Bible traces the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:23–38). The Book of Genesis ends with the death of Joseph, one of Israel’s others sons, at 110 years old.

Extra-biblical Support

Other ancient cultures have legendary periods or ancient kings lists that support the vast ages of the patriarchs. For example, the Sumerian kings list has eight kings whose lives span a great period of time. Then, accordingly, the Flood came. Removing Enoch, who was translated, and Noah, who survived the Flood, these eight could easily “match up” with remaining pre-Flood patriarchs.[5]

Greek myths point to the patriarchs as well, equating Zeus and Hera as deified corruptions of Adam and Eve.[6] The Chinese also have a legendary period with various rulers. Some researchers have said that these rulers could indeed be kin to Noah’s descendants at Babel:

Could it be that the Legendary Period recalls a time when the ancestors of China’s first dynasties were indeed kin to Noah’s descendants before the great dispersion of mankind over the earth? . . . Since all peoples of earth are descended from Noah or his sons, the early Chinese ancestors were likely contemporaries of Noah, who lived 350 years after the flood (Genesis 9:28). Therefore, information could have been passed to them by word-of-mouth, even Noah himself. He in turn, obtained historical data from his father Lamech, who was 56 years old when Adam die. . . . Thus, all the details of creation and life before the flood could have been passed to the Chinese from Adam with only two intermediaries, Lamech and Noah.[7]

Such recollections support the idea that information was passed from Noah to his descendants, who then spread across the globe (though these other accounts are prone to corruption, unlike Scripture).

Are There Gaps?

The genealogies are very specific in giving the age of the father when the son was born.[8] However, in Luke 3:36,[9] depending on the Bible translation, there seems to be an extra Cainan. Because of this, some have proposed that there may be gaps in the genealogies. However, one needs to understand this specific instance better. Expositor Dr. John Gill points out:

This Cainan is not mentioned by Moses in #Ge 11:12 nor has he ever appeared in any Hebrew copy of the Old Testament, nor in the Samaritan version, nor in the Targum; nor is he mentioned by Josephus, nor in #1Ch 1:24 where the genealogy is repeated; nor is it in Beza’s most ancient Greek copy of Luke: it indeed stands in the present copies of the Septuagint, but was not originally there; and therefore could not be taken by Luke from thence, but seems to be owing to some early negligent transcriber of Luke’s Gospel, and since put into the Septuagint to give it authority: I say “early,” because it is in many Greek copies, and in the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions, even in the Syriac, the oldest of them; but ought not to stand neither in the text, nor in any version: for certain it is, there never was such a Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, for Salah was his son; and with him the next words should be connected. . . .[10]

This appears to have been one of a few copyist mistakes that have crept into the manuscripts after Luke wrote the original, inspired manuscript.[11] Others have pointed out how this error could have occurred rather easily.[12] There is no legitimate reason to introduce gaps into the genealogies — other than the desire to extend the dates based on extra-biblical ideas.

Conclusion

The Book of Genesis spans nearly one-third of world history, but sadly in today’s Church, much of it is overlooked. Perhaps if people realized the heritage that each of them has from these ancient patriarchs, they would gain a better understanding of where they came from and where they are going. Romans 4:3 says:

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Surely, there is much to learn from our ancestors.

1. Genesis 5:23: So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.

2. Hebrews 11:5: By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

3. Genesis 9:24: So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him.

4. Genesis 10:21: And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder.

5. Raúl Erlando López, “The Antediluvian Patriarchs and the Sumerian King List,” Answers in Genesis, http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/tj/v12/n3/sumerian.

6. Robert Bowie Johnson Jr., “Athena and Eve,” Answers in Genesis, http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/tj/v17/n3/athena-and-eve.

7. Nelson, Broadberry, and Chock, God’s Promise to the Chinese, p. 118.

8. See also Ken Ham, gen. ed., The New Answers Book 2 (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2008), p. 173–182.

9. Luke 3:36: . . . the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech. . . .

10. Gill, Exposition of the Bible, notes on Luke 3:36, http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/luke-3-36.html.

11. Copyist mistakes do not affect inspiration or inerrancy. It is the original manuscripts that were inerrant, and as fallible copyists made mistakes, these things can be traced via textual criticism to preserve the text. See chapter by Dr. Ron Rhodes in How Do We Know the Bible Is True? Vol. 2, Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge, gen. eds., (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2012).

12. Ham, The New Answers Book, p. 296–297.

CHAPTER 22

What About the Decrease in Ages?

Ancient Patriarchs in Genesis

The ages did drop off over the next millennium or so after the Flood. Several people have proposed ideas as to why this happened. See again the chart in the previous chapter. In doing so, readers will be able to keep the big picture in mind as to why ages have dropped off. But never forget the primary reason for this: sin!

Originally, man was designed to live forever; that is what can be expected from a God of life — a world full of life, not a world full of death. And this is what He gave us. Genesis 1:31[1] points out the creation was originally “very good,” and Deuteronomy 32:4[2] says every work of God was perfect, so it is reasonable to expect the work of creation to be perfect.

When man’s respective grandparents, Adam and Eve, sinned, the world was cursed, animals were cursed, and man was sentenced to die. This is why we die, and why we need a Savior. This is why ages dropped off — it was because of sin. But let’s also look at some specific reasons within this sin-cursed and broken world.

Diet

For example, some thought that the drop in longevity had to do with diet. People were first permitted to eat meat after the Flood (Genesis 9:3[3]), so some scholars thought the original vegetarian diet (Genesis 1:29[4]) may have helped people live to such great ages. Some have further pointed toward Daniel and his request for a vegetarian diet (Daniel 1:8–16).

However, vegetarian diets never allowed people to live to such ages as 900 years even today.

Increased Oxygen

Some have proposed that increases in the oxygen levels (which surely changed significantly after the Flood) prior to the Flood would have allowed the body to better heal and eliminate disease. And although there are some benefits to a temporary increase in oxygen in some cases (e.g., hyperbaric medicine), in other cases it is detrimental to your health (e.g., birth defects such as blindness in children due to supplemental oxygen; oxygen toxicity; swelling of lenses in the eye, causing blurred vision).

Increased oxygen levels can cause a host of other problems because oxygen is extremely reactive, causing oxidation where one’s body does not want it. People often eat foods that are high in antioxidants to reduce these extra “free radicals” of oxygen. Regardless, the simple fact is that such experiments have not permitted people to live to ages remotely close to 900 years.

Environmental Changes

The world changed significantly because of the Flood. Vegetation, as well as land and sea life, were drastically reduced and made to virtually start all over again. But did this cause aging to significantly drop off?

Noah, who was already 600 years old, stepped off the ark into this new world as well. If the environment was the cause of the reduced age, why did Noah live 350 more years? Noah was the third longest-lived person recorded in the Bible (after Methuselah and Jared)! If the environmental effects were the cause, then Noah’s long life does not make sense — unless these environmental effects were more gradual. This is not to say that environmental changes had no impact, but those effects were not the primary cause of life spans dropping about nine times.

Genetics

Genetics were likely the primary culprit. Dr. David Menton and Dr. Georgia Purdom look specifically at genetics and resulting functions of anatomical features with regard to aging in “Did People Like Adam and Noah Really Live Over 900 Years of Age?” in The New Answers Book 2.[5]

Readers need to keep in mind that there were two major genetic bottlenecks:

• At the Flood

• At the Tower of Babel

Flood Bottleneck

Genetic bottlenecks cause a significant loss of access to other people’s versions of genes (called alleles) — they are essentially lost. The obvious loss of pre-Flood people reduced the alleles in the gene pool in humanity to only eight people, but really only six. Scripture reveals that Noah and his wife had no more sons after the Flood (Genesis 10). So, this leaves Shem, Ham, and Japheth and their wives, and, of course, these three men each inherited their genes from the same two parents.

So, early generations after the Flood, like early generations after the Garden of Eden, saw marriages between people who were close relatives. Of course, such close intermarriage was not forbidden until the time of Moses (Leviticus 18). Regardless, this bottleneck saw the loss of genetic information from the gene pool of those who died in the Flood.

Tower Bottleneck

Looking at the ages of people born after the Flood, the ages experience a sudden drop but are stabilized at about 450 years or so:

1

Arphaxad

438

Genesis 11:12–13

2

Shelah

433

Genesis 11:14–15

3

Eber

464

Genesis 11:16–17

So the ages seem to drop significantly where Shem, who was born prior to the Flood, lived to 600. After the Tower, ages suddenly drop from about 450 years to about 235 years or so for three generations:

1

Peleg

239

Genesis 11:18–19

2

Reu

239

Genesis 11:20–21

3

Serug

230

Genesis 11:22–23

Even two generations after this, Terah lived to only 205. But age limits trickle down from there.

So the Flood and the Tower bottlenecks did something significant to cause ages to drop. In both cases, there is a loss or splitting up of the gene pool.

Another Factor That Affects Us: Mutations!

Consider also how mutations can affect age with an extreme example. Imagine waking up every morning having aged five days while you slept. In about 13 years, you would come to the end of your life. There is a children’s disease with similar effects, called Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS).

HGPS, commonly called “progeria,” causes premature aging in children, affecting only about one in six million children. It causes skin to age, heads to go bald at a very early age (prekindergarten), bones to develop problems usually associated with the elderly, and growth to be stunted (about half to two-thirds of normal height for their age). Body parts, including organs, age rapidly, causing death at the average age of 13 years.[6]

A single point mutation in the DNA causes progeria — just one flaw.[7] This defect is a sobering reminder about the importance of the amazing ability of the human DNA strand to reproduce itself virtually error-free.

Our DNA has a total of three billion base pairs, or “letters,” designed by God to build an entire human body. The DNA contains genes, which in turn are made up of an almost infinitely varied sequence of four molecules — cytosine (C), thymine (T), guanine (G) and adenine (A). Genes code for particular proteins such as keratin, which comprises hair, or the amylase enzyme in saliva that digests starch. A typical gene has a total of a thousand or more of the four “letters”: C, T, G, and A.

Fancy language aside, according to the head of the National Human Genome Research Institute (USA), a single misplaced “letter” on the gene, which is known as Lamin A, or LMNA, causes progeria.[8] A letter “T” has replaced a “C.” In other words, the substitution of one thymine with one cytosine in one specific gene results in a horrible disease that prematurely ages children. This single mistake indicates how finely tuned the DNA really is.

Our new understanding of progeria lends major support to the belief that there is a genetic link to aging. Early patriarchs in the Bible lived well beyond what would be considered normal today. Many of them lived over 900 years. Then, in the years following Noah, the ages gradually fell. If one genetic mismatch can cut life short by a factor of 5–10 times, then could another defective gene be the culprit that shortened our average age from 900 years to the present 80 years or so (a factor of 11 times)?[9]

This terrible disease, which causes children to suffer and drastically shortens their life spans, reminds us of the Curse that we all struggle with in today’s world — the Curse of death and decay because of mankind’s sin. Progeria, an obvious result of the Curse, might also shed light on understanding the long life spans of the patriarchs.

With these bottlenecks and mutational problems expounding, a host of alleles would have been filtered out and lost. For example, immune systems may not be as good, resulting in more infectious disease. But these are the types of factors that are likely the prime culprit in reduction of age.

Shem: An Intriguing Clue

Another interesting clue comes from Shem. The bottleneck at the Flood would not have affected Noah, as his genetics were not bound by that event. He lived 350 years after the Flood and died at 950 years old.

Ham and Japheth’s ages are not recorded in Scripture. But Shem was 600 years old when he died. Either of the above bottlenecks, the Flood or the Tower, would not have affected Shem’s longevity.

And yet, Shem’s age was significantly reduced from his father’s. The Bible does not record the cause of death, so it is possible that something caused a premature death. However, it seems likely that he died of old age. This is a clue that there may have been a genetic problem that passed through Noah to Shem (and perhaps Ham and Japheth, too) to trigger a drop in ages.

Lamech, Noah’s father, only lived to 777. In the reality of his day, he was young pup! Methuselah, Lamech’s father, lived nearly 200 years longer than Lamech. Therefore, it is possible that there was a genetic mistake hidden within Lamech that occurred between Methuselah and his son Lamech.

If this defective gene had been passed to Noah from Lamech, and yet was masked by a good gene from Noah’s mother, it may not have affected him, and, hence, he still lived to a ripe old age of 950 years. But Noah could still pass this defect along to his sons, such as Shem, who lived 600 years. But why couldn’t a good gene from Noah’s mother have masked this . . . unless she too had this defective gene?

Was Mrs. Noah also a descendant of Lamech or Methuselah? To find a godly wife, Noah may have looked to his own family line, like many patriarchs (such as Jacob or Isaac) in the Old Testament did.[10] It was not wrong to marry a close relative until the time of Moses (Leviticus 18). Abraham even married his half-sister Sarah.

After the Flood in Genesis 9 (prior to the assembly at Babel, while Noah and his descendants were still living in tents west from Shinar), righteous Noah became rather drunk — so drunk, in fact, that he lay naked in his tent and failed to recognize that his son Ham had gazed into the tent and observed him, and then proceeded to spread the word about his father (Genesis 9:21–22[11]).

So it was Shem and Japheth’s responsibility to walk in backward, not looking at their father’s nakedness, and lay a covering over him (Genesis 9:23[12]). Why was it their responsibility to cover Noah? Where was Noah’s wife? According to Archbishop Ussher, the events at Babel occurred about 106 years after the Flood (according to the Bible, about 3–4 generations had been born, so this makes sense.)[13]

Thus, Ham’s viewing his father’s nakedness occurred before Babel, but within enough time for Canaan to be born (Ham’s youngest) and be cursed by Noah when he awoke.[14]

If this is the case, then Noah and Mrs. Noah could have had defective genes that were passed to their sons. This may explain why Shem only lived 600 years, why Noah’s wife is missing in Genesis 9, and why ages began dropping. Further, this explains one aspect of how this could have coupled in subsequent generations to drop the ages even more. But, of course, this is biblical speculation and not to be taken dogmatically.

Common Denominator of All People Today

All people today go back to Noah and his wife (Mrs. Noah). So the genetics of reduced age had to come through them. Consider the name of Noah and the prophecy associated with it:

And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed” (Genesis 5:29).

Noah’s name literally means “rest.” This verse is obviously looking back to Genesis 3:17–19, where the “ground was cursed” due to sin (“by the sweat of your brow” and “through painful toil will you work” the ground).

How can we have rest or comfort in this? By either finding better ways of doing the work . . . or by not doing it for as long. Commentators have suggested many ideas on how we can have comfort according to this passage, such as Noah comforting us in being a type of Christ with the ark. Others have pointed out that this relates to the post-Flood statement by God that He would no longer curse the ground for man’s sake, among other comments by both God and commentators.

Some have said that this was the advent of farming; however, Adam worked the ground (Genesis 3:23[15]) and so did Cain (Genesis 4:2–3[16]). So this is very likely not the best interpretation. Consider this verse:

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them” (Revelation 14:13).

Revelation 14:13 lends support to the idea that rest or comfort from work and labor means that one has died. Let’s face it: the people after Noah did not work for 900 years, but far less than that by the sheer fact that they did not live as long.

Could Genesis 5:29[17] mean that through Noah people would not live as long and therefore have rest concerning their work and toil? It is possible. An entire book could likely be written on the subject, but this chapter should help readers to think about the ages in more detail.

1. Genesis 1:31: Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

2. Deuteronomy 32:4: He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.

3. Genesis 9:3: “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.”

4. Genesis 1:29: And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.

5. David Menton and Georgia Purdom, “Did People Like Adam and Noah Really Live Over 900 Years of Age?” in The New Answers Book 2, Ken Ham, gen. ed. (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2008), available online at http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab2/adam-and-noah-live.

6. “Tiny Defect Behind Rapid-aging Disease,” Seattle Pi, www.seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/117861_medi17.html.

7. “Researchers Identify Gene for Premature Aging Disorder,” National Institutes of Health, www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2003/nhgri-16.htm; M. Eriksson et al., “Recurrent de novo point mutations in lamin A cause Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome,” Nature 423, no. 6937 (2003): 293–298.

8. Paul Recer, “Gene Found for Aging Disease in Children,” Associated Press, September 4, 2003, www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/politics/5649319.htm.

9. Ham, The New Answers Book 2, p. 159–168.

10. The Jews believed that Noah’s wife was Naamah, whose genealogy was given through Cain before the Flood. And this is a possibility. In some histories of various peoples, other names were given for the wife of Noah. The Book of Jubilees list it as Emzara which is similar to the Persian claim Amzurah; Maio (Chinese) had Gaw Bo-lu-en; and there are many more. But like many names upon the dispersion, it is possible that her name was also corrupted or had many forms.

11. Genesis 9:21–22: Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.

12. Genesis 9:23: But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.

13. James Ussher, The Annals of the World, trans. Larry and Marion Pierce (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2003), p. 22.

14. Noah cursed the youngest son of Ham, whose behaviors may have been similar to Ham’s. Noah knew better than to curse Ham, whom God had blessed (Genesis 9:1).

15. Genesis 3:23: Therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.

16. Genesis 4:2–3: Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.

17. Genesis 5:29: And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed.”

CHAPTER 23

What About Ancestor Worship?

When looking at cultures all over the world in times past (and in some cases present), there are many common elements in their belief systems. One of the most glaring is the fact that many of these religious systems incorporated ancestor worship.

In Japan, the old common religion was Shinto. Shinto has ancestor worship. In ancient Greece, there was ancestor worship, and many of these ancestors were “immortals” or “gods” by the people’s reckoning. If one turns to ancient Egypt, there was ancestor worship and even in Norse and Germanic religious thought. The list goes on: from China, to India, to ancient Arabia, to the Americas, and to the Celts. Even many pagan tribes around the world still practice ancestor worship. Does the Tower of Babel and events surrounding it account for this?

Ancestor Worship Prior to Babel?

Some have thought that the ancestor worship seen in many cultures was due to ancestor worship prior to Babel. It has been suggested that after the splitting of languages, the various people groups took their variant forms of ancestor worship to different parts of the world. Indeed, this would explain such things, but it is actually likely that ancestor worship was not happening prior to Babel.

Noah and his sons were still alive, according to the genealogies, and people had just recently migrated from Noah’s farm to settle in Shinar and specifically in Babel. In other words, people grew up in the household presence of Noah, a preacher, and his sons. Even Canaan had access to Noah and his teachings (Genesis 9) for some time prior to moving to Babel.

Considering that the people knew God’s command to fill the earth and tried to defy it (Genesis 11:4), and that some people who left Babel did retain a godly heritage in order to pass this heritage along to people (like Abraham, Melchizedek, Abimelech, and Lot), it makes more sense that ancestor worship likely developed after the events at Babel. This author would leave open that the seeds of such a belief may indeed have been at Babel, but they had seen little if any fruition.

Did Ancestor Worship Transfer Between Nations?

Is it possible that one nation began practicing ancestor worship and it spread to other nations? This too is possible. For example, if one nation, like Greece, first developed ancestor worship in rebellion against God, then through trade, wars, and education, such practices could transfer globally over time.

This would also help explain why there are certain overlapping deities between some ancestor-worshiping religions like Egypt, Roman, and Greek mythologies (e.g., Jupiter [Rome] = Saturn [Greece]). However, this does not make as much sense when viewing Norse, Germanic, or Japanese ancestor-worship practices, which have little in common with Mediterranean ones. So transfer between nations may not be the best explanation, though some nations that were closer geographically as well as being down through a particular lineage surely transferred some practices.

Another famous example of transfer is Baal worship. It was spread from the pagan Canaanites to the Israelites, and rather often. The origin of Baal was that a person was raised up to a god-like status and falsely worshiped. His own people knew him as Belus, Bel, or Baal. So who was Belus? His other name was Nimrod, son of Cush, son of Ham, son of Noah. It was Nimrod’s descendants who elevated, or at least continued to elevate him, to a god-like status. It may have been Nimrod himself who forced people to worship him as a “god.”[1]

In sum, there likely was transference of some pagan deities, but they were not gods at all. They were still people who were worshiped as “gods.” But again, this does not explain why cultures all over had ancestor worship, but not all of them had Baal or the same “deities.” It is just those cultures somewhat near each other that share similar deities and practices.

Was Ancestor Worship Due to Demi-gods or Aliens?

A common belief among many pagans and some of the Jews just before the time of Christ was that “demi-gods” existed. Now they were not to be confused with God by any means, nor did the Jews who believed in demi-gods use the term “God.” What it was in their view was that fallen, ungodly angels and women married and produced these evil superhuman demi-gods called nephilim, who were naturally giant in size. This view has had a resurgence in recent times among Christians, and though I love and respect these Christians, this author must respectfully disagree.[2] It is important to note that Answers in Genesis does not take an official ministry position in the debate over who or what the nephilim were, outside of rejection of the now oft-repeated “alien view.”

This Jewish thought was likely due to Jews having been influenced by the pagan cultures, and this was their response (recall how often they fell into practicing Baal worship, who, as pointed out above, was Belus or otherwise Nimrod). It was extremely common for nations to adopt the beliefs of the conquering nations or people assimilating with them. After Judah and Israel were conquered by nations like Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece, their paganism started to permeate the culture.

In one manner of reflection, there is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (done about 200–250 B.C.), which in two codices translates the word sons as “angels,” as witnessed by copies of the LXX (Septuagint) in reference to marriages before the Flood in Genesis 6. After Jerome translated the Hebrew to Latin (~A.D. 400) and corrected this mistake (saying sons of God, as opposed to angels of God) in Genesis 6:2,[3] few Christians held to the fallen angel view until recent times, when a resurgence of some Judaistic traditions such as this happened among some Christians.[4]

“Sons of God” always referred to the godly in Scripture; and outside of a poetic use of “sons of God” in Job 38 as angels, it typically meant godly men (Job 1 and 2 mention it, but commentators have disputed if this was men or angels). One should be careful about using poetic language to interpret literal history. Really, it should be the other way around.

Outside of Christ, who is the only begotten Son of God, the first recorded person with the title “son of God” was Adam (Luke 3:38[5]). In following this, Seth was also after Adam’s image and with his son Enosh, men “began to call upon the name of the LORD” (Genesis 4:26,[6] 5:6[7]), and so begins a list of sons in Genesis 5:1–32, which is immediately before the sentence referring to the “sons of God.” Context should not be neglected. Readers must beware of such pagan mythology, which was creeping into the Jewish thinking (Titus 1:14[8]). Though some may disagree here, this author does wish to encourage people to understand this iron-sharpening-iron debate among Christians in more detail. There are many resources to read, but two good places to start are The Fall of Satan and The Genesis Record,[9] both of which differ in opinion.[10]

At any rate, the Jews were not the only ones to have demi-gods, as they are found in various cultures, not just in the Ancient Near East. But some have used these alleged demi-gods to suggest ancestor worship in a variety of forms because of their alleged super-human abilities. However, these are simply mythological aspects tagged to a real person.

In modern terminology, many pagans today believe in alien life on other planets. Many of these pagans see these alleged beings as demi-gods or far more advanced than humans are on an evolutionary scale. Some have recently appealed to aliens as those who sparked ancestor worship, and even that they were responsible for mating with human women and producing these alleged demi-gods.

But there are problems with these views, outside of the issue that there is no basis for either in Scripture (demi-gods or aliens). Many cultures that have ancestor worship had no concept of demi-gods, but the ones who they worshiped with a god-like status were literally their ancestors.

The Best Answer

The styles of such ancestor worship greatly varied: some cultures had demi-gods, while others did not. A few of these “gods” or “immortals” were crossovers with other cultures, while others had no crossover. But one thing these religions often had in common was that they were worshiping, simply put, ancestors.

Furthermore in many of the details, these “gods” were immortal, but they still died and still did many human things (wars, marriage, journeys, and so on). But what distinguished them from being mortal and taking the class of immortal? It was usually their age. They outlived everyone else.

In some cases, a god would marry a mortal lady. The mortal wife would die much sooner, and sometimes this immortal could marry several different mortals, one after the other when one died. Now consider once more the tables of the overlapping ages of the patriarchs. This can be found in the chart “Years after Creation,” which can be found in chapter 21.

There was a trend post-Flood where ancestors were outliving their descendants. Such things occurred until the times nearing Moses. Even Moses lived 120 years and Joshua was 110 years. But Abraham, who lived 175 years, by the world’s ancestor-worship standard would no doubt have been classed a “god.” Now Abraham was not a god, nor is anyone else; for there is only one God. But after Abraham’s wife, Sarah, died, Abraham later married Keturah and had many sons.

Consider how people look at their ancestors when a great-great-great grandfather outlives his descendants. It is not too difficult to see how people would start elevating their ancestors to a status of “immortal.” They still died; they just outlived everyone else. But the people elevated them to a god-like status. Around the time of the judges in Scripture, we start to see more even ages and so the idea of immortals would pass into myths and legends in other cultures.

In Greek mythology, for example, there was essentially the Age of the Gods, which was followed by an Age of Gods and Mortals that was then followed with the Heroic Age (this for the most part marked the end of immortals). Interestingly, in Greek mythology, after the destruction of Troy (which was 1184 B.C., or about 2,820 years from creation by Ussher’s calculations), the gods or immortals were no longer born to men. This was the end of the Heroic Age. This also happens to be about the time of the judges in the Bible, when the ages have leveled out.

This option gives a more widespread understanding of how cultures developed their own unique ancestors to worship, but also leaves open the option that some of these ancestors are ancestors to more than one group, hence commonalties among some of the gods.

A Few Connections

One of Greek gods, for example, is Mercury. Historian James Anderson points out that this was but another name for Ashkenaz, as the Greeks called him.[11] He was one of Noah’s great-grandsons, and he was seen as an interpreter. There is Cronus, who is Kittim or Cethimus, Noah’s great grandson. In some cases the attributes associated with Cronus was equated with other persons in the Table of Nation as opposed to just Kittim. Tiwaz or Tiras is among the oldest alleged gods in Germanic and Norse mythologies. Some claim he was the progenitor of other gods. Tiras, if one looks closely at the Table of Nations, is Noah’s grandson. He was the father of Thracians and other groups who migrated to central and northern Europe and mixed with the Germanic. Our modern name for Tuesday was named for Tiras/Tiwaz (think “Tiwazday” or Tuesday).

Some alleged gods go back to corruptions of Adam and Eve and pre-Flood people (including Noah). Others are found in the Table of Nations and still others are post-Babel and specific to specific people, as in the case of Oden, who is found in the genealogies of most Northern European royal houses. Wednesday is named for Oden (Woden). Think Woden’s Day or Wednesday. Thursday was named for Thor, the father of Oden in genealogies.[12] Friday was named for Frigg, Oden’s wife.

These names often became disassociated and ended up in multiple stories or confused with other accounts of other persons like Adam and Eve, Noah, or even God. This is why Oden was sometimes the son of Thor and other times Thor was the son of Oden in the myths. Oden for example was sometimes the creator and other times created.

Samson-Hercules Connection

In some cases, there was transference that has been made obvious by commentators and researchers. The most glaring example of this is the Greek account of Samson. The mythos of Hercules parallels the life of Samson, a heroic judge who lived before the Kings of Israel. Biblical commentator Adam Clarke researched the subject of Hercules and the connection to Samson. He wrote in summary of extended comments:

The conformity between these adventures of Samson and Hercules is self-evident, and proves beyond a doubt that the fable of the one was composed from the history of the other. The remark of Herodotus respecting the impossibility of this last adventure, according to the Greek tradition, and the folly of attributing it to the Egyptians, serves to confirm the truth of its having been borrowed, and of its being but a disfigured copy, whose original must be sought for elsewhere.

In fact, it appears that Samson, judge of the Israelites, particularly mentioned in the book of Judges, and by Josephus, Ant. lib. v., c. 10, is the original and essential Hercules of fable; and although the poets have united some particulars drawn from Moses and Joshua, and have added their own inventions, yet the most capital and considerable belong to Samson, and are distinguished by characteristics so peculiar to him, as render him easily discernible throughout the whole.[13]

One might argue that the Greeks had little connection with the history of the Judges of Israel. But this may not be accurate at all. Consider Solomon. He was a king whose wisdom to guide the people of God was unsurpassed.[14] In fact, his fame spread around the world, even to distant lands where people near and far came to hear Solomon’s wisdom.

Wisdom comes from God, so Solomon’s discussions were surely heavily reliant upon Scripture. Many accounts of Samson and others were likely directly passed from the lips of Solomon and other Israelites to many cultures. In the case of the Greeks, their natural sinful ability to embellish the account to a myth-like status quickly is not a surprise.

Furthermore, there was a real person named Hercules found in Greek genealogies who was a Greek king ruling over Lydians in Asia Minor. His wife’s name was Dejanira. He died 11 years before the Fall of Troy, which was during the time of the Judges. This was during the Heroic Age of the Greeks when the last few people who were seen as gods were still living.[15] So this transference was applied to an ancestor who was elevated to a god-like status.

Confucius was a well-known person of antiquity who was later elevated to a god-like status. Oden, Jupiter, Thor, Cronus, Poseidon, and many others were simply people who were elevated to a god-like status as well. Many of their names as accounts can be found in genealogies of kings and other prominent peoples.

In many cases, these names were reused of other peoples down through the ages, like Hercules. The name Jupiter was often applied to a ruler. But this should be a taste of how deification was applied as people began walking away from the Creator God. They began elevating others, like their ancestors who did something great or outlived everyone, to a distinguished status, that of an immortal or a “god.”

They are not gods at all, but merely men, mortals who also died in the need of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Entire books could be written on the connections of ancient immortals, gods, and deities around the globe and how they connect to real people or even God, but have simply been embellished, or in the case of the true God, demoted over time in their stories.

Listing of a few so-called “gods” and who they really were before being deified by later peoples

Descendant of Noah

Roman name

Greek name

Germanic/Norse

Canaanite/Babylonia

1

Naphtuhim (Naphtuhites)

Neptune

Poseidon

2

Javan

Jupiter (Jove pater or Jove father)

Father Jove

3

Ashkenaz (Tuisto)

Mercury

Hermes

Tuisto or Tuisco

4

Tiras

Mars

Ares

Tiwas

5

Kittem (Cethimus)

Chronos

6

Oden (Woden, a later king of much of northern Europe)

Oden

7

Tror (Thor, a later king of Thrace)

Thor

8

Baeldaeg (son of Oden the king)

Baldr

9

Samson

Hercules

10

Nimrod

Belus or Baal

1. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 4.

2. Bodie Hodge, The Fall of Satan (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2011), p. 147–164.

3. Genesis 6:2: . . . that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.

4. This author prefers not to get into the details of these particular points as it pertains to areas that Answers in Genesis prefers to leave denominations to battle.

5. Luke 3:38: . . . the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

6. Genesis 4:26: And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.

7. Genesis 5:6: Seth lived one hundred and five years, and begot Enosh.

8. Titus 1:14: . . . not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.

9. Hodge, The Fall of Satan, p. 147–164; Henry Morris, The Genesis Record (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1976), p. 163–178.

10. It is this author’s hope to finish an extensive treatise on this subject, which is underway, in the near future.

11. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 442.

12. Snorri Sturluson, “Prologue,” Prose Edda, http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/pre03.htm.

13. Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible, notes on Judges 16:31, http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/cmt/clarke/jdg016.htm.

14. Solomon’s wisdom was not universal, but what he asked for was wisdom to guide the people of God, not necessarily wisdom in love and following God, which is where he fell short.

15. Anderson, Royal Genealogies, p. 217, 320.

CHAPTER 24

Are There Any Extra-Biblical Accounts of a Language Split?

For those who have studied the Flood and creation, there are legends of these events found in cultures all over the globe. In fact, several hundred have been documented, and both Christians and non-Christians have written books on the subject.[1]

This is to be expected. People who left Babel were not ignorant of their past. They were well aware of creation and the Flood, having had a common grandfather (Noah) who was a preacher (2 Peter 2:5[2]). Furthermore, Noah and Shem lived 350 and 500 years after the Flood, giving the people ample time to learn even more details. In fact, they may well have known some details that were not revealed to us by God in Scripture.

But with this in mind, as the events at Babel unfolded and people were scattered to various parts of the world, it is reasonable to expect them to take their history with them and pass it along to subsequent generations. It is also reasonable to expect that these accounts would be embellished, lose information, or otherwise be changed or aspects forgotten.

Of course, it is by the Bible, through the Holy Spirit, that the truth about creation and the Flood is revealed. And in looking at these accounts, there are similarities and deviations. The Babylonian account in the ancient Epic of Gilgamesh has a cube for an ark instead of proper ocean-surviving dimensions as the biblical ark has (300 by 50 by 30 cubits). It is hard to believe that people today actually think the Bible borrowed from these skewed accounts. When the details are analyzed, there is no question as to which one preserves the truth.[3]

With all this in mind, readers should also expect some accounts of a language split or a population scattering event in legends from around the world. Of course, the Bible records the true events.

And believe it or not . . . there are quite a few! Author Pam Sheppard accumulated some of these legends in Answers magazine.[4] A reproduction of the map used by Sheppard to visualize the locations of the legends she documented is below:

Such accounts abound around the world. Greek writer Plato in his book Critias wrote:

In the days of old the gods had the whole earth distributed among them by allotment. There was no quarrelling; for you cannot rightly suppose that the gods did not know what was proper for each of them to have, or, knowing this, that they would seek to procure for themselves by contention that which more properly belonged to others. They all of them by just apportionment obtained what they wanted and people to their own districts . . . Now different gods had their allotments in different places which they set in order.[5]

The Incas in South America also had a legend:

In the story of the creator god Virachocha, he created the second race of human beings from clay — the earth. Having painted his creations with distinctive clothes and given them different languages and customs that would distinguish them, he breathed life into them and caused them to descend into the earth and disperse.[6]

A chart of some languages, or people groups splitting from around the globe is in the following table.

There are many other examples, but those in the table should be sufficient to show that there are legends of Genesis 11:1–9 found throughout the world. This is expected, and deviations in their descriptions of the events are common. Such finds are a great confirmation of the truthfulness of Scripture.

Tower of Babel and Language Division Legends

Who

Where

Quote

1

Aztec

Central America

“Humanity was wiped out by a flood, but one man Coxcoxtli and one woman Xochiquetzal escaped in a boat, and reached a mountain called Colhuacan. They had many children, who were dumb until the time when a dove on top of a tree made them the gift of languages; but these differed so much that the children could not understand each other.” Authority: Sheppard^1

2

Maidu Natives

Western North America

“Suddenly in the night everybody began to speak in a different tongue except that each husband and wife talked the same language. . . . Then he called each tribe by name, and sent them off in different directions, telling them where they were to dwell.” Authority: Sheppard

3

Quiches

Central America

“When the tribes multiplied and left their old home to a place called Tulan. Here the language changed, and the people sought new homes in various parts of the world as a result of not being able to understand each other.” Authority: Sheppard

4

Wa-Sania

East Africa

“That of old all the tribes of the earth knew only one language, but that during a severe famine the people went mad and wandered in all directions, jabbering strange words, and so the different languages arose.” Authority: Sheppard

5

Mikir

Northeastern India

“Higher and higher rose the building, till at last the gods and demons feared lest these giants should become the masters of heaven, as they already were of earth. So they confounded their speech, and scattered them to the four corners of the world. Hence arose all the various tongues of mankind.” Authority: Sheppard

6

Greece

Southern Europe

“For many ages men lived at peace, without cities and without laws, speaking one language, and ruled by Zeus alone. . . . At last Hermes introduced diversities of speech and divided mankind into separate nations.” Authority: Sheppard

7

Polynesia

Pacific Island of Hao

“They made an attempt to erect a building by which they could reach the sky, and see the creator god Vatea [Atea]; but the god in anger chased the builders away, broke down the building, and changed their language, so that they spoke diverse tongues.” Authority: Sheppard

8

Sumerians

Middle East

“In those days . . . the whole universe, the people in unison . . . Enki, the Lord of abundance. . . . Changed the speech in their mouths, and [brought?] contention into it, Into the speech of man that [until then] had been one.” Authority: Sheppard

9

Gaikho

Southeast Asia

“In the days of Pan-dan-man, the people determined to build a pagoda that should reach up to heaven. . . . When the pagoda was half way up to heaven, God came down and confounded the language of the people, so that they could not understand each other. Then the people scattered, and Than-mau-rai, the father of the Gaikho tribe, came west, with eight chiefs, and settled in the valley of the Sitang.” Authority: Sheppard

10

Greece

Southern Europe

“In the days of old the gods had the whole earth distributed among them by allotment. There was no quarrelling; for you cannot rightly suppose that the gods did not know what was proper for each of them to have, or, knowing this, that they would seek to procure for themselves by contention that which more properly belonged to others. They all of them by just apportionment obtained what they wanted and people to their own districts. . . . Now different gods had their allotments in different places which they set in order.”2

11

Inca

Western South America

“In the story of the creator god Virachocha, he created the second race of human beings from clay — the earth. Having painted his creations with distinctive clothes and given them different languages and customs that would distinguish them, he breathed life into them and caused them to descend into the earth and disperse.”3

12

Gherko Karens (Burma)

South East Asia

“. . . in which the people decided to build a pogado that would reach to heaven. Their god, in his wrath, came down, confused their languages, and scattered the people about the earth.” Authority: Martin^4

13

Wangongo (Congo)

Central Africa

“. . . it is said that the Wongongo wanted to see what the moon was, and so fastened one pole to another, until everyone in the village was climbing the poles. With that much weight, it is said that the tower suddenly collapsed and ‘since that time no one has tried to find out what the moon is.’ ” Authority: Martin

14

Mexico

Central America

“. . . they built a tower out of clay . . .” to reach to heaven when God became angry and scattered them. Authority: Martin

15

India

Southeast Asia

“In India, a Hindu legend tells of a group of demons that attempted to build an altar that would reach the sky, but whose completion was thwarted by Indra, the sky-god.” Authority: Martin

16

Ba-Luyi

Southern Africa

“. . . tells of a great tower made of ‘masts’ that, because of its instability, falls down and kills all who are involved in the project. The purpose of the tower is to reach the sun-god Nayambe, though it is not Nyambe who punishes them. The destruction of their tower arises, instead, from the natural consequences of their actions.” Authority: Martin

17

Greece

Southern Europe

“. . . tell that the god Hermes separated mankind into different nations and introduced different types of speech.” Authority: Martin

18

Kachcha Nagas (Assam)

Southeast Asia

“. . . told of a story in which a band of warriors, attacking a python, suddenly found themselves to be speaking different languages. ‘The men of the same speech,’ it says, ‘now drew apart from the rest and formed a separate band.’ ” Authority: Martin

19

Winnebago Natives

Midwestern North America

“Earthmaker then sent the man into the world. When he came to the very center, there he split and was dispersed. And thus all the different peoples and all the languages came into existence.” Authority: Leach^5

20

Mundurucú Natives

Central South America

“. . . the place that where Karusakaibö stamped his foot is in the village of Necodemos. There the people climbed up a rope from the underworld, and the Mundurucú Indians are the ones whom Karusakaibö tattooed to look like himself. The rest, some white, some black ran off in different directions.” Authority: Leach

21

Ona Natives

Southern South America

“Kenos was the first man, sent into the world by Temaukl’ to put things in order. So Kenos created the plants and animals and gave the Ona their own land. K’aux came after him; he was the mythical hero who divided the land into 39 hunting sections and assigned each Ona family one of them.” Authority: Leach

22

Mesopotamia (Epic of Gilgamesh)

Middle East

The building of this temple offended the gods. In a night they threw down what had been built. They scattered them abroad, and made strange their speech. The progress they impeded. 6

23

Maio

East Asia

Lo-han then begat Cusah and Mesay.

Lo-shan begat Elan and Nga-shur.

Their offspring begotten became tribes and peoples;

Their descendants established encampments and cities.

Their singing was all with the same tunes and music;

Their speaking was all with the same words and language.

Then they said let us build us a very big city;

Let us raise unto heaven a very high tower.

This was wrong, but they reached this decision;

Not right, but they rashly persisted.

God struck at them then, changed their language and accent.

Descending in wrath, He confused tones and voices.

One’s speech to the others who hear him has no meaning;

He’s speaking in words, but they can’t understand him.7

Footnotes to Table

1. Sheppard, “Tongue Twisting Tales,” http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v3/n2/tongue-twisting-tales.

2. Plato, Critias, p. 479.

3. Jones, The Lost History of the Incas, p. 198.

4. Martin, Flood Legends, p. 28–31.

5. Leach, The Beginning, p. 81, 124, 131, and 237.

6. George Smith, Chaldean Account of Genesis, 1880, as quoted in Stephen L. Caiger, Bible and Spade — An Introduction to Biblical Archaeology (London, England: Oxford University, 1946), p. 29.

7. Truax, “Genesis According to the Miao People,” http://www.icr.org/article/341/289/.

1. For further information, see Maria Leach, The Beginning: Creation Myths Around the World (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1956), and Charles Martin, Flood Legends: Global Clues of a Common Event (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2009).

2. 2 Peter 2:5: . . . and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.

3. Steve Ham, “Is Genesis a Derivation from Ancient Myths?” in Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge, gen. eds., How Do We Know the Bible Is True? Vol. 1 (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2011), p. 59–68; available online at http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2011/03/29/derivation-from-ancient-myths.

4. Pam Sheppard, “Tongue-Twisting Tales,” Answers in Genesis, http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v3/n2/tongue-twisting-tales.

5. Plato, Critias, trans. Benjamin Jowett, in R.M. Hutchins, editor-in-chief, Great Books of the Western World, vol. 7 (Chicago, IL: Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 1952), p. 479.

6. David M. Jones, The Lost History of the Incas (Leicester, U.K.: Hermes House, 2007), p. 198.

CHAPTER 25

The Origin of Writing

Ask a secular scholar today when and where written languages first developed and you will likely get an answer involving Sumerian cuneiform in Sumer (in modern-day Iraq). Others may be tempted to say Egypt, whose written language is often claimed to have come about the same time. Still others might say the Phoenicians, of whom it is oft repeated that they were supposedly the first ones to develop an alphabet.

A Problem

But there is a problem. Each of these is a post-Flood civilization that emerged post-Babel. They are made up of descendants of Cush, Mizraim, and Canaan (Noah’s grandsons), respectively. So consider the immense amount of history prior to this. Before the Flood, there were about 1,656 years of history where people were speaking. Is it reasonable to assume they were not writing at all during that entire time? This is a bold assumption!

Granted, any records prior to the Flood that may have been written were surely destroyed in the devastating year-long Flood recorded in Genesis 6–8. That is, of course, unless some documents were carried through the Flood aboard the ark. It is highly likely that Noah and his family took some sort of recorded information aboard the ark.

As well, it would be difficult to believe that God, who places such an emphasis on His written Word (e.g., Mark 12:26[1]) as well as the Living Word (e.g., John 1:14[2]), would be so negligent as to forget such things as the creation of writing to those who are made in the image of God (Genesis 9:6[3]). Far be it indeed. On the secular side, I understand that there are those who are willing to forget that God is the Creator and who suppress that knowledge (Romans 1). But, sadly, even within the Church there are those dissenters who agree with the secular world that writing was not invented until after the Flood by these early cultures. However, they should have no excuse.

The Solution

In just the fifth chapter of Genesis, the answer presents itself:

This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God (Genesis 5:1).

Even Adam, the first man, could write, and we have a portion of what he wrote being edited by Moses into the Pentateuch, specifically the Book of Genesis.[4] This is what is expected from the God who calls Himself the Word (John 1:1–3[5]) and vigorously uses the written Word of God as the authority (e.g., Matthew 4:4,[6] 7,[7] 10[8]). People made in His image should be able to not only speak words but also to write them down in a coherent language format.

The Implication

The implication of this is that Adam’s descendants also had the ability to write, unless they individually failed to learn to read and write, which is reasonable to expect in some cases in a sin-cursed and broken world. There is such illiteracy in today’s still sin-cursed world.

But language began at the beginning when God programmed into Adam and Eve the ability to speak and communicate with Him and each other, right from the start. They were programmed with perfect knowledge, not to be confused with infinite knowledge, but essentially what was sufficient per God at creation. Man may never know the extent of the knowledge this side of heaven, but what is known is that mankind was able to communicate with a language and, furthermore, that they were able to write it down as a record just as Adam did (as was revealed to us through the Holy Spirit by Moses in Genesis 5:1[9]).

Post-Flood Languages

It makes sense that the languages that came out of Babel also could be written down, since they too are from the mind of God. It makes the most sense that as people traveled to various parts of the world, many peoples and tribes lost the ability to write and merely retained the ability to speak. There are examples of this throughout history, where it was often the elite in the society who were able to read and write, whereas many commoners, laborers, and slaves were without.

Some may raise the comment that it was merely the spoken language that was confused. This comes from the idea of the “lip” being confused. In Genesis 11:1, it says they had one language and one speech. The word for language is lip.

Now the whole earth had one language and one speech (Genesis 11:1).

The end result was that God confused the language:

“Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech” (Genesis 11:7).

So the confusion of the language was that people would not be able to understand what was spoken. Some have thought that this means that any written language was not confused. Basically, the argument is that the people would have spoken differently, but the way they wrote would have remained the same.

But the Bible does not say one way or another, so to conclude definitively that written languages were still the same may not be wise. Here is why. If one looks at the writing of various languages across the globe . . . the differences are great. Many do not use the same letters and symbols; some do not read in the same direction; the grammar varies; and so on. Furthermore, if the languages spoken were confused, then they would have had to translate what they were saying into the alleged common written language to be able to write it. The primary problem is that written language is a reflection of the spoken language, so the idea of a common written language being retained really falls apart.

When it comes to post-Flood languages, there is immense diversity. Some are written left to right, others are right to left, some are top down, and so on. Some are based on phonetic pronunciation while others are based on pictographs, where a symbol or picture represents words and meaning. Grammatical styles are all over the place as well. When God confused the languages at Babel, it was truly confused — even in the written form.

1. Mark 12:26: “But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?”

2. John 1:14: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

3. Genesis 9:6: “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.

4. Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge, gen. eds., How Do We Know the Bible Is True? Vol. 1, “Did Moses Write Genesis?” by Bodie Hodge and Terry Mortenson (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2011), p. 85–102.

5. John 1:1–3: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

6. Matthew 4:4: But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

7. Matthew 4:7: Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ”

8. Matthew 4:10: Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

9. Genesis 5:1: This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.

CHAPTER 26

What Was the Original Language . . . and How Was Moses Able to Read Such Texts When He Wrote Genesis?

All the Hebrew languages (Aramaic, Arabic, Hebrew, and so on) have varied from each other. Hebrew today vs. biblical Hebrew all show that Hebrew is not immune to changes down the ages. But to answer this question, let’s consider what the original language could possibly have been.

All modern languages developed from the root languages at the Tower of Babel. There has been linguistic variation within the distinct kinds of languages since Babel. In other words, all languages today are not descended from one ancestral language by natural processes but due to God’s intervention. The Bible has not given us a clear indication of what the original language (before Babel) may have been. Here are some relevant passages:

The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth (Genesis 11:5–9; NASB).

There are other passages directly related to language and these events:

Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words (Genesis 11:1; NASB).

From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to his language, according to their families, into their nations (Genesis 10:5; NASB).

So the likely possibilities are:

1. The original language could have been one of the languages that survived through the Tower of Babel.

2. The original language was preserved through Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, but not the others’ descendants.

3. The original language could have been completely lost at the Tower of Babel with new languages taking its place.

4. All the languages that came out of Babel could have been combined into one big original language, and it was divided into the sub-languages at Babel (or some of the sub-languages). Basically, everyone knew all the languages and then they were subdivided after Babel.

Since we do not have any writings from that time (pre-Babel), the original language may be difficult to ascertain. Let’s take a closer look at each of these and see their respective plausibility.

If #1 Is Correct, Was the Original Language a Semitic Language?

If one language survived, the most likely scenario would be that it was a Semitic language, since the Hebrews, who were Semites, were blessed by God. Of course, Abraham (who was blessed in Genesis 18:18[1]) — who was but one of the Hebrew speakers — was not called until long after the events at Babel.

If this were the case, there is a possibility that Noah’s descendants could easily have read previous documents passed down from patriarchs back to Adam. The presence of the 11 toledoths in Genesis, and the fact that Genesis 5:1 says, “This is the book [cepher, the normal Hebrew word for “book”] of the genealogy [toledoth] of Adam” (brackets mine) is strong evidence that when Moses compiled Genesis into its present form, he was working with existing written documents passed on from the patriarchs.[2] This is different from the JEDP hypothesis, which is largely discredited.[3]

Given the Genesis testimony to the great intelligence of pre-Flood man (e.g., Adam naming animals; Cain building a city; six generations later, man is mining, has discovered metallurgy, and invented musical instruments; Noah’s ability to build the ark), there is no reason to think that pre-Flood man could not write (Adam was created with the ability to speak, why not to write also?), but there is good reason to think that man would write (to preserve history for posterity).

The word Semitic is literally derived from Shem, one of Noah’s three sons. Semitic languages are basically languages that came out of Babel that were given to Shem’s descendants. In Genesis 10:22,[4] the Bible records the different sons of Shem as Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.

Aramaic, a Semitic language (due to it being mixed with descendants of Abraham who dominated the Middle East), may seem familiar to the astute Bible reader as, Jesus spoke it in some instances. Parts of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel in the Old Testament were also written in Aramaic. Aramaic is a Semitic language, and Semitic languages were post-Babel. So it may not be wise to assume the original language was Semitic. It would be more like “Adamic” or possibly “Noahic,” but the terminology “Semitic” would imply a post-Babel introduction of the language, although this author would not discount the possibility entirely.

Another popular view is Edenics. Edenics is the proposition that Hebrew is the original language prior to the Tower of Babel — perhaps as far back as the Garden of Eden. This view has been proposed in the past (e.g., Henry Morris suspected this but was hesitant to fully espouse it),[5] but the leading proponent of the view is Isaac Mozeson. He wrote a book called The Word: The Dictionary That Reveals the Hebrew Source of English, published in 1989.[6]

The book draws relationships to English words (as well as Arabic and other Indo-European languages) that have a Hebrew root in sound. Then Mozeson uses this as evidence for his claim that the original language prior to Babel was Hebrew. Yet he is comparing this to biblical Hebrew, which goes back to about the time of Nehemiah and Ezra. The Hebrew that is currently spoken was more or less finalized by Ezra the priest and scribe around 400–500 B.C. and used in the Masoretic Text that was passed along for many years. From a big picture standpoint, the argument is that some word similarities in various languages resemble Hebrew, so that means the original language was a form of Hebrew or proto-Semitic. But this is fallacious.

However, it is unlikely that anyone would deny the influence of many words from other language roots, whether Semitic or otherwise. English, by and large, has been influenced by various languages and root languages. But it is a major leap to make the claim that, since some words have a relationship, Hebrew was the original language. One can find words in English from a host of other languages, too (Greek, Latin, and so on), but does that mean those languages were the original, pre-Babel language? Not at all.

A theological problem also arises if the Babel confusion did not change the sounds of words but only the spelling. God said He “confused” the language (literally “lip” or “speech”) of the whole world (Genesis 11:9[7]). This indicates that the sounds changed; however, there may very well have been many words that were still the same, since Genesis 11:1 makes the point that language and words were distinct. Yet what was confused was the language, or the way it was spoken, not necessarily all of the words. Many of these words could have been carried over to many different languages, hence the similarities between some words.

Mozeson takes as a presupposition that Hebrew was the root language to all other languages and proceeds to try to defend that view. He says, “Yes, I began from the Biblical given that Hebrew is the Mother tongue (Genesis, chapter 11).”[8]

However, nowhere in Genesis 11 is Hebrew stated to be the “mother tongue,” so Mozeson’s presupposition is lacking at a foundational level. In fact, the first mention of Hebrew in the Bible is with Abram (Genesis 14:13[9]). But it does not refer to language — instead, it says that Abram was a Hebrew (descendant of Eber). In fact, every mention of Hebrew in the Old Testament refers to a person being a Hebrew, rather than to Hebrew as a language.

The first mention of Hebrew as a language is in John 5:2,[10] which was originally written in Greek, and some translators say this reference should be to Aramaic. However, the root word is Eber, signifying it probably is Hebrew. In the Old Testament, though, 2 Kings says:

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Speak now to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak with us in Judean in the hearing of the people who are on the wall” (2 Kings 18:26; NASB).

The language of the Jews was not called Hebrew but instead what is translated as “Judean.” It was also used in 2 Kings 18:28,[11] 2 Chronicles 32:18,[12] Nehemiah 13:24,[13] Isaiah 36:11,[14] and Isaiah 36:13.[15] In all fairness, however, what is known as “Hebrew” today is likely this Judean language.

But to make claim that Hebrew is the original language would mean that Hebrew essentially has not changed since Babel. Languages obviously change. English, 1,000 years ago until today, has undergone significant changes. These languages that came out of Babel have gone through immense changes as well.

Biblically, too, it is reasonable to expect Hebrew to have undergone changes. Abraham, as a descendant of Eber, actually left his family. Recall that family groups were divided by their language in Genesis 10:5. He settled among the Canaanites, who were obviously speaking Canaanite languages (Canaan was a descendant of Ham). Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s sons lived in Canaan for centuries. Then the sons of Jacob (Israel) went and lived among the Egyptians for centuries. The Egyptians were descendants of Mizraim, who was also a son of Ham, and had a different language that likely influenced the Israelites, too.

So if the language of Eber, who was at Babel, came through Abraham down to the Israelites and remained the same, then there should be plenty of others speaking and writing it (other than the Israelites, who were repeatedly wiped out with only a remnant to repopulate). Abraham also had other sons (Ishmael, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah). They would have originally been speaking Abraham’s language, that of Eber. Many Arabic speakers claim heritage to Ishmael. Arabic has many similarities to Hebrew, but it is still a different language. Since the Hebrew from Eber’s day has not survived in other nations, this helps confirm that Hebrew has indeed changed since Abraham.

Similarities between languages like Aramaic and Arabic are expected, since they were in the same vicinity. In fact, it would not be surprising if Ezra’s Hebrew and Arabic go back to the same root language (Eber’s actual language that came from Babel) and have both deviated since Babel.

Influence from Hebrew and vice versa with regard to Latin (Roman Empire) and Greek (Alexander the Great) is also expected, since both had many years of interaction in the Middle East.

Word similarities do nothing to help the conclusion that Hebrew could be the original pre-Babel language, as these similarities would be expected whether or not it was the original language. Languages have in-depth contextual, syntactical, and grammatical workings that are unique and also have to be accounted for.

If #2 Is Correct, Then Previous Documents That Survived on the Ark Could Easily Have Been Translated, Right?

Sometimes people fail to realize that Noah and his sons (and, presumably, their wives) were still alive during and after Babel. When people were scattered from the Tower of Babel, it was about 100–130 years after the Flood. Archbishop Ussher places Babel at 2242 B.C. and the Flood at 2348 B.C., allowing about 106 years from the Flood to Babel.

Like possibility #1, possibility #2 assumes the original language survived through Babel. The Bible does not say the original language was necessarily lost, but confused. The Hebrew word is bālal, meaning “to mix, mingle, confuse, or confound.” This suggests there may be aspects of the original language still used in one or various languages created at Babel. God could just as easily have removed the original language altogether, and this would indeed confuse the languages of the whole world.

The context of Genesis 10:5 seems to indicate that Noah’s 16 grandsons and other listed descendants in Genesis 10 each had their own language division. Did this apply to Noah and his sons? It is not certain. But since God divided the people according to their families, it seems unlikely that God would have destroyed the ability of Noah and his sons to communicate with each other. It is quite likely that Noah and his sons retained the original language or at the very least inherited the same language between them.[16] This would still cause the confusion God intended.

In time, Noah (and perhaps Shem and others) could easily have learned another language, if they were staying with one particular set of relatives with a different language, for example. Then a translation of previous documents would be preserved to finally arrive at Moses. With this possibility, however, there is still quite a bit of speculation.

If #3 Is Correct, How Would Any Documents Be Translated?

This has been the most popular view that this author has seen regarding the languages at Babel. This is usually why people ask how documents could have been passed to Moses and how he could understand them. Keep in mind that popularity does not dictate truth. There are a couple of possibilities for faithful transmission of accounts.

A. Noah and his sons (and their wives) would still have recollections of the pre-Flood world. In fact, consider the following possibilities.

Adam and Methuselah were both alive for a long time together. If there are not gaps in the Genesis 5 genealogy, then their lives overlapped by hundreds of years.[17] They could easily have had years of direct conversation. Noah and Methuselah had many years alive together (Methuselah died the year of the Flood, when Noah was 600 years old), and surely the two conversed quite often (with Shem, Ham, and Japheth, too). So Noah would have many memories and much knowledge about the pre-Flood world, and even about Adam’s actions through Methuselah.

After Babel, had Noah’s language changed, he or his sons could have written what they knew in the new language. These could have been the documents that Moses received. However, this view is problematic because it does not mesh well with the toledoth breakdown mentioned before.

B. If the previous documents were in a language completely foreign to them (the original language that no one had any longer), linguists could study and learn it, and over time make a translation of it. Such a document could have been what Moses received, although this would seem the most unlikely possibility, as it would be a difficult task to accomplish satisfactorily. Trying to crack a language has proven a difficult but not impossible task for modern scholars.

If #4 Is Correct, How Would Any Documents Have Been Translated?

The same reasons for #3 being correct would apply here, although translation would be easier if some of the original documents may have been in their portion of the language.

Regardless, this would be a near impossibility. First, the grammar, syntax, vocabulary, and even the vowel and consonant sounds in certain languages (e.g., English, Hungarian, Russian, Arabic, Chinese) are so utterly different. Secondly, each of these languages is a coherent whole, allowing for people in each language to verbally communicate about every aspect of reality. If all the languages were once combined, the original language would have had a massive amount of redundancy.

Though this possibility sounds interesting, and God can do anything, it may not be the best possibility.

Conclusion

Regardless of which may be true, previous documents arriving in the hands of Moses are not a big problem. Taking time to learn and translate previous documents or recalling previous conversations would ensure that some information arrived in an understandable language post-Babel, whether through Noah and his sons or another means of translation.

It is also important not to forget that Jesus spoke face to face with Moses (Exodus 33:11[18]). If there were any discrepancies, he would have had the all-knowing God, who invented the different languages, in his tent with him. So Moses should not have had any problems with accuracy or translation. Even if Moses received documents that needed translation, Christ knew the original language. It is doubtful, though, that this was the way it was done.

Keep in mind that Moses was inspired as he wrote (as were all of the Scripture writers). Any word plays, like man/woman (ish/ishshah) in Hebrew, would have been inspired by God through Moses. It is highly possible that word plays like this were also in the original language. Interestingly enough, in English, for example, we have man and woman — God could easily have had language similarities survive through different languages. This author would expect such things even from the original language since God, the author of language, has such infinite knowledge.

1. Genesis 18:18: “. . . since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?”

2. A toledoth is basically the account of the generations of someone or a time period, almost as though it were “signed off.” Many Christians believe these toledoths are where a particular set of recorded history was derived from pre-existing texts for Moses to edit together to make the Book of Genesis, with the help of the Holy Spirit. These toledoths mark distinct divisions in the Book of Genesis, and many toledoths give us an idea of who it was that may have had the first-hand experience with the account of history being recorded.

3. Ham and Hodge, How Do We Know the Bible Is True? Volume 1, p. 85–102.

4. Genesis 10:22: The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.

5. Morris, The Genesis Record, p. 267.

6. Isaac Mozeson, The Word: The Dictionary That Reveals the Hebrew Source of English (New York: S.P.I. Books, 2011).

7. Genesis 11:9: Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

8. Ibid., p. 1.

9. Genesis 14:13: Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram.

10. John 5:2: Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.

11. 2 Kings 18:28: Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!”

12. 2 Chronicles 32:18: Then they called out with a loud voice in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and trouble them, that they might take the city.

13. Nehemiah 13:24: And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.

14. Isaiah 36:11: Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Aramaic language, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”

15. Isaiah 36:13: Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and said, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!”

16. Of course, it is possible that Ham, Shem, or Japheth (and maybe Noah) ended up with a language of one of their respective children, e.g., Japheth could end up with the language of Gomer, and so on. There is also the possibility that they could know more than one language to communicate with multiple descendants.

17. Ham, The New Answers Book 2, “Are There Gaps in the Genesis Genealogies?” by Larry Pierce and Ken Ham. See also Bodie Hodge, “Ancient Patriarchs in Genesis,” Answers in Genesis, http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/01/20/ancient-patriarchs-in-genesis.

18. Exodus 33:11: So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.

CHAPTER 27

Was Pentecost a Reversal of What Happened at Babel?

God, the author of tongues, is indeed the God of tongues. If He can institute different languages at Babel, it is by His power that they can come back together again in a miraculous fashion as a sign to the world. And one cannot help but think of Pentecost when considering tongues and languages coming together for the Gospel.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

After the Resurrection of Christ, He appeared to many people. God showed Him openly (Acts 10:40[1]), which is a major reason that Christianity initially exploded. Christ told His followers to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of power before carrying the Gospel elsewhere:

Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49).

What was this promise? It was the promise of the Holy Spirit (e.g., John 7:39[2]) being poured out on them. Did they wait? Absolutely:

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me” (Acts 1:4).

And when the Holy Spirit came with power, this was evident by the languages that these Galileans could speak.

The Significance

But let’s jump back to see the significance of Pentecost. When Jesus was speaking to some of the Apostles privately about the destruction of the Temple in Mark 13, He warns them about what they will have to endure before its destruction[3]:

But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit (Mark 13:9–11).

Such things did happen to the Apostles. They were beaten, delivered up to councils, and put before rulers and kings. They were arrested, and the Holy Spirit gave them what to say. But notice verse 10. Was the gospel preached to all the nations? Acts 2:5 points out that there were indeed people of every nation under heaven witnessing this event:

And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven (Acts 2:5).

Peter preached the gospel in their hearing and the response was overwhelming. The message was first preached to all nations in Jerusalem, and it continued to be taught by the Apostles so that all the nations heard the gospel, as evidenced in Colossians 1:6,[4] 23[5]; Romans 1:8,[6] 16:26.[7] Oftentimes, the Greek word translated “all” meant “collectively” or “some of all types.” In other words, the gospel must first be preached to all nations — that is, to some representatives of all nations, not every single person from that day until today.

The God of languages, whose actions are seen in judgment in Genesis 10–11, is the same God who proclaimed the gospel (freedom though Jesus Christ from the ultimate judgment of sin, which is death and the end result of hell) in various nations’ languages through the tongues at Pentecost.

Further Significance

Pentecost was a yearly Jewish feast that was celebrated on the 50th day after the Passover. Note the Greek root pent, which means “five,” as in the Pentateuch, which are the five books of Moses, or a pentagram, which is a five-sided polygon. Pentecost was also the harvest festival.

Christ was the Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7[8]), and this event took place 50 days after Christ’s death, burial, and Resurrection. This gives an idea of how long it was before the coming of the Holy Spirit. Christ did not ascend until the 40th day (Acts 1:3[9]), so this leaves 10 days for prayer and supplication for the followers of Christ until Pentecost (Acts 1:14[10]).

But take note of the other aspect of Pentecost. It was a harvest festival. When Jesus spoke to Peter and John in Matthew 4:19,[11] He called them to be a fishers of men. And at Pentecost, Peter stood up and gave his first gospel sermon and reaped a harvest of men, for it was the first fruit of the harvest since the ascension of Christ. The Lord had been preparing them for this moment and the moments to come:

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves (Luke 10:1–3).

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors” (John 4:34–38).

1. Acts 10:40: . . . Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,

2. John 7:39: But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

3. An interesting parallel to the Babel dispersion could be likened to this event. When the temple was destroyed in A.D. 70, the Jews that were not decimated by Rome were dispersed and scattered as slaves or refugees in countries throughout the known world.

4. Colossians 1:6: . . . which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit,[a] as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.

5. Colossians 1:23: . . . if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

6. Romans 1:8: First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

7. Romans 16:26: . . . but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith.

8. 1 Corinthians 5:7: Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

9. Acts 1:3: . . . to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

10. Acts 1:14: These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

11. Matthew 4:19: Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

CHAPTER 28

Why Is Biblical Authority so Important on This Issue?

In this book, the events at the Tower of Babel were examined in detail. And after studying them, there should be no reason to appeal to the account as anything other than what it is. It is a historical account and makes sense of the world today. The past is the key to the present.

There is no reason to embellish the account or to say it is mythology. There is no reason to assume that it needs to be re-interpreted to be for 21st-century America any more than saying it should reinterpreted for 21st-century Amazonian tribes.

So why do people do this today? There seem to be a variety of reasons, but all with a common thread. Why do people say it is mythology? Because they have bought into a false worldview, so when they read the account it is foolishness to them.

Atheists, for example, view the majority of the Bible as mythology. Though, of course, their religion is the actual mythology, since believers know the truth because God revealed it to us in His Word. Atheism is but one form of humanism, where man is elevated to a position of being greater than God. But their arbitrary opinions really do not matter when the debate arises.

But here is the issue: Humanism dominates our culture today with its aspects of millions of years and evolution, and these have now have infiltrated the minds of many Church members. As a result, many within the Church now attack Genesis (siding with atheistic humanists) and say it is mythology.

But look at the big picture. These Christians are mixing their religion with secular humanism when they appeal to aspects of this other religion as a greater authority than God. Why do this? Are they really smarter than God? Did God really err? Why pick and choose the aspects of each religion? Would the person doing so not be elevating himself or herself to the position of ultimate authority?

When Christians say the account at Babel is mythology (as well as the rest of Genesis 1–11, which is common today), they are saying that they are above God. Unbeknownst to them, they are actually destroying the very foundation of the gospel that they profess to believe. They are undermining their own position, and so it is self-refuting.

Today, there is a trend to follow humanism, and humanists are systematically trying to force humanism into public venues. For example, John Dunphy in The Humanist magazine states:

I am convinced that the battle for humankind’s future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith: a religion of humanity that recognizes and respects the spark of what theologians call divinity in every human being. These teachers must embody the same selfless dedication as the most rabid fundamentalist preachers, for they will be ministers of another sort . . . utilizing a classroom instead of a pulpit to convey humanist values in whatever subject they teach, regardless of the educational level — preschool, day care, or large state university. The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new — the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism.[1]

Dr. Eugenie Scott is a signer of the religious document The Humanist Manifesto III, and she heads up the National Center for Science Education, which is a leading humanist organization for teaching evolution in public schools. She says:

I have found that the most effective allies for evolution are people of the faith community. One clergyman with a backward collar is worth two biologists at a school board meeting any day![2]

Humanists are engaged in a conscious effort to force humanism onto everyone. If the Church gives in, it will be destroyed from within. It is time to recognize these attacks and counter them, as God says:

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).

Christians must recognize the humanist attack and stand firm on the authority of the Word of God.

1. John Dunphy, “A Religion for a New Age,” The Humanist (January–February 1983): p. 23, 26.

2. T.J. Oord and E. Stark, “A Conversation with Eugenie Scott,” Science and Theology News (April 2002), as quoted in J. Wells, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Darwinism and Intelligent Design (Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, 2006), p. 175.

CHAPTER 29

Conclusion: Seeing Christ at Babel?

In this book, there has been an immense amount of history and genealogies and answered questions to fend off attacks on the authority of God’s Word. And although this helps us get into the Word of God and learn from the wisdom of its pages, let’s not forget the reason for it all — Christ.

So often, this author sees people get excited to know the Bible is true in Genesis 10 and 11. But many times people become so engrossed in this subject that they miss Christ. Let’s not miss our Lord who is intimately involved in this account.

Lord

Five times in Genesis 11:1–9 is the word LORD. It is denoted in caps in most translations. This name for God is “Yahweh” or ”Jehovah,” which is a variant form (think yahoweh).[1] It is from the Hebrew YHWH, otherwise known as the tetragrammaton. It is like the personal name for God.

Information about this name was given to Moses and comes from “I AM WHO I AM” in Exodus 3:14, or specifically I AM. God is the great I AM. He is the triune God. Take note of Christ’s use of this term:

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58).

The Jews knew exactly what Jesus was claiming. He was claiming to be God, and they wanted to stone Him for it. The problem for the Jews is that Jesus is God. And He came to rescue them (and the rest of us) from sin and death by dying on the Cross.

Let Us

When God created mankind, Scripture gives a subtle hint of the triune nature of God.[2] Genesis 1:26 says:

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Note the language: “Let Us,” “Our,” and “Our.” Yet God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4[3]). This is the triune nature of the one God, being God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This is reflected in the Babel account. Genesis 11:7 says:

Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

Note again the language: “Let Us.” Christ is intimately involved in the judgment at Babel. He was there in judgment because of the people’s disobedience in trying to thwart Christ’s command in Genesis 9:1.

Mild Judgment

Pay attention to the kindness in this judgment though. Prior to Babel, at the Flood, a very violent group of people met a very violent end. Their judgment was a reflection of their lives. Due to sin, no one is perfect and all have fallen short.

If God decided to judge with a violent judgment, that would be His prerogative. But note the care and mildness of this judgment. It was more like a “nudge out the door.” He merely confounded the language of the whole earth. It shows the grace of God and the patience of God.

Pointing to Pentecost (from Dispersion to Gathering)

Lastly, take note of Christ’s involvement in bringing languages back together. It was for the purpose of the power of the gospel. At Pentecost, which had just been discussed in more detail, the nations and their languages are being transcended for the message of salvation in Jesus Christ alone.

Christians are commanded to take this gospel, given through Christ’s blood and delivered to the Church by the Apostles, to the world. Christians need to share the message of gospel and not keep it to themselves. Believers should want to see people saved and to see them realize their sin has been covered in Christ.

It does not matter who they are or what nation they come from, people need the gospel — whether they live next door or are part of the most remote tribe in the world. They are our relatives and need the gospel just as much as any of us did. This is why the Bible is being translated into language after language because this message is of utmost importance.

One way to help get the gospel to people is to use the “Genesis-Romans Road” of Scripture. This can help point people to Jesus Christ. These passages start in Genesis to show unbelievers their need for Christ, and then it gives some passages in Romans to help them realize their personal condition, who Christ is, and what He has done to rescue man from sin and death through repentance. We are created by our Savior and saved by our Creator.

Genesis-Romans Road

Genesis 1:1 — God made everything.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:31 — God made everything perfectly — no death or suffering.

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 3:17–19 — The punishment for sin is death; due to sin, the world is no longer perfect.

Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

Romans 5:12 — Because our mutual grandfather Adam sinned, we now sin, too.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.

Romans 3:23 — We need to realize we are all sinners, including ourselves.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23 — The punishment for sin is a just punishment — death — but God came to rescue us and give the free gift of salvation by sending His Son, Jesus.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9 — You need to believe in Jesus; salvation is not by works, but by faith (see also John 3:16 and Acts 16:30–31).

That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 5:1 — Being saved, you are now justified and have peace with God.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Remember that in Hebrew the vowels did not exist, just consonants. So one can see how people varied the pronunciation, especially in the past millennium or so when people applied vowel points to it. The vowel points were added to keep it close to the proper pronunciation, since Hebrew was becoming a dead language even to those few who were copying the sacred Old Testament text.

2. Bodie Hodge, “God is Triune,” Answers in Genesis, http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2008/02/20/god-is-triune.

3. Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!”

APPENDIX:

Date of Job

Was Job written around the time of Abraham, during the Judges, or somewhere in between?

Introduction

Job is no doubt an ancient book. All would agree. But how ancient?

If one opens a King James Bible that retained many of Ussher’s dates, it places Job in the time of the judges around 1520 B.C.[1] The King James of 1611 actually places Job as a descendant of Abraham through Midian his son, though without explanation.[2] Ussher placed Job a little earlier than this during the time of Joseph and the end of Genesis about 1635 B.C. Dr. John Gill elaborates on the debate at hand:

It is also not agreed in what time Job lived; Maimonides {l} says, of their writers some place him in the times of the patriarchs, some in the times of Moses, others in the times of David, and others say that he was of the wise men of Babylon; and some add, that he was of them that came out of the captivity there, and had a school at Tiberias, as say the Talmudists {m} who give very different accounts of him: some say he was in the times of the judges; others in the times of the queen of Sheba; and others in the times of Ahasuerus; but the more general opinion is, and indeed the more probable, that he was born when the Israelites went down into Egypt, and that he was dead when they came from thence {n}: in short, they place him almost in all the ages from Abraham to the Babylonish captivity, and after it; and even Luther {o} was of opinion that he lived in the times of Solomon, for which there is no more reason than for the rest: it seems most probable that he lived before Moses {p}, at least before the giving of the law to him, since no mention is made of it in this book, nor any reference to it; whereas there is to things more ancient, as the general deluge, the burning of Sodom, &c. the law concerning sacrifices only to be offered by priests was not as yet given; for Job offered sacrifices as being the head of his family, and so did his three friends, #Job 1:5 42:8. The length of his life best agrees with the times before Moses, for in his time the age of man was reduced to seventy years; whereas Job must live two hundred years or more, since he lived one hundred and forty after his restoration.[3]

In recent times, it is rare to find someone mention Job in the eras of the just before Moses or in the time of the Judges, but much sooner; usually very soon after Babel and before or contemporaneous with Abraham. When the idea of millions of years began invading the church in the 1800s, many Christians began loosening the dates of the patriarchs. The date of Abraham, for example, began being pushed back in time as with many other dates in Genesis. The biblical dates seemed irrelevant to many scholars.

This author suggests that the older date for Job was easier to swallow as long-age dates began to emerge as opposed to biblical dates. In fact, this author promoted this older date for some time prior to recent reconsideration.

In Abraham’s Time?

The camp that Job was the most ancient book, being written about the time of Abraham (1996–1821 B.C.) or even before is very common today.[4] And this seemed logical (more on this in a moment). The Bible doesn’t give a date for the Book of Job.

The primary reason Job was put around the time of Abraham was due to Job’s great age (an extra 140 years, Job 42:16[5]), which was similar to that of Abraham’s age or more.[6] So by comparing ages that were dropping post-Flood, his age would fit in the range near Abraham. See the chart on the years after creation in chapter 21.

Also, Job was in the Land of Uz, and if one looks to the Table of Nations, Uz was out of the lineage of Shem. This ancient nation began early, so it makes sense that Job could be living in a land named for such a patriarch. He was the greatest of the peoples of the East, so clearly Job was not living in the land of Israel, but rather eastward.

Also, there is no mention of the Israelite Law or covenants with Abraham and following. But is such a thing a valid argument for antiquity since Job was not living in Israel? In fact, other speculations have been brought forth to push for antiquity as well, such as the family unit being the patriarchal system, or Chaldeans being nomads and not city dwellers, and Job offering sacrifices in a priestly fashion.

The family unit is still to be the proper system even today. There are still some nomadic Chaldeans today and there have been nations sacrificing from Genesis 3 to today. Of course, with Jesus Christ being the ultimate sacrifice, that need has actually been satisfied.

Some believe that possession of livestock was an indication of the age to which Job lived. In other words, they suggest that livestock, and not gold or silver or other precious metals, was used to measure wealth (the claim suggests that it was not until the time of Solomon that worth was measured in silver and gold).

But even today, livestock is a measure of wealth (growing up as a farmer, the bank recognized our wealth in livestock, more than cash flow). But for those who suggest gold and silver were not of value in Job’s day then consider:

Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold (Job 42:11).

Consider also Job 3:15.[7] This is expected in light of Genesis 2:11–12.[8] But even in Abraham’s day, gold and silver was used to measure wealth (Genesis 13:2[9]) and long before Solomon, as the Israelites received gold and silver upon the Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 3:22[10]). But all these things are not proof of antiquity. We need to look deeper.

The Land of Uz

Many have placed the Land of Uz in Arabia or perhaps east of the Sea of Galilee in Bashan. Others place it a little south of Bashan in Edom proper. There were attacks by the Sabeans and the Chaldeans (Job 1:15–17[11]), but this gives us little information to a precise location. The Chaldeans (the land that Abraham was originally from in the southeastern part of the Fertile Crescent Genesis 11:28–31[12]) and Sabeans (descendants of Sheba, who was a descendant of Joktan living in Arabia) have been known in history to attack various places throughout the Middle East. The Fertile Crescent was the place of hostilities and continues to be even today.

Expositor Matthew Henry places the Land of Uz in Arabia:

The country he lived in was the land of Uz, in the eastern part of Arabia, which lay towards Chaldea, near Euphrates, probably not far from Ur of the Chaldees, whence Abraham was called. When God called one good man out of that country, yet he left not himself without witness, but raised up another in it to be a preacher of righteousness.[13]

The problem with this is that the Jordan River, mentioned in Job 40, was nowhere near the Euphrates River.

Dr. John Gill says:

The place where he dwelt had its name not from Uz, a descendant of Shem, #Ge 10:23 but from Uz, a son of Nahor, brother to Abraham, #Ge 22:21 unless it can be thought to be so called from Uz, of the children of Seir, in the land of Edom; since we read of the land of Uz along with Edom, or rather of Edom as in the land of Uz, or on the borders of it, #Lam 4:21, the Targum calls it the land of Armenia, but rather it is Arabia; and very probably it was one of the Arabias Job lived in, either Petraea or Deserta, probably the latter; of which Uz or Ausitis, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin version read it, was a part; the same with the Aesitae of Ptolemy {u}; and it is said to be near the land of Canaan {w}, for in Arabia Felix the Sabeans lived; and certain it is that this country was near to the Sabeans and Chaldeans, and to the land of Edom, from whence Eliphaz the Temanite came: and as this very probably was a wicked and an idolatrous place, it was an instance of the distinguishing grace of God, to call Job by his grace in the land of Uz, as it was to call Abraham in Ur of the Chaldeans; and though it might be distressing and afflicting to the good man to live in such a country, as it was to Lot to live in Sodom, yet it was an honour to him, or rather it was to the glory of the grace of God that he was religious here, and continued to be so.[14]

Gill points out that Uz is not to be reckoned as the land from Uz in Genesis 10:23, but a later Uz more likely associated with Edom, and even recognizes the relationship between Teman and Edom.

The Bible’s (and Specifically Job’s) Internal Clues

Many today are re-evaluating this and now place Job in the time of the Judges (approximately 1420–1117 B.C.) for various internal textual reasons. Any argument from the internal text of Scripture trumps external evidence, as God is His own authority. But let’s look at some of these internal arguments:

1. Genesis 36:19–28: There is another Uz mentioned in the Bible, who was a descendant of Esau (Edom). He was also a descendant of Shem and the land of Uz is mentioned as being in Edom which is southeast of Israel in Lamentations 4:21.[15]

2. The land of Teman was also in Edom (e.g., Obadiah 1:9[16]; Ezekiel 25:13[17]; Jeremiah 49:20[18]), and one of Job’s three friends was Eliphaz the Temanite (e.g., Job 2:11[19]). Interestingly, Teman was a descendant of Eliphaz the son of Esau (Genesis 36:11,[20] 15,[21] 42[22]), whom, if accurate, Eliphaz the Temanite has a good possibility of being named for his ancestor.

3. One of Job’s three friends was a descendant of Naaman being Zophar the Naamathite. One possible candidate is Naaman who was a descendant of Benjamin (Genesis 46:21[23]), who lived just opposite of the Jordan River from Gad and Reuben which were on the east side of the Jordan River, which is just north of Moab and Edom. There is a possibility that some Naamathites were named for whom the city of Naamah came (Joshua 15:41[24]).

4. Shuah is the father of the Shuhites. Shuah was one of Abraham’s sons with Keturah. His descendants dwelt east of the Israelites (Genesis 25:6[25]). Bildad the Shuhite was likely a descendant of Abraham through Shuah. Expositor Dr. John Gill says in his commentary notes of Genesis 25:2[26] in the 1700s: “The name of Shuah or Shuach may be traced in Socacia, Soaca, and Socheher, cities placed by Ptolemy in Arabia Felix: though some think the posterity of this man are those whom the geographers call Sauchites, Sauchaeans, and Saccaeans, who settled in Arabia Deserta, and from whom Bildad the Shuhite, #Job 2:11, descended; which is not improbable.”[27]

5. The Jordan River is mentioned to Job in Job 40:23[28] when discussing the behemoth which has no fear in entering the Jordan when it is flooding. So Job lived near the Jordan, since God pointed out to Job that the behemoth was made along with you and gets its food in the mountains and fields (which are in that region by the way, verse 20). This is clearly not some remote desert region in Arabia as some commentators have mentioned but due east of the Jordan River, which essentially runs north-south (for more on this see the next point).

6. Job is seen as the greatest of the people of the East in Job 1:3.[29] Genesis 25:6[30] has Abraham positioning his other sons with Keturah in the east away from Isaac and the place of inheritance. They collectively with the descendants of Lot (Moab and Ammon), Esau (Edom) and Ishmael (Arabs) [whom were all Hebrew speakers from their father Abraham, the Hebrew (or forms of it)] were classed as the people of the East (Genesis 29:1[31]; Judges 6:3,[32] 6:33,[33] 7:12,[34] 8:12[35]; Isaiah 11:14[36]). This was a region beyond the Jordan River. Two and a half of Israel’s tribes were immediately on the east side of a portion of the Jordan — Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh. This also means that the focal point of God making this declaration was amidst the people of the west side of the river. But who were they? There were Canaanites at one point, then Israelites later. Since when were Canaanites the focal point in the Old Testament, except when the Israelites with Joshua were to judge them for their sin. It wasn’t until after the Israelites were in the land that there was a focus on a godly group of people on that side of the river. The time of the Judges makes more sense as there would be God’s chosen people on the west side of the Jordan. The King James Version of 1611 even places Job as post-Abraham in the time of Judges. They even go so far as to place Job in the lineage of Abraham (through Midian who was a son to Abraham with Keturah). The KJV 1611 editors also mention that since Abraham sent his sons with Keturah to the east of the promised line of the seed (Isaac), that being called the “greatest of all the peoples of the East” (Job 1:3[37]) would place Job in the lineage of Abraham with these other sons.[38]

7. God gave Job twice as much as he had before (e.g., 14,000 sheep instead of previously 7,000 (Job 1:3,[39] 42:12[40]) and seven more sons to replace his previous seven sons[41] (Job 1:2,[42] 42:13[43]). And in the context of this doubling it says that Job lived 140 years and saw his grandchildren for four generations! It makes sense that Job’s great age was also due to a generous doubling on the part of God. Some have argued that having such quantities of livestock are the ancient means of wealth and so Job must be living near the time of Abraham (Abraham, Lot, and Jacob had large flocks). This neglects that throughout the Bible livestock was still a means of wealth and that even carries over to today’s farmers. Much livestock is a sign of more wealth that can easily be liquidated.

8. The family of Ram is mentioned in Job 32:2.[44] If we interpret Scripture with Scripture, this would lead us to Ram the descendant of Judah through Hezron (1 Chronicles 2:9[45]; Ruth 4:19[46]). Ram is the direct ancestor of David back to Judah (1 Chronicles 2:9–15). Ram also had a nephew named after him in 1 Chronicles 2:25.[47] There were at least four generations from Ram to Job’s friend Elihu (see Job 32:2[48] for at least four, Elihu at the time of Job, Barachel, Buza [?] and Ram). There were seven generations between Ram and David (David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salma, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram), who was the second king of Israel. If these two Ram’s are one and the same (and we may never know with certainty), then it would make more sense to place Job in the time of the Judges.

9. Job 1:8[49] and Job 2:3[50] also indicate that Job was upright, blameless, shunned evil, and feared God and with this came the declaration that “there were none on the earth like him.” If he lived at the time of Abraham, then was Abraham not these things? Nor the godly priest Melchizedek? Or later with Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, or Moses? However, during the time of the Judges, there were often times where there were no “stand out” Israelites.

10. The Book of Job mentions judges who counter the evils in the land (Job 9:23–24,[51] 12:17[52]). Even Job was honored with that position to judge his three friends in prayer in continuance with his other judge-like duties consistent with being a potential judge among the peoples of the east (Job 29).

11. Romans 2:28–3:2: The Jews were committed with the oracles of God. Yet Job is preserved in written account and so it makes more sense that it was committed to the Jews who could not be said to exist until Abraham’s descendants were on the scene. It is possible that it is completely “past prophetic” by the Holy Spirit. Even so, the Book of Job doesn’t give clues to such.

12. Job 3:14[53] mentions kings and counselors who built for themselves places that were in ruins in Job’s day. Having ruins lends a date a little farther away from Babel as opposed to rather soon after it. Nations need to migrate and attain populations to build such construction projects, then they need to lay in wait for time to destroy them. Even the Tower of Babel was considered a ruin . . . but this was in Nebuchadnezzar’s day (see chapter 9) at the captivity.

The Timing of the Book of Job

Archbishop James Ussher places Job at the end of Genesis around the time of the death of Joseph at 1635 B.C. Ussher points out that most of the Talmudists and Hebrews believed that Job lived at this time and quoted ancient scholar Severus Sulpicius[54] to back up this date. This would be a unique window of time between the righteous and upright Joseph and the righteous and upright Moses. So this is a possibility.

This would have been prior to the Israelites’ miraculous exit from Egypt with Moses a matter of years later. By the time the Israelites were to enter into the land, the Edomites had already been given a certain amount of land as their possession and were already settled in the land. Edom (Esau) was a descendant of Abraham and many of Abraham’s descendants took over much of the Middle East and North Africa, and his language still remains in many of these places to this day.[55] The Lord also gave land for Moab and Ammon, the descendants of Lot (Deuteronomy 2:4–12), to whom was given his pick of Abraham’s land by Abraham himself.

So Edom and others of Abraham’s and Lot’s progeny were in the land and likely settled around or even well before the death of Joseph. So Ussher’s date would be a possibility. Considering that Moses is actually classed as the first “judge,” this would be placing the timing near in time to the birth of the first judge.

Of course, for Job to have contact with a Naamathite and if this was really someone of the tribe of Benjamin (or possibly of Naamah, also after Abraham) and contact with the family of Ram, perhaps this date should be brought a little closer. It is possible then that this would be referential to the time frame of immediately pre-Moses or the time of the Judges after Moses.

One argument that has been brought up that goes against a post-Moses time frame is the lack of mention of the Law or Mosaic system. However, there is no reason to assume cultures outside of Israel would have extensive knowledge of the Law and the Israelite system. And even if Job and his friends did, there may be little reason to quote it. The Book of Esther, during the captivity, doesn’t mention the Law or the Mosaic system either — are we to assume that was written pre-Moses? Not at all.

Conclusion

Trying to discover the date of the Book of Job has many elements to it. Though the Bible doesn’t give a clear date, there are some clues, and there may be more. But at this time it may be safe to leave open a few options, but not before or in the time of Abraham. Although this author had typically been in the camp of an older date for Job, there are biblical reasons to reconsider with good textual reasons that it was somewhere just before Moses to somewhere in the time of the Judges. Let God be true. . . .

1. The example used was the Fireside Edition, The Holy Bible, King James Version (Philadelphia, PA: The Family and Home Press, 1965), p. 393.

2. King James Version 1611, based on the facsimile at the Bible Museum in Goodyear, Arizona, by Zondervan, 2011, p. 7.

3. John Gill, Commentary on the Old Testament, notes from Job 1:1, as adapted in Online Bible, Larry Pierce, 2012.

4. We are using Ussher’s dates when possible.

5. Job 42:16: After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations.

6. Job already had ten children of age with their own places!

7. Job 3:15: . . . Or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.

8. Genesis 2:11–12: The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there.

9. Genesis 13:2: Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

10. Exodus 3:22: “But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

11. Job 1:15–17: “. . . when the Sabeans raided them and took them away — indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

12. Genesis 11:28-31: And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans. Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah. But Sarai was barren; she had no child. And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there.

13. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Job 1 (1706), http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/job/1.html.

14. John Gill, Commentary on the Old Testament, notes from Job 1:1, as adapted in Online Bible, Larry Pierce, 2012.

15. Lamentations 4:21: Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz! The cup shall also pass over to you and you shall become drunk and make yourself naked.

16. Obadiah 1:9: Then your mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that everyone from the mountains of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.

17. Ezekiel 25:13: “. . . therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman; Dedan shall fall by the sword.’ ”

18. Jeremiah 49:20: Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD that He has taken against Edom, and His purposes that He has proposed against the inhabitants of Teman: surely the least of the flock shall draw them out; surely He shall make their dwelling places desolate with them.

19. Job 2:11: Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place — Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him.

20. Genesis 36:11: And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.

21. Genesis 36:15: These were the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn son of Esau, were Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz,

22. Genesis 36:42: Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar.

23. Genesis 46:21: The sons of Benjamin were Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

24. Joshua 15:41: Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages.

25. Genesis 25:6: But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.

26. Genesis 25:2: And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

27. Gill, Exposition of the Whole Bible, as adapted in Online Bible, by Larry Pierce, 2011, Commentary Notes Genesis 25:2.

28. Job 40:23: Indeed the river may rage, yet he is not disturbed; he is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,

29. Job 1:3: Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

30. Genesis 25:6: But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.

31. Genesis 29:1: So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East.

32. Judges 6:3: So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them.

33. Judges 6:33: Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.

34. Judges 7:12: Now the Midianites and Amalekites, all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude.

35. Judges 8:12: When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.

36. Isaiah 11:14: But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west; together they shall plunder the people of the East; they shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them.

37. Job 1:3: Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

38. King James Version 1611, Digital reproduction by Zondervan 2011 (400th Year Anniversary Edition), Goodyear, AZ, p. 7.

39. Job 1:3: Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

40. Job 42:12: Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys.

41. Humans, unlike other things, will go on forever, so they are still retained in the eternal list of children of Job; doubling is adding the same number of children.

42. Job 1:2: And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

43. Job 42:13: He also had seven sons and three daughters.

44. Job 32:2: Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God.

45. 1 Chronicles 2:9: Also the sons of Hezron who were born to him were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.

46. Ruth 4:19: Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab.

47. 1 Chronicles 2:25: The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron, were Ram, the firstborn, and Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah.

48. Job 32:2: Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God.

49. Job 1:8: Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

50. Job 2:3: Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”

51. Job 9:23–24: If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, who else could it be?

52. Job 12:17: He leads counselors away plundered, and makes fools of the judges.

53. Job 3:14: . . . With kings and counselors of the earth, Who built ruins for themselves.

54. Sulpicius Severus, Sacred History, l. 1. c. 13. 11:76.

55. Josephus points this out in chapter 15 of Antiquity of the Jews; and consider that Abraham was promised that he would be the heir of the whole world (Romans 4:13).

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: How Do You Pronounce Babel, Anyway?

Chapter 2: What Kinds of Specific Attacks Are There?

Chapter 3: Is This Really a Biblical Authority Issue?

Chapter 4: The Biblical Account

Chapter 5: Isn’t There a Contradiction Between Genesis 10 (World Having Multiple Languages) and 11 (World Having One Language)?

Chapter 6: Why Were the People Disobedient?

Chapter 7: When Did the Scattering Occur?

Chapter 8: Where Did the Scattering Occur?

Chapter 9: Was the Tower of Babel Built or Not?

Chapter 10: What Was the Purpose of the Tower of Babel?

Chapter 11: What Did the Tower Look Like?

Chapter 12: Did All ~7,000 Languages Today Come Out of Babel?

Chapter 13: What about Extra-Biblical Tables of Nations and Genealogies That Go Back to Noah?

Chapter 14: Was Nimrod in Charge of Forcing a Rebellion Prior to the Events in Genesis 11:1–9?

Chapter 15: Did the Continents Split in the Days of Peleg?

Chapter 16: By What Means Did Those Scattering from Babel Travel?

Chapter 17: Where Did All the People Go Initially?

Chapter 18: What About Asia, the Americas, and Australia?

Chapter 19: Were Noah’s Three Sons Triplets?

Chapter 20: Did Those Listed in the Account of the Tower of Babel Have Other Children after They Left Babel?

Chapter 21: Did People Really Live Those Great Ages from Creation Well Past the Tower of Babel?

Chapter 22: What About the Decrease in Ages?

Chapter 23: What About Ancestor Worship?

Chapter 24: Are There Any Extra-Biblical Accounts of a Language Split?

Chapter 25: The Origin of Writing

Chapter 26: What Was the Original Language . . . and How Was Moses Able to Read Such Texts When He Wrote Genesis?

Chapter 27: Was Pentecost a Reversal of What Happened at Babel?

Chapter 28: Why Is Biblical Authority so Important on This Issue?

Chapter 29: Conclusion: Seeing Christ at Babel?

Appendix: Date of Job