There are various views of who the modern day descendants of the people listed in this chapter are. We are presenting the more popular view but please note there are other views of who these people groups are and what nations they started.
In order to get a good understanding of Noah's family tree, we have created a tree on our website.
PLEASE take time to review the chart.
B'resheet 10:1 Now these are the records of the generations of Shem, Ham, and Yefet (Japheth), the sons of Noach; and sons were born to them after the flood.
B'resheet 10:2 The sons of Yefet (Japheth) were Gomer and Magog and Madai and Yavan (Javan) and Tuval (Tubal) and Meshekh (Meshech) and Tiras.
Gomer = Armenia (or Cappodocia) - Some claim this is eastern Germany or Eastern Europe.
Magog=North of the Caspian and Black Seas. (Russia ?)
Madai = Medes (Northern Iran)
Javan=Greeks or Ionians (Western Turkey)
Tubal = Tobolsk
Meshech = Moscow
Tiras = North Western Turkey
B'resheet 10:3 And the sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz and Rifat (Riphath) and Togarmah.
Ashkenaz = Germans (or German Jews)
Togarmah =Eastern Turkey
B'resheet 10:4 And the sons of Yavan (Javan) were Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim.
Note - When you see "im" at the end of a Hebrew word it is plural. This is like seeing an "s" at the end of an English word. So we see names of tribes now and not individual sons.
Elishah = Sicily & Sardinia
Tarshish = Spain
Kittim = Cyprus
Dodanim = Rhodes
B'resheet 10:5 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.
B'resheet 10:6 And the sons of Ham were Kush (Cush) and Mitzrayim (Mizraim) and Put and Kena'an (Canaan).
Cush(Sheba+Dedan)=Ethiopia
Mizraim = Egypt
Put=Libya
Canaan=(Lived in the land of Israel prior to Abraham's arrival)
B'resheet 10:7 And the sons of Kush (Cush) were S'va (Seba) and Havilah and Savta (Sabtah) and Ra'mah (Raamah) and Savt'kha (Sabteca); and the sons of Ra'mah (Raamah) were Sh'va (Sheba) and D'dan (Dedan).
Seba =Arabia
Havilah =Arabia
Sabtah =Arabia
Raamah=Arabia
Sabtechah=Arabia
B'resheet 10:8 Now Kush (Cush) became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth.
Nimrod was the first powerful ruler on earth.
B'resheet 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the L-RD; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Adonai."
B'resheet 10:10-12 And the beginning of his kingdom was Bavel (Babel) and Erekh (Erech) and Akkad (Accad) and Kalneh (Calneh), in the land of Shin'ar. From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Ninveh and Rechovot (Rehoboth-Ir) and Kelach (Calah), and Resen between Ninveh and Kelach (Calah); that is the great city. (NAS)
Here we get a listing of cities.
Nimrod - built Babel (Babylon), Erech, Akkad, Kalneh, in the land of Shinar (Southern Iraq). He also built Nineveh, Rehoboth, and Calah, and Resen in Assyria (Northern Iraq)
B'resheet 10:13-14 And Mitzrayim (Mizraim) became the father of Ludim and Anamim and L'havim (Lehabim) and Naftuchim (Naphtuhim).and Patrusim and Kasluchim (from which came the P'lishtim (Philistines) and Kaftorim (Caphtorim).
Ludim = Egypt
Anamim = Egypt
Lehabim = Libya
Naphtuhim = Egypt
Pathrusim = Egypt
Casluhim = Egypt
Caphtorim = Crete