Interesting Facts

• Seni is listed as one of the sons of Canaan in Jasher.
• The Sinite is mentioned as one of the families descending from Canaan in Genesis.
• The children of Canaan, including presumably the descendants of Seni/the Sinites, built cities and named them after themselves.

Genealogy

• Seni is a son of Canaan.
• Canaan is a son of Ham, who is one of the three sons of Noah.
• The Sinites are among the families that descended from Canaan.
• They are therefore descendants of Ham and ultimately of Noah.

Historical Context

The emergence of Seni and the Sinites occurs in the post-diluvian world, following the great flood and the subsequent generations of Noah’s sons. The sources detail the birth of their ancestor Canaan to Ham, and the subsequent curse pronounced by Noah upon Canaan after Ham’s disrespectful act. This curse designated Canaan and his descendants as servants to their brethren, Shem and Japheth. Following the repopulation of the earth, Noah instructed his sons and their descendants regarding righteousness and warned against the iniquity that led to the flood. The descendants of Noah then began to establish themselves, with each of Noah’s sons and their families building cities and naming them after their wives. Later, after the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel, the families, including the descendants of Ham and Canaan, were scattered across the earth, each according to their language. During this time of division, the sons of Ham, including Canaan, went and built their own cities, naming them after their fathers. Canaan, however, chose to settle in the land of Lebanon towards Egypt, a decision that was met with disapproval from his father and brothers, who reminded him of their allotted lands and the oath against encroachment.

Narrative

The individual actions and personal story of Seni are not explicitly recounted in the provided texts. However, the narrative of Seni and the Sinites is embedded within the broader narrative of the descendants of Canaan. As a son of Canaan, Seni’s lineage is marked by the curse placed upon Canaan, positioning the Sinites as part of a people destined for servitude. Following the scattering from Babel, the children of Canaan, including the Sinites, established their own cities in the land of Canaan, signifying a claim to territory and the beginnings of their own societal structures. The decision of their progenitor, Canaan, to settle in Lebanon against the counsel of his kin introduces a theme of territorial dispute and potential future conflict for his descendants, including the Sinites. Thus, the narrative of Seni and the Sinites is one of early settlement, the establishment of identity through the naming of cities, and the implications of their ancestral lineage and territorial choices within the larger context of Noah’s divided descendants.