Interesting Facts

• The Bartonim are identified as the children of Rephath.
• Their dwelling place is called the land of Bartonia.
• The land of Bartonia is located by the river Ledah, which flows into the great sea Gihon, also known as oceanus.
• The Bartonim built themselves cities and named them after their own names.

Genealogy

• The Bartonim are the descendants of Rephath.
• Rephath is one of the three sons of Gomer.
• Gomer is one of the seven sons of Japheth.
• Japheth is one of the three sons of Noah.

Historical Context

The emergence of the Bartonim is situated within the broader context of the dispersal of peoples following the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel. After the Lord scattered the sons of men, they spread out into various divisions across the earth. These families, each according to its language, land, or city, built many cities in the places where they settled. It was a common practice for these groups to name their cities after their own names, their children, or significant occurrences. The Bartonim, as the children of Rephath, a son of Gomer and grandson of Japheth, followed this pattern by settling in a land they named Bartonia, located by the river Ledah. This act of establishing a territory and naming it reflects the general movement and settlement of Noah’s descendants as they populated the post-Babel world.

Narrative

The narrative concerning Barton and the Bartonim, as presented in the sources, primarily focuses on their establishment as a distinct group following the scattering from the Tower of Babel. As the descendants of Rephath, they migrated and settled in a specific geographic region, which became known as the land of Bartonia, named after them. Their settlement by the river Ledah, which empties into the great sea Gihon, indicates a geographical location and the establishment of a community in that area. The text explicitly states that the Bartonim built themselves cities and named these cities after their own names, further solidifying their identity and claim to the land. While the sources do not detail specific actions, interactions, or leaders within the Bartonim, their mention serves as an example of how the families of Japheth, after the division of the earth and the confusion of tongues, branched out and established their own territories and identities, contributing to the repopulation and diversification of the earth.