Interesting Facts

• Cushan is identified as one of the three sons of Tidlaf.
• The provided texts do not offer any specific details regarding Cushan’s individual actions, personality, or life events beyond his name within a list of descendants.

Genealogy

• Cushan was a son of Tidlaf.
• Tidlaf was one of the three sons of Kesed.
• Kesed was one of the twelve sons of Nahor, the brother of Abraham. This familial link establishes Cushan as a great-grandson of Nahor and a great-great-nephew of Abraham.
• Nahor’s wife was Milca, the daughter of Haran and sister to Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Therefore, Cushan was a great-grandson by marriage of Milca and a great-great-nephew by marriage of Sarah.
• Cushan had two brothers: Mushan and Mutzi. The sources do not provide any information concerning Cushan’s own marital status or offspring.

Historical Context

Cushan, being a grandson of Kesed and a great-grandson of Nahor, would have most likely been part of the community residing in Haran alongside his extended family. This period occurred after Abraham’s departure for Canaan and during significant events in Abraham’s life, such as his sojourn in Gerar and the birth of Isaac. The inclusion of Cushan in the genealogical records signifies the continued growth of Nahor’s family in Mesopotamia. It is noted that some of Kesed’s other descendants migrated and established settlements, with the sons of Kesed dwelling opposite the land of Shinar and building the city of Kesed. However, the sources provide no indication that Tidlaf or his sons, including Cushan, participated in such migrations. The prevailing cultural context in Haran at this time would have emphasized the significance of familial bonds and the expansion of clans, as evidenced by the detailed genealogical records. Terah, Nahor, and their families continued to dwell in Haran during this period.

Narrative

The narrative concerning Cushan is confined to his inclusion within the genealogical record detailing the descendants of Nahor in the Book of Jasher. Unlike figures such as Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, or even other descendants of Nahor who are mentioned in connection with migrations and the founding of cities, Cushan’s presence in the texts is limited to his name as one of the sons of Tidlaf. His inclusion in this lineage serves to further illustrate the continued expansion of Abraham’s brother’s family in the region of Haran, distinct from the primary narrative focus on Abraham’s lineage in Canaan. The complete absence of any specific actions, dialogues, or personal attributes associated with Cushan suggests that his role within the broader patriarchal narratives, as presented in these sources, is fundamentally that of a link within the familial genealogy, highlighting the perpetuation of Nahor’s line through his son Kesed and grandson Tidlaf. Consequently, his story, as far as these texts reveal, is one of familial connection and ancestral lineage rather than individual events or interactions within the historical accounts provided.