Interesting Facts

• Ham was the second son born to Noah after the flood, according to Jubilees, born in the fifth year after Noah turned 500. However, Jasher states that Japheth was the firstborn and Ham was the third.
• Ham stole the garments of skin from Noah his father and hid them from his brothers.
• Ham gave the stolen garments of skin to his firstborn son Cush.
• Ham knew that his father had cursed his younger son (Canaan) and was displeased by it.
• Ham and his sons, Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan, parted from Noah.
• Ham built a city and named it after his wife, Ne’elatama’uk.
• Ham divided the land among his sons, with Cush receiving the portion towards the east, Mizraim to the west of Cush, Put to the west of Mizraim, and Canaan to the west of Put on the sea.
• Madai begged a portion of land from Ham and his brothers-in-law because the sea did not please him.
• Canaan settled in the land of Lebanon from Hamath to the entering of Egypt, against the wishes of Ham and his brothers.

Genealogy

• Ham was one of the three sons of Noah.
• He was born after Shem according to Jasher, but Jubilees places Shem’s birth before Ham’s.
• Ham’s mother was Naamah.
• According to Jubilees, Ham took a wife before the flood. Jasher does not name Ham’s wife but mentions the city he built was named after her, Ne’elatama’uk.
• The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan. The number of their descendants is stated to be about seven hundred and thirty men in Jasher.
• The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, and Satecha. Raama’s sons were Sheba and Dedan. Nimrod was also a son of Cush.
• The children of Mitzraim were Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuchim, Pathrusim, Casluchim, and Caphturim.
• The children of Canaan were Zidon, Heth, Amori, Gergashi, Hivi, Arkee, Seni, Arodi, Zimodi, and Chamothi.

Historical Context

Ham lived in the post-flood world, a period marked by the repopulation of the earth and the division of lands among Noah’s sons. After the flood, Noah enjoined his sons to observe righteousness, cautioning against the sins that led to the deluge. Ham and his brothers were involved in building cities. The incident of Noah’s drunkenness and nakedness in his tent significantly impacted Ham’s narrative. Following this event, Noah pronounced a curse on Canaan, Ham’s youngest son. Subsequently, Ham and his sons parted from Noah, and each built cities in their allotted portions of the earth. The division of the earth into three parts for Shem, Ham, and Japheth occurred in the thirty-third jubilee. Ham’s portion was towards the south, beyond the river Gihon, extending to the mountains of fire and the sea of ‘Atel. Ham divided his inheritance among his sons, who then settled in their respective regions. Despite the divisions and settlements, conflicts and disagreements arose, such as Canaan’s decision to settle in Shem’s territory (Lebanon) against the counsel of his father and uncles.

Narrative

Ham’s personal story is marked by a few key incidents that define his character within the provided sources. One significant event is his theft of the garments of skin that had been passed down from Adam through Enoch and Methuselah to Noah. This act of taking and concealing these significant garments from his brothers suggests a lack of respect or perhaps a desire for a unique inheritance, which he then bestowed upon his favored son Cush. The most prominent narrative involving Ham is his seeing his father Noah’s nakedness while Noah was drunk and asleep in his tent. Instead of covering his father or showing respect, Ham told his two brothers outside. This action led to Noah’s subsequent curse upon Ham’s youngest son, Canaan. The text highlights Ham’s displeasure at this curse. Following these events, Ham and his sons separated from Noah and established their own territories and cities. Ham’s actions and the subsequent curse on his lineage have lasting implications in the narrative, setting a precedent for the relationships and destinies of the different branches of humanity descended from Noah. Despite building cities and settling in his allotted land, the account of Canaan dwelling in Shem’s territory against the warnings underscores a potential for conflict and disregard for the established divisions among Ham’s descendants.