Interesting Facts

• Zimodi is mentioned as one of the sons of Canaan in the book of Jasher.
• The Zemarite is listed as one of the families that descended from Canaan in the book of Genesis.
• It is stated in Jasher that the children of Canaan, which would include the descendants of Zimodi/the Zemarites, built cities and named them after themselves.

Genealogy

• Zimodi is a son of Canaan.
• Canaan is identified as one of the four sons of Ham.
• Ham is one of the three sons of Noah who had children after the flood.
• The Zemarites are understood to be the descendants and family of Zimodi, placing them within the lineage of Canaan, Ham, and ultimately Noah.

Historical Context

The context for Zimodi and the Zemarites is the world immediately following the great flood and the subsequent generations of Noah’s descendants. After the flood, Noah instructed his sons to uphold righteousness, recalling the sins that led to the earth’s destruction. As the descendants multiplied, they began to build cities, often naming them after their wives. Following the dispersal of people after the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel, families branched out and established new settlements according to their linguistic groups. The sons of Ham, including Canaan, also built cities, naming them after their fathers. Notably, Canaan chose to settle in the region of Lebanon towards Egypt, a decision that his father and brothers disapproved of due to prior land allotments and an oath against encroachment. This act of Canaan sets a particular historical context for his descendants, potentially involving territorial disputes and future conflict.

Narrative

The personal narrative of Zimodi is not explicitly detailed in the provided sources. However, his existence and that of the Zemarites are part of the broader narrative concerning the descendants of Canaan. The curse pronounced by Noah upon Canaan, making his lineage servants to Shem and Japheth, forms a significant backdrop to their story. Following the scattering of peoples from the land of Shinar, the children of Canaan, including the Zemarites, are described as building their own cities in the land of Canaan. This act of establishing urban centers signifies the formation of their own societal structures and a claim to specific territories. The decision of their ancestor Canaan to settle in Lebanon, despite objections from his family, introduces a potential element of conflict and a distinct geographical association for his descendants, including the Zemarites. Therefore, the narrative of Zimodi and the Zemarites is one of post-diluvian settlement, the establishment of identity through city-building and lineage, and the implications of their ancestor’s choices regarding land and their divinely ordained status as descendants of the cursed Canaan.