Category: Series Studies on biblical topics

Japheth : Son of Noah

Copyright 2019 by Joan Berry

Japheth is one of the three sons of Noah and progenitor of the Aryan race. He and his descendants fathered Europe and East Asian peoples. His name means “God will enlarge.” Arabic records show his name as Yafeth bin Nuh. The Japhethites were characterized as intellectual people. Japheth fathered seven sons: Gomer, Magog, Tobal, Mechech, Madi, Javen, and Tiras.

Nations Founded by Japheth and Sons.

Japheth (Aryan race) King of Turkey

Gomer (Celts/Cimmerians) settled north of the Black Sea and later spread to Germany, France, Spain and the British Isles. His son, Ashkenaz, fathered Nysia, and Phygia: Japheth’s son Rephath settled Riphaeon; and Japheth’ son, Togarmah fathered Armenia.

Magog founded the Scythians and settled north of the Caspian Sea. Magog is not Russia, but Turkey. See note and White’s research https://hightimetoawake.com/princes-of-turkey/

Many biblical scholars jumped to the conclusion that Rosh meant Russia. This was improper research and nowhere else is it used – trying to find similar words in English. In its proper Hebrew language “rosh” means first, primary, and prominent. Magog is the most prominent son of Japheth, Magog, Tubal, and Mechech were first to settle Turkey.

Madi fathered the Medes and settled south of the Caspian sea.

Javan, whose name means Greek, produced four sons: Elishah, whose people became the Aeolians; Tarshish fathered Tarterssus; Kittim settled Cyprus; and Dodanim fathered the Trojans.

Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras Connection to Turkey:

Father is Japheth (Aryan race) King of Turkey

Tubal is associated with the Iberians (the Prince of the province) and settled near where Georgia is today and then became a prince of Turkey.

Tiras is associated with Turkey (a Prince) and controlled the province westward to Urartu and Armenia. His domain was known as Trace that was bordered by Dinaric Alps, Greek Plateau, and between the Black and Caspian Seas.

Mechech is connected to Turkey as a Prince. Tubal, Mechech and Tubal were mariners who had extensive trade routes and their tribes were very warlike.

NOTE: Gog and Allies Attack Israel; connection of Gog and Assyrians in end times

Ezekiel 38:1–3 the New King James Version 

38 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ^2 a“Son of man, ^bset your face against ^cGog, of the land of ^dMagog, ¹the prince of *Rosh, ^eMeshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, ³ and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. [Rosh is Hebrew for first; Magog was the first son to settle in Turkey and Magog/Gog was the name of the province ; this was a mistranslation of the word “rosh” and many biblical scholars make the of mistake of assuming it is Russia. Nowhere in the Table of Nations or anywhere else does Russia occur. The names and places discussed are a part of Turkey].

Sources

Berry, J. (2019). Noah Before and After the Great Flood. Hamilton, OH: “The Original Love, Learn, Live in Christ” website by joan-berry.com

 Book of Noah

Books used from Bibles: Genesis, I Chronicles, Psalms 105: 23, 27; 106: 22; Ezekiel 38.

Holy Bible from the Ancient Eastern Text. (1957). Lamsa, G. M. (trans). New York, NY: Harper –Collins Pub.

Josephus: The Complete Works. (1998). (trans.) Wm. Whiston, A. M. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson

Kaffi, A. (2000). Rethinking the significance of the Black Presence in the Pentateuch for Translation Study Bible.

Kass, L.P. (1992 & 2001). Seeing the Nakedness of His Father: Part 1. American Community, Vol. 3, Is. 93, 7p.

Life Application study Bible. (NIV, 2005). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois

New King James Version Study Bible. (2007). Pub. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Sadler, R.S. Jr. (n.d.). Can a Cushite Change His Skin Color? “Racial Othering” and the Hebrew Bible. Charlotte, NC: Union-PSCE.

The Amplified Bible. (1987). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House

The Torah and its Commentary (Revised Ed.) (2005). New York, NY: Union for Reform Judaism

White, C. C. (2019). Princes of Turkey; in High Time to Awake. https://hightimetoawake.com/princes-of-turkey/ (also recommended about Turkey are https://hightimetoawake.com/erdogan-is-the-antichrist/; https://hightimetoawake.com/the-assyrian-is-the-antichrist/).

Williams, T. D. (2018). The Bible is Black History ISBN-13: 978-1792125881  ISBN-10: 1792125887 . c

Shem: Son of Noah, and His Importance to Us

Copyright 2919 by Joan berry

            In the days of Noah, it was traditional to list children in birth order or status determined by the father. Either way, Shem was always listed first. Following the debacle over Ham’s derision of his father, Noah blessed Shem above his brothers. However, Japheth later shared in this blessing. The name, Shem, means “name” a way of expressing his father’s desire that Shem’s name would mean greatness. This was accomplished in direct family lineage beginning with Adam’s son, Seth .A brief example would be Seth to Shem, and on to Abraham, Judah, David and eventually to Jesus. Shem is the ancestor of all of Eber’s sons. The name, Eber, means Hebrew (not to be confused with Heber) Shem is the progenitor of the Semitic peoples and one of his descendants is Abraham, the first person in the Bible with the designation of Hebrew (Gen. 14: 13). From Abraham came three great world religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Nations Fathered by Shem and Descendants

            Shem produced five sons: Asher, Arphaxed, Elam, Lud, and Aram. Asher is associated with Assyria; Arphaxed is related to Chaldea in southern Mesopotamia; Lud is connected to the Lydians of Asia Minor; and Aram who is noted by biblical scholars as founding Syria north of the Promised Land.

Shem (Semitic Race)

Elam (Elamites)

Ashur (Assyrians)

Lud (Lydians)

Arphaxed (Chaldeans)

            Shelah

            Eber

            Peleg

            Joklan (Arabia)

            Almodad

            Sheleph

            Hazarmeveth

            Jerah

            Hadoram

Uzal

Dklah

Obal

Abimael

Sheba

Ophir

Havilah

Jobab

Lud (Lydians)

Aram (Syrians)

            Uz

            Hul

            Gether

            Meshach

Sources

Berry, J. (2019). Noah Before and After the Great Flood. Hamilton, OH: “The Original Love, Learn, Live in Christ” website by joan-berry.comO

 Live in Chris

Book of Noah

Holy Bible from the Ancient Eastern Text. (1957). Lamsa, G. M. (trans). New York, NY: Harper –Collins Pub.

Josephus: The Complete Works. (1998). (trans.) Wm. Whiston, A. M. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson

Kaffi, A. (2000). Rethinking the significance of the Black Presence in the Pentateuch for Translation Study Bible.

Kass, L.P. (1992 & 2001). Seeing the Nakedness of His Father: Part 1. American Community, Vol. 3, Is. 93, 7p.

Life Application study Bible. (NIV, 2005). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois

New King James Version Study Bible. (2007). Pub. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Sadler, R.S. Jr. (n.d.). Can a Cushite Change His Skin Color? “Racial Othering” and the Hebrew Bible. Charlotte, NC: Union-PSCE.

The Amplified Bible. (1987). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House

The Torah and its Commentary (Revised Ed.) (2005). New York, NY: Union for Reform Judaism

Williams, T. D. (2018). The Bible is Black History ISBN-13: 978-1792125881  ISBN-10: 1792125887

Books used from Bibles: Genesis, I Chronicles, Psalms 105: 23, 27; 106: 22.

Map courtesy of Bible History/Old Testament

More about Ham

            As we read the Old Testament, we are sometimes baffled by names of places and where they were/are located. As the study of Ham continues, it must be kept in mind that the land settled is named for that person. For example, Ham fathered Egypt and turned to idolatry calling himself Son of the Moon (translated in Noah’s time as Egypt) and often referred to as the Land of Ham. The Hamites were known for physical strength, long endurance, and warlike.  Ham and his descendants fathered 30 countries. His four sons were Cush, Phut (Put), Mizraim, and Canaan.

Cush settled Ethiopia (Turanian Race) south of Egypt and some migrated north of the Persian Gulf [See Map]. Cush’s sons fathered:

Seba (Meroe)

Havilah (Arabia)

Sabtah/Sabtecah (Sabbatha)

Raamah (Persian Gulf); two children, Sheba and Dedan

Mizraim (Egypt) fathered:

Ludim (Nubia)

Anamites

Lehabim (Libya)

Naphtuhitim (Napetu)

Pathrusim (Pathros)

Casluhites/Kasluhites (Phillestia)

Philistines

Caphtorites (Crete)

Phut/Put fathered Lybya

Canaan (Canaanites)

Sidonites

Hittites

Jubusites

Amorites

Girgashites

Hivites

Arkites

Sinites

Avadites

Zemarites

Hamathites

Next Up Noah’s Son, Shem.

Churches Guilty of False Teaching for Centuries: The Curse of Noah

Copyright 2019 by Joan Berry

            For centuries, churches have erroneously taught that Noah cursed Ham to have black skin and he was to be a slave to his brothers. This was used as an excuse to justify slavery forever among peoples with black skin. To begin with, Ham’s skin was already black, and the curse was placed on Ham’s youngest son, Canaan. And then, there are the false claims against Ham and to clarify those: Ham did not UNCOVER his father’s nakedness; he was not cursed to be black; he did not commit sexual sins against either parent; and he did not castrate his father. These issues and more will be discussed in this paper. Skin color will be discussed first.

White, Black, and Red Skin

Consensus among many anthropologists is that all early mankind had black skin [shades of brown were included in this category]. White skin was unusual and sometimes considered to be albino. Noah was not an albino. Red skin came as a combination of the colors. Due to intermarriages, they posit, skins began changing to various colors as well as eye color. Biblical scholars/anthropologists in tracing the genealogy of biblical families report that Abraham was black and had two black wives and then Sarah who was white. Moses married a black woman in Cush [Ethiopia/political]; Joseph married an Egyptian; sons of Jacob married Canaanite women of various colors. From these intermarriages, scholars/anthropologists say that we now have many skin and eye colors. Jesus is described as having skin the color of burnished brass [Revelation, Letter to Thyatira]. According to ethnologists, Noah’s children were black (Ham); Japheth, white like Noah; and Shem, brown).

The Controversy of the Curse

            The order of the events preceding the curse:

            Noah raised a vineyard and produced wine;

            He drank too much wine and passed out in his own tent;

            Ham entered the tent and SAW his father’s nakedness;

            Rather than leaving and not saying anything out of respect, he ran to his brothers and told them (making fun of Noah is indicated);

            Shem and Japheth took a cloth and walking backwards covered their father without seeing his nakedness;

            Later, when Noah woke up and found out what happened, he cursed Canaan, Ham’s youngest son. While he cursed Canaan, he indirectly cursed Ham, who was Noah’s youngest son. This act most likely hurt Ham more than being directly cursed. It must be remembered this was a curse by Noah (not God). It applied only to his son and grandson. And the curse was that Canaan would be subservient to Shem. The Land of Canaan was later given to Shem (Israelites) and the Canaanites exterminated.

Now the False Teaching

            False teachers insert a word from Leviticus into Genesis as their source to accuse Ham of untrue charges: “The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou NOT UNCOVER: she is thy mother; thou shalt not UNCOVER her nakedness.” – Leviticus 18:7. The word for uncover is “galah” meaning uncover, remove, or expose. The word for saw is “raah” meaning appear, see, or become visible. Moses wrote Leviticus and Genesis and it is doubtful that Moses mixed up these words. Our Bibles use the correct word, “saw”, however that does not keep false teachers from perverting scripture. Ham did not uncover his father or molest either parent and his skin was already black.

The Tower of Babel

            Following God’s disbursement of Noah’s descendants after their attempt to build a tower to Heaven, Ham’s descendants migrated southward and their names can be seen in Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, and central Asia. A great migration occurred to Egypt, but Canaan settled in the land now called Israel. Canaan’s land was later ceded to Shem.

The three sons of Noah represent the three great races of mankind. A list of 70 individual founders is found in Genesis and divides them into three basic groups. Ethnologists generally agree that mankind is divided into three basic groups; the Bible divides them geographically.

Sources

Berry, J. (2019). Noah Before and After the Great Flood. Hamilton, OH: “The Original Love, Learn, Live in Christ” website by joan-berry.com

Book of Noah

Holy Bible from the Ancient Eastern Text. (1957). Lamsa, G. M. (trans). New York, NY: Harper –Collins Pub.

Josephus: The Complete Works. (1998). (trans.) Wm. Whiston, A. M. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson

Kaffi, A. (2000). Rethinking the significance of the Black Presence in the Pentateuch for Translation Study Bible.

Kass, L.P. (1992 & 2001). Seeing the Nakedness of His Father: Part 1. American Community, Vol. 3, Is. 93, 7p.

Life Application study Bible. (NIV, 2005). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois

New King James Version Study Bible. (2007). Pub. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Sadler, R.S. Jr. (n.d.). Can a Cushite Change His Skin Color? “Racial Othering” and the Hebrew Bible. Charlotte, NC: Union-PSCE.

The Amplified Bible. (1987). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House

The Torah and its Commentary (Revised Ed.) (2005). New York, NY: Union for Reform Judaism

Williams, T. D. (2018). The Bible is Black History ISBN-13: 978-1792125881  ISBN-10: 1792125887

Books used from Bibles: Genesis, I Chronicles, Psalms 105: 23, 27; 106: 22.

 

More about the Psalms

Copyright 2019 by Joan Berry

                Martin Luther said of the psalms that they formed a little Bible (Wright, p. 28). John Calvin went a step further and said they were the anatomy of all parts of the soul. “He was in touch with how profoundly the psalms had touched him; and how the psalms reflected our emotions. The psalms have endeared themselves to the hearts of God’s people throughout the centuries” (Futato, p. 59). The Psalms, also known as the Psalter, comprise 150 poems/songs that are placed into five main categories and each end with a doxology. Some of the psalms are very ancient originating from 1000 years prior to the Jesus Movement. It is thought that the Book of Psalms was closed in the fourth or third century B. C.  Approximately one third of the 360 quotes from the Old and New Testaments are taken from the Psalter (Sabornin, pp. v-vi, 164).

            The five main categories the psalms fall into are Hymns, Laments, Songs of Thanksgiving, Divine Kingship Songs, and Wisdom Songs. Considered to be Royal Psalms are 2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 89, 101, 110, 132, and 144.  Psalms also appear in the books of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Song of Songs, Isiah, Minor Prophets except Jonah. In addition some appear in Exodus 15; Judges 5; and 2 Samuel 18 (Futato, p. 18).

            According to Wright (2011), “A good poem uses its poetic form to probe deeper into human experience than ordinary speech or writing is usually able to do, to pull back a veil and allow the reader or hearer to sense other dimensions. Sometimes, we are shocked or have to admit that we never considered that view before.”

            Psalm 23^rd  is considered to be one of the finest in the psalter because of its simplicity. It also breaks all the patterns of ‘form history.’ Being a pure psalm of confidence, it cannot immediately be classified under any of the categories or type of style history. It is a created poem that has its own form type” (Sabornin, p. 271).

Purpose of the Psalms

            It may be suggested that the Book of Psalms is a manual, guide/model for individual’s devotional needs; one reason is that it was influenced by wisdom tradition. Many psalms were believers’ praises and prayers to God, but once The Psalms became a canonical book, the texts became God’s word to the believers to teach us how to pray and praise Him (Futato, pp. 59, 68).  

             The word “psalms” comes from the Greek that denotes stringed instruments; “psalter” also comes from the Greek meaning stringed instruments, most likely the lyre. Accordingly, this indicates that many of the psalms were written for congregational worship. Churches throughout the centuries have used psalms as lyrics for hymns as well as liturgy for recitation (Creach, pp. 1, 2). Furthermore, there are two important characteristics that Creach (1998) brings to the forefront of this topic: 1) “They were not prayed privately or in isolation. When an individual speaks in a psalm, he or she prays from within a congregation, or on behalf of a group; 2) Many psalms speak about great suffering and persecution” (Creach, pp. 1,2). Americans residing in the United States have freedom of religion; however, it is correct to pray on the behalf of others who are poor and oppressed in the world. Recently, as most of us know, there is a war on Christianity in all parts of the world and yes, here too.

Note to new Bible students

            Be sure to interpret text in its original historic content, although some of it appears to relate to all ages.

Sources

Creach, J. F. D. (1998). Imprecation Bible Studies: Psalms. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Futato, M. D. (2007). Interpreting the Psalms: An Exegetical Handbook. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

New King James Study Bible. (2nd.ed., 2007). Nashville, TN. Tomas Nelson, Inc.

Life Application Study Bible (2012). Carol Stream, IL. Tyndale House

Sabornin, S, J. (1979). The Psalms: Their Origin and Meaning. New York, NY: Alba House Publications.

Wright, N. T. (2011). The Case for Psalms: Why They are Essential. New York, NY: Harper One.