Published by It was recorded in the Scripture that only eight people survived the antediluvian flood that once wiped out all flesh that were upon the face of the earth. These eight survivors refer to Noah and his wife; the three sons of Noah and their wives. These were the eight souls in Noah’s ark that were divinely rescued from the flood that once covered the whole earth.
‘…When once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.’ (1 Peter 3:20)
Noah’s name is mentioned as the eighth person in another scripture below in order to emphasise the significance of the number eight. Throughout the Scripture, the number eight is symbolic of a new beginning, which was what God established with the family of Noah. For instance, the eighth day is the new beginning that succeeds the seventh day of rest (Sabbath).
Also, God used eight people to establish a new beginning for the inhabitants of the earth after the antediluvian flood. Noah is mentioned again in the scripture as the eighth person to symbolise a new beginning.
‘And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly:’ (2 Peter 2:5)
Let’s recall that the eight survivors of the antediluvian flood were Noah and his wife, the three sons of Noah and their wives. It was from these three sons of Noah and their wives that the new families of the earth began to spread abroad. These three sons of Noah were Shem, Ham, and Japheth as revealed below.
‘And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.’ Genesis 9: 18, 19)
Among the three sons of Noah mentioned above; only Ham’s identity was immediately emphasised because his name was mentioned again in connection with Canaan his youngest son. This is due to the fact that the Scripture later attached a great significance to the relationship between Ham and his youngest son Canaan, which can be found in the chapter of this book that deals with the families of Canaan.
The scripture above also confirms how all the present day nations of earth evolved from the families of these three sons of Noah, who began their journey from the mountains of Ararat, where the ark finally rested after the flood.
‘And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him.’ (Genesis 8:18)
As earlier mentioned, the origin of all the nations of the world began from Mount Ararat with the eight survivors of the antediluvian flood. Ararat’s location is a mountainous district between the Caspian Sea in Eastern Europe and Asia Minor. A Babylonian story says that the ark settled northeast of Ararat about five thousand years ago.
The mountain of Ararat is a volcano that stands at about 5,185 meters in present day Turkey. Its central location in the regions of Turkish-Armenia is at the meeting point of the territories that are now known as Iran, Russia, and Turkey. This part of the world is often termed as the Middle East, which is also a part of Asia.
History records that the earliest form of civilisation must have begun about 3,500 BC and the people involved probably came from the highlands of present-day Turkey or Iran. As earlier mentioned the Mount Ararat is also in this same location of the highlands of the present-day Turkey and Iran. It was from this region that the family of Noah began to migrate towards the land of Shinar, which is the same as the plains of Babylonia in present day Iraq. The earliest civilisation at this period was known as the Sumerian culture and it was established under the leadership of Nimrod the last son of Cush that was mentioned in the scriptures.
Scriptural record also confirms how the name Cush belongs to the first son of Ham, who was the second son of Noah.
The earliest civilisation after the flood
Sumerian Culture
Nimrod the last son of Cush was the first man to establish cities on earth after the antediluvian Flood. Historically, all the activities and great exploits of Nimrod with the earliest families of the earth were confined to the plains of Babylonia in what is now known as southern Iraq.
The name Nimrod is derived from the Hebrew verb ‘nimrodh’, which means; ‘let us revolt’. In conformity with his name; the man Nimrod was the first man to stir a worldwide rebellion after the flood. Typical of the sons of Cush, Nimrod was a very energetic man and it was recorded in the Scripture that Nimrod was a mighty man on earth. He was so powerful to the extent that he was also reckoned a mighty hunter before the Lord.
‘And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore, it is said, even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.’ (Genesis 10:8, 9)
There is also an oral Babylonian tradition that reveals how Nimrod tamed a leopard to accompany him during hunting. Besides, the Babylonian meaning of ‘nimrod’ suggests the taming of a leopard. The Babylonian name for leopard is ‘nimr’ and ‘rod’ in the same language means ‘to subdue’. The Iraqi Arabs still recall some of the stories of Nimrod with awe.
As a mighty hunter, Nimrod led the multiracial families of the earth to explore new territories as they journeyed from the east of Ararat, where the ark of Noah rested after the flood.
The mount Nimrod (Nimrud Dagh) has been discovered in a region not far from Ararat since the earliest times after the flood. Babel was the first city on earth built after the flood and it was established under the leadership of Nimrod. The same site of Babel that was the beginning of the Nimrod’s kingdom was later rebuilt as the historical city of Babylon in what is now Iraq.
Other early kingdoms on earth built by Nimrod in the days of the Sumerian civilisation included Erech (Uruk), Accad, Calneh in the land of Shinar (Sumer). The ‘land of Shinar’ was the biblical name for Sumer and it refers to the plains of Babylonia. All the ancient kingdoms in the land of Shinar existed in the country now known as modern day Iraq (Daniel 1:1-2).
‘…. Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.’ (Genesis 10:9, 10)
In the same land of Shinar mentioned above was the first civilisation on earth that historians also refer to as the Sumerian civilisation. The Sumerian civilisation in the plains of Babylonia was built around the Fertile Crescent of Southwest Asia, in the valley of the Euphrates River.
Furthermore, the word mighty that was used to describe Nimrod in the scripture above is derived from a Hebrew word ‘gilor’, which also suggests a tyrant. Nimrod was the first dictator to make himself a king and he ruled over many kingdoms. All the cities founded by Nimrod were powerful kingdoms of old, in what was called the land of Shinar. For instance, Nimrod’s fourth kingdom Calneh was later mentioned in comparison with two other great ancient cities that included Gath, the great city of Philistine giants.
‘Pass ye unto Calneh and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better that these kingdoms? Or their border greater than your border?’ (Amos 6:2)
Furthermore, it was from the territory of Nimrod in the land of Shinar that Asshur the forefather of the Assyrians also went out to establish the cities that later formed the great Assyrian kingdom. The great cities of the Assyrian kingdom included ancient Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calah and Resen as quoted below.
‘Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Out of that land went forth Asshur, and built Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.’ (Genesis 10:8-12)
History confirms how one of the chief cities of the Assyrians was also named Nimrud. This city of Nimrud was also known as the city of Kalhu. ‘… And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof.’ (Micah 5:6)
As the first great ruler of Accad (Akkad), Nimrod was known by the title Sargon I. Another Sargon that later ruled Nimrod’s city of Akkad became known as the first great empire builder in history. During the Akkadian domination, Sargon of Accad conquered Sumer and united Mesopotamia under one Empire about 2,300 BC. Afterwards, nations gradually began to fall before Sargon’s invading army until he ruled most of the Middle East.
Apart from Babel, Errech, Accad, other cities of the Sumerian period included ancient cities such as Ur, Nippur, and many other cities founded by Nimrod and his crew. The Sumerians invented a form of writing called Cunei form, and used it to inscribe clay tablets. Historians also believe that writing may have first appeared among the Sumerians in southern Mesopotamia (now Iraq), sometimes before 3,000 B.C.
However, scholars have no records to identify the language or race of the first group of settlers in this region of Babylonia except for the evidence that suggests that they migrated from the mountainous regions of present day Iran and Turkey. The Mount Ararat also lies in this mountainous region, which was where the ark rested after the antediluvian flood.
‘And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat…And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him.’ (Genesis 8: 4,18)
The journey of Noah and his family from extremely mountainous regions of Ararat before reaching a plain in the land of Shinar must have taken some years because there were neither access roads nor vehicles in those days. Consequently, many generations of children would have been born by Noah before they reached the land of Shinar. In addition, the people must have travelled along the course of the Euphrates River in order to have adequate water supply for their families and flocks.
According to the scripture, it is quite clear that the whole earth (Noah and his descendants) was of one language and speech as they journeyed from Mount Ararat towards the land of Shinar. The entire families of the earth were still together at this period as the descendants of Noah journeyed from Ararat until they found a habitable region in the land of Shinar in what is now southern Iraq. It was from the city of Babel in the land of Shinar (the plains of Babylonia) that the families of the earth began to spread abroad in different languages.
‘And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.’ (Genesis 11:1, 2)
Although Babel was recorded as the first kingdom on earth as well as the beginning of Nimrod’s might but the work at Babel could not be completed because it was built against divine will.
It is worth noting that the building industry commenced its activities at Babel where men learnt how to burn bricks to build structures. For thousands of years, sun dried bricks have been used to build desert structures by mixing sandy clay, some straw such as grass, which would be sun dried for a few days.
During the construction of Babel, Nimrod’s crew decided to quickly burn the bricks rather than going through the delayed process of sun drying in their determination to quickly build a city just to prevent the families of Noah’s descendants from spreading over the earth. This motive behind the hasty construction work at Babel was contrary to divine plan to replenish the earth after the flood. The construction workers at Babel used slime as mortar, which is the same as bitumen. Slime pits are still found in regions of Babylonia till today.
‘And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly, And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.’ (Genesis 11:3)
The people that masterminded the plan of building a Tower that will reach the heavens from the city of Babel intended to establish their own name outside of the divine instruction to spread over the earth. The chapter of this book concerning the story of Nimrod reveals how the occult principles behind idol worship of many gods had their foundation from the Tower of Babel because the secret motive behind the high Tower of Babel was idolatry. The high places required for the idol worship of the sun god were historically linked to the secrets behind the Tower of Babel while the families of the earth were still gathered together in the same location.
The obvious reason for the construction of Babel was to build a city with a central tower, whose top may reach the heaven so that the families of the earth could remain gathered in one place without being scattered abroad. ‘And they said, Now, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’ (Genesis 11: 3-4)
Moreover, the rebellious plan to keep all the families of the earth in one location was expressly against the divine plan that wanted humanity to spread abroad and replenish the earth after the flood that once destroyed the earth.
‘And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.’ (Genesis 9:6)
The scripture recorded how God observed the city and the Tower built by men in the days of Nimrod and realised that nothing could be done to stop the rebellion they had determined to achieve in their united will power. As revealed below, the only way to stop the work at Babel was to disunite the joint effort and will power behind the imaginative ability of the men working at Babel. Therefore, the divine strategy to stop the work at Babel caused a communication barrier that confused the language of the people such that the people were no longer in one accord.
It was at this period that the families of the earth began to adopt different languages and were subsequently scattered abroad from building the city and Tower of Babel.
‘And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do: Now, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. (Genesis 11:5-8)
The Hebrew meaning of the word ‘Babel’ is derived from the word ‘balal’, which means ‘to confuse’. The English word babble (babblings) also has its root from Babel. It was at Babel that the languages of the early families on earth were confounded such that they could not effectively communicate their proud imagination in building the city of Babel. Afterwards, the families of the earth were scattered abroad from building the city and tower of Babel.
‘Therefore is the name of it called Babel: because the Lord did there confound the language of the earth: And from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.’ (Genesis 11: 9)
Noah himself must have witnessed the division on earth that occurred about hundred years after the flood because it was stated that Noah lived an additional three hundred and fifty years after the flood (Genesis 9:28, 29). This division of the earth occurred in the days of Peleg, who was born about a hundred years after the flood.
‘And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg: for in his days was the earth divided.’ (Genesis 10:25)
As revealed above, the division of the earth in the days of Peleg occurred a hundred years after the flood. The name ‘Peleg’ is derived from the Hebrew word ‘palag’, which means ‘split’ or ‘division’. It is also confirmed in the scripture above that Eber’s son was named Peleg because the earth was divided in his days. It was from the city of Babel that the families of the earth began to spread abroad according to God’s future plan for the sons of men.
The volume of this book that deals with the families of Shem the first Son of Noah confirmed how divided the families of the children of Noah according to his future plans concerning the Messiah that will be revealed as the seed of Abraham (Genesis 10:32).
Furthermore, the division of the earth among the children of Noah was based on family ties, language similarities, and geographical territory according to God’s scheme for mankind. Most of the people that remained in the regions of the Middle East spoke Semitic languages, as we shall later consider under the section that deals with the descendants of Shem.
This volume deals with the nations and families of Ham the second son of Noah.
‘These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.’ (Genesis 10: 20)
