symbolized, probably, a point of time so remote from his own day that he ceased to
inquire further; and reposed from his labors in blissful ignorance, after having comprehended
the vanity of human efforts to pierce that primordial gloom. If he did not,
we do : and with the less regret, because an expounder (who says he knows all about
it) can be met with at every street-corner.
2d. From the unknown, then, in the supposed idea of a Chaldsean writer, proceeded three
grand divisions of mankind ; already distributed, at the age of the compilation of Xth
Genesis, each one “ after his tongue,, in their lands, after their nations.” It became
necessary, for his chorographic and ethnic objects, to classify them. He saw they
were apparently divided into three cuticular colors; just as the Egyptians before
him had perceived the same thing, when they classified three, of the four human
varieties known to them, by the colors r ed , y e llow , and w h ite .
3d. He gave to them, or adopted through preceding traditions, the three names “ SAeM
KAaM and IaPAeTi ” ; and called the nations within his horizon of knowledge by these
terms, as much for convenience sake, as on account of their, several and probable linguistic;
physiological, geographical, and traditionary relationship to each other. The
meaning which he attached to each of these proper names is utterly unknown ; but
modern lexicography speculates upon their acceptation as follows : —-
A. KAaM is the ancient name of Egypt ; centre point of the populations which the writer
of Xth Genesis classified as BeNI-KAaM, “ sons of Ham; ” and which we call Ham-
itic. In Hebrew, KAM means hot: but, in Arabic, while HàM has the same acceptation,
KAàM signifies dark, swarthy: perfectly applicable to the peoples that this
name embraces in Xth Genesis. The Egyptians designated themselves as the red
race; wherefore, for Hamitic types, we adopt the r ed c o lo r .
B. SÆeM, in Hebrew, means name “ par excellence.” It is also supposed to possess
the sense of left hand, in contrast to Yemen, the right; but this seems to be an “ ex
post facto” Arabian commentary. The Egyptians always gave shades of y e llow
to Shemitish races, in accordance with their cuticular color ;- and' we adopt it for
our classification.
C. IaPAeTtf. Such rabbinical explanations as “ the man of the opening of the tent”
belong to the domain of fable.
Iapetus, son of Coelus and Terra, was the Titanic progenitor of Greeks in their
ante-historical MTJTHOI; the “ audax genus Iapeti” is a symbolical periphrasis for
white races ; and an ancient Greek proverb, tov Jairerov vpea(3vrepoç} “ elder than Iapetus,”
indicates that the sense in which Grecians used it corresponds to our saying “ oldër
than Adam.” It is not impossible that the writer of Xth Genesis, in his anxiety to
discover an ancestor for white families, asked some Greek traveller, who replied
“ lajrsTOff.” To ourselves, as anciently to the Egyptians, these families are w h ite .
We conclude in the language of D'Avezac— “ Far from admitting that Genesis wished to
make all the ramifications of the- great human family descend from the unique N o a h , we
would voluntarily sustain the thesis, that the genesiacal writer only wished to designate the
three great branches of white races, individualized for us. in the three types Greek,
Egyptian, and Syriac ; whose respective traditions have preserved athwart ages, as an
indelible testimony of the veracity of Moses [or, only of that of the unknown writer of
Xth Genesis], the names of Japheth, of Ham, and of Shem : but, without entering digres-
sionally into a question so'vast, let us hasten to say that, to our eyes, the Biblical texts are
very disinterested upon any doubts arising from that [doubt] as to the unity or multiplicity
of species in the human genus.”
S e c tio n B . — O b s e r v a t i o n s o n t h e a n n e x e d G e n e a l o g i c a l T a b l e a u
o f t h e “ Sons o f Ho a h . ”
So far as thé authors’ reading enables them to judge, here, for the
first time since Xth Genesis %as composed, are tabulated, in a true
genealogical form, all the ethnic and geographical names contained
in that ancient document.
After the foregoing analysis of each name under Section A., the
reader requires no prolix remarks to perceive the utility of our
Tableau ; which, at a glance, exhibits Father HuBA (Hoah), and his
three Sons — his Grandsons, Great-grandsons, Great-great-grandsons,
Great-great-grëat-grandsons, and Great-great-great-great-grandsons, according
to their natural order. In this manner (the geography of
the Hebrew Text being, once for all, defined,) it is to be hoped that
science will be relieved from further discussion of main principles,
whatever may be the light which future Oriental researches cannot
fail to shed upon details.
Each Name is first displayed in the “ square-letter ” of the Hebrew
Text, without the Masoretic points. Below it, in “ Roman ” capitals,
is placed the conjectural vocalization of our modern, and colloquial,
English imitation of ancient foreign words. Beneath is put, in
“ Italics,” the spelling of each name as printed in king James’s
version. This is followed, in “ Gothic ” letters, with the geographical
attribution of the several cognomina, conformably to the results
attained through our Section A. And finally, under every one, in
common i ‘ Roman ” type, is represented the probable country, nation,
tribe, city, citizen, and personage historical or mythic, to which the
authors’ studies ascribe each name.
“ jHumanum est err are”
[The best parallel I have met with in ancient history of the conversion of symbolical
and national names into personages, that might be assimilated to the Hebrew map in Genesis
Xth, occurs in Tacitus.657 Speaking of the Germans, he gives one of their antique mythes
(which, during his time, was current among them) in explanation of, their figurative origins
and tripartite distribution into-races. “ Celebrant carminibus antiquis, quod unum apud
lllos memorise et annalium genus est, Tuisconem deum, terra editum, et filium Mannum
originem gentis conditoresque. Manno très filios assignant e quorum nominibus proximi
oceano Ingævones, medii Herminones, cæteris Istoevones vocantur.”
Tupcx) is the god Mars. Mannus thé Latinized form of our word “ Man,” in German
Mann: “ ones,” is the euphonizing suffix to the primitive words Ingoev, Hermin, Istoev.
The learned Zeuss658 has shown that Ingoev is the same as Yngvi, “ noble;” ancient
title of the royal race of Sweden.- Istoev, also meaning “ illustrious,” is traced in Astingi,
royal race of the Visigoths and Vandals: and Hermin, in old Gothic airmun, meant “ the
mighty ones.”
Hermin-ones, (in Pliny, Hermiones,) comprehended four tribes : the Suevi, Hermudiri*
' Chatti, and Cherusci. These clans occupied inland ^Germany.