GENESIS: Chapter 10

Chapter 10
Summary:	Get ready to be confused as chapter ten begins by listing the descendants of Noah's three sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth: Japheth Gomer Ashkenaz Riphath Togarmah Magog Madai Tubal Meschech Tiras Javan Elishah Tarshish Kittim Dodanim Ham Cush Seba Havilah Sabtah Sabteca Raamah Sheba Dedan Mizraim Put Canaan Sidon Heth Shem Elam Asshur Arpachshad Shelah Eber Peleg Joktan Almodad Sheleph Hazarmaveth Jerah Hadoram Uzal Diklah Obal Abima-el Sheba Ophir Havi-lah Jobab Lud Aram Uz Hul Gether Mash It goes on further to state that another descendant of Cush (Ham's lineage) was Nimrod who became the first king. Nimrod rules over Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh and later extended his kingdom into Assyria. It also states he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen (the main city of the empire). Mizraim (also from Ham's lineage) was the ancestor of the people inhabiting Ludim, Anamin, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim (which would spawn the Philistines), and Caphtorim. Canaan descended into the nations of Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. The descendants of Canaan eventually spread from Sidon all the way to Gerar, in the Gaza strip; and to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim. The descendants of Joktan (from Shem's lineage) lived all the way from Mesha to the eastern hills of Sephar.
Thoughts:	Okay, if you've truly managed to get this far in the book of Genesis, much less the entire bible this chapter should be enough to give you a headache. It is very poorly laid out, so I went ahead and prepared the multicolored table above listing the descendants of Japeth in blue, Ham in red, and Shem in green. Most of this information is irrelevant to the rest of the bible, and quite frankly this chapter could simply be skipped and more used as a point of reference (in the case that you might wish to figure out which city you're later reading about and as to whose descendants inhabited or founded it).