From the Creation to the Death of Isaac - Flavius Josephus

of what had been done, he prayed for prosperity to his other sons; but for
Ham, he did not curse him, by reason of his nearness in blood, but cursed his
prosperity: and when the rest of them escaped that curse, God inflicted it on
the children of Canaan. But as to these matters, we shall speak more
hereafter.
4. Shem, the third son of Noah, had five sons, who inhabited the land
that began at Euphrates, and reached to the Indian Ocean. For Elam left
behind him the Elamites, the ancestors of the Persians. Ashur lived at the city
Nineve; and named his subjects Assyrians, who became the most fortunate
nation, beyond others. Arphaxad named the Arphaxadites, who are now
called Chaldeans. Aram had the Aramites, which the Greeks called Syrians;
as Laud founded the Laudites, which are now called Lydians. Of the four
sons of Aram, Uz founded Trachonitis and Damascus: this country lies
between Palestine and Celesyria. Ul founded Armenia; and Gather the
Bactrians; and Mesa the Mesaneans; it is now called Charax Spasini. Sala
was the son of Arphaxad; and his son was Heber, from whom they originally
called the Jews Hebrews. (2) Heber begat Joetan and Phaleg: he was called
Phaleg, because he was born at the dispersion of the nations to their several
countries; for Phaleg among the Hebrews signifies division. Now Joctan, one
of the sons of Heber, had these sons, Elmodad, Saleph, Asermoth, Jera,
Adoram, Aizel, Decla, Ebal, Abimael, Sabeus, Ophir, Euilat, and Jobab.
These inhabited from Cophen, an Indian river, and in part of Asia adjoining
to it. And this shall suffice concerning the sons of Shem.
5. I will now treat of the Hebrews. The son of Phaleg, whose father Was
Heber, was Ragau; whose son was Serug, to whom was born Nahor; his son
was Terah, who was the father of Abraham, who accordingly was the tenth
from Noah, and was born in the two hundred and ninety-second year after
the deluge; for Terah begat Abram in his seventieth year. Nahor begat Haran
when he was one hundred and twenty years old; Nahor was born to Serug in
his hundred and thirty-second year; Ragau had Serug at one hundred and
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