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JAPHETH (np.:)

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Originally appearing in Volume V15, Page 275 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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JAPHETH (np.:) , in the See also:Bible, the youngest son of See also:Noah 1 according to the Priestly See also:Code (c. 45o B.C.); but in the earlier tradition' the second son, also the " See also:father " of one of the three See also:groups into which the nations of the See also:world are divided.' In Gen. ix. 27, Noah pronounces the following blessing on Japheth " See also:God enlarge (Heb. yapht) Japheth (Heb. yepheth), And let him dwell in the tents of See also:Shem; And let See also:Canaan be his servant." This is probably an See also:ancient See also:oracle See also:independent alike of the See also:flood See also:story and the genealogical See also:scheme in Gen. x. Shem is probably See also:Israel; Canaan, of course, the Canaanites; by See also:analogy, Japheth should be some third See also:element of the See also:population of See also:Palestine—the See also:Philistines or the Phoenicians have been suggested. The sense of the second See also:line is doubtful, it may be " let God dwell " or " let Japheth dwell "; on the latter view Japheth appears to be in friendly See also:alliance with Shem. The words might mean that Japheth was an intruding invader, but this is not consonant with the See also:tone of the oracle. Possibly Japheth is only See also:present in Gen. ix. 20-27 through corruption of the See also:text, Japheth may be an accidental repetition of yapht " may he enlarge," misread as a proper name. In Gen. x. Japheth is the See also:northern and western See also:division of the nations; being perhaps used as a convenient See also:title under which to See also:group the more remote peoples who were not thought of as See also:standing in ethnic or See also:political connexion with Israel or See also:Egypt. Thus of his descendants, See also:Gomer, Magog,' Tubal, Meshech, Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah are peoples who are located with more or less certainty in N.E. See also:Asia See also:Minor, See also:Armenia and the lands to the N.E. of the See also:Black See also:Sea; Javan is the See also:Ionians, used loosely for the seafaring peoples of the See also:West, including Tarshish (Tartessus in See also:Spain); Kittim (See also:Cyprus), Rodanim' (See also:Rhodes).

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identification of Tiras and Elishah. The similarity of the name Japheth to the Titan Iapetos of See also:Greek See also:mythology is probably a See also:mere See also:accident. A See also:place Japheth is mentioned in See also:Judith ii. 25, but it is quite unknown. In addition to commentaries and See also:dictionary articles, see E. See also:Meyer, See also:Die Israeliten and ihre Nachbarstamme, pp. 219 sqq. (W. H.

End of Article: JAPHETH (np.:)

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