Previous Questions and Answers
I have always been told that Abraham's descendants, (12 tribes of
Israel), were the first to spread out across the world and that the first people to
migrate to America, (USA), were from the tribe of Mannasah. I have also heard
that the first people to migrate to America were from the people that God scattered across
the world after the Tower of Babel was built and he made them speak different languages.
Are both of these groups of people the same? Are both the descendants of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? If not, please correct me.
Genesis 10:2-5 says, “2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer,
and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. 3 And the sons of
Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and
Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their
lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.” The
descendents of Japheth are clearly called “Gentiles,” and are scattered abroad
to different lands.
Genesis 10:6-19 says,” 6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. 7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. 8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, 12 And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. 13 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 14 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim. 15 And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, 16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, 17 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, 18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. 19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.” The descendants of Ham are the Canaanites, the Babylonians, the Philistines, the Egyptians, etc.
Genesis 10:21-31 says, “21 Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born. 22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. 23 And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. 24 And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber. 25 And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan. 26 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, 27 And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, 28 And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, 29 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan. 30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.”
The Jews came through the line of Shem. Luke 3:34-36 says, “34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, 35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, 36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, The Greek spellings of some of those names are a little different — “Sem” for “Shem,” and “Noe” for “Noah.”
America was settled by mostly Gentiles through the line of Japheth. Since that time, the other two lines have also grown here. There are many descendents of Ham living here, which would be Gentiles from the Middle East down through Egypt and Africa. There are also a lot of Jews that live in America. The Jewish line came from the line of Shem, and then through the Syrian nation. Abraham was a Syrian, before God took him and made a nation out of him. Genesis 24:1-4 says, “1 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: 3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: 4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.” Deuteronomy 26:5 tells us that later on, the Jews would be instructed to say, “5 And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:”
So to answer your question, all three lines have many people living in America, but America was settled, at first, by mostly sons of Japheth (which would not be through the line of Manasseh, because he was a Jew). The Jewish nation started with Abraham. Genesis 12:1-2 says, “1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing…” The nation was given the name of “Israel” when Jacob was alive. Genesis 32:28 says, “28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”
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