II. THE HAMITIC RACES.
These are named with greater particularity, because they were those which rose to prominence early in the history, and those with which the Hebrews were brought into closer relations, either as enemies or as friends. Four principal races are given, some of which were greatly subdivided. The homes of these races were in Africa, Eastern Arabia, with a fringe of sea-coast along the eastern Mediterranean, and the great Mesopotamian valley, in which arose the earliest world empires. They have been sometimes called Turanians. It is by no means probable that all these nations should be regarded as the descendants of Ham, the son of Noah. In this list are evidently grouped together some races whose territory was contiguous, but whose physical appearance and language show no relationship.
1. Cush is, throughout the Bible, the word translated Ethiopia. Generally this refers to the region south of Egypt, now known as Abyssinia; but in Gen. 2:13, Isa. 11:11, and Ezek. 38:5, the reference must be to an Asiatic Cush, in Mesopotamia. The subdivisions of the Cushite tribes in Gen. 10:7-12, show that the earliest great Oriental monarchies were of this race. These subdivisions are as follows:
(1.) Seba. These were, probably, the Ethiopians of Meroë, on the Nile, anciently called Saba; in Isa. 43:3 and 45:14, connected with the Egyptians.
(2.) Havilah. This is supposed to refer to Arabia, or at least a part of it.
(3.) Sabtah. This may refer to the Sabbatha, or Sabota, of Pliny and Ptolemy, on the southern shore of Arabia.
(4.) Raamah, with whom are associated his sons or descendants, Sheba and Dedan, occupied the eastern shore of Arabia, near the Persian Gulf.
(5.) Sabtechah. This is unknown, but, from the relation of the previous names, may have been in the southeastern portion of Arabia.
(6.) Nimrod is named as a descendant of Cush (perhaps the only name of an individual in the list), and the founder of the early Babylonian empire.
2. Mizraim is the name everywhere used for Egypt in the Hebrew. The word is in the dual form, representing the two divisions of the country, and corresponding to the two crowns on all the royal effigies. Several branches of this race are especially mentioned.