Resurrection accounts

The previous passages quoted predictions of the Passion. Following are the passages that describe the death and resurrection of Jesus at the time of these events.

These passages state that the day of his crucifixion was "Preparation Day." They mention the Sabbath day. They state that on the first day of the week when the women went to the tomb before dawn Jesus had already been raised. Most people agree that at the time of the New Testament a new day commenced at sundown (dusk) and sunrise (dawn) occurred half way thru a 24-hour day (See Luke 23:54).

Mentions of Preparation day, Sabbath and the first day of the week

And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After 3 days I will rise.' Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the 3rd day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can." So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. (Mat 27:59-28:6)

And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. (Mar 15:42-43)

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. (Mar 16:1-6)

This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

But on the 1st day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the 3rd day rise." (Luk 23:52-24:7)

So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the 6th hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" They cried out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." (Joh 19:13-15)

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. (Joh 19:30-31)

Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Now on the 1st day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. (Joh 19:41-20:1)

On the evening of that day, the 1st day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." (Joh 20:19)

Mention of the duration

And there are some further passages after the event mentioning the duration. Jesus meets 2 men walking to Emmaus.

And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the 3rd day since these things happened. (Luk 24:19-21)

The same day Jesus appears to the Eleven and teaches them.

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the 3rd day rise from the dead,... (Luk 24:45-46)

Peter teaches the Gentiles about Jesus.

And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the 3rd day and made him to appear,... (Act 10:39-40)

Paul reminds the Corinthians what he has previously taught them

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the 3rd day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the 12. (1Co 15:3-5)

So we have several mentions of the number of days and a reasonably detailed chronology of the events which I will unpack later.

Mentions of the crucifixion prior to the event

There are several places where the death of Jesus and it duration are predicted. I have included duration specific prophecies and these are predominantly Jesus' own words, though prediction of his death occurs in the Old Testament.

Jesus' predictions of his own death

There are numerous verses to be found where Jesus mentions he was to be put to death then rise after 3 days. This is because Jesus told his disciples several times and these episodes are recorded in the synoptic gospels which describe several of the same events.

As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the 3rd day." And they were greatly distressed. (Mat 17:22-23)

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the 3rd day be raised. (Mat 16:21)

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the 3rd day." (Mat 20:17-19)

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after 3 days rise again. (Mar 8:31)

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after 3 days he will rise." (Mar 9:30-31)

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after 3 days he will rise." (Mar 10:32-34)

Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the 3rd day be raised." (Luk 9:20-22)

And taking the 12, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the 3rd day he will rise." (Luk 18:31-33)

Jesus' temple analogy

Jesus was explicit with his comments to his followers about his death and resurrection. He alluded to it in public with his comment about the temple.

So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "It has taken 46 years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in 3 days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his body. (Joh 2:18-21)

Jesus frequently spoke in figures of speech, he spoke in parables to the crowds but explained the meanings to his close followers. Those who wanted to gain understanding sort out the truth, those who cared little continued in their ignorance.

This is obvious in these words of Jesus for they were remembered by many which testifies to the 3 days, though they continued to misapply the temple of which Jesus spoke to the building and not his body. Firstly at Jesus' trial:

Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last 2 came forward and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in 3 days.'" (Mat 26:59-61)

For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in 3 days I will build another, not made with hands.'" Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. (Mar 14:56-59)

And then at the crucifixion:

And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in 3 days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." (Mat 27:39-40)

And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in 3 days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!" (Mar 15:29-30)

Even though these people were incorrect about what Jesus meant by "temple" (note the irony in the derision of the last 2 comments), their statements are useful in their testimony that Jesus had predicted 3 days.

Analogy to Jonah

Many of those who did not believe in Jesus asked for a sign. Matthew records Jesus referring to Jonah on at least 2 occasions.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. (Mat 12:38-41)

An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and departed. (Mat 16:4)

The famous episode in the book of Jonah mentions that he was swallowed by a large sea creature where he remained for 3 days:

And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish 3 days and 3 nights. (Jon 1:17)

This is relevant because of the phrase "3 days and 3 nights" which some claim implies Jonah was in the sea creature for 72 hours and Jesus would be dead for 72 hours. We will come back to these passages for further consideration later.

An Old Testament allusion

There are several passages that discuss the death of the Messiah, Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 being good examples. Some suggest that there is also an allusion to the duration of his death in Hosea:

"Come, let us return to the LORD;/
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;/
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up./
After 2 days he will revive us;/
on the 3rd day he will raise us up,/
that we may live before him./
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD;/
his going out is sure as the dawn;/
he will come to us as the showers,/
as the spring rains that water the earth." (Hos 6:1-3)

Hosea married a prostitute as a symbol of God's relationship with unfaithful Israel. The interesting thing about this passage is that it invites people to return to the Lord even though they have been unfaithful and God has disciplined them for this (torn, struck). God has disciplined Israel in order that he may restore them to right relationship (heal, bind up). The mention of 2 and 3 days is concerning the reviving and raising of Israel to right relationship, though this can only occur through atonement and therefore the time frame would apply to atoning sacrifice.

It is possible that when Jesus mentions that Scripture teaches that he must rise after 3 days (Luke 24:46) that he was referring to this passage.

On what day was Jesus crucified?

During discussion on my facts of Christmas post Starwind stated

I also note the Star of Bethlehem site endeavors to place the crucifixion on a Friday for which there is no biblical warrant, and which leads to no reconciliation of Jesus being 3 days & nights in the tomb.

I mentioned that I held to a Friday crucifixion and Starwind asked for my reasoning, specifically how I

count 3 days and 3 nights leading up to Sunday morning.

I will address this over the next few posts.

There are several passages that give us information about the day of crucifixion and resurrection. They can be arranged in several groups.

• Jesus' predictions of his own death
• Jesus' temple analogy
• Analogy to Jonah
• Resurrection accounts
• Mention of Preparation day
• Mention of the Sabbath day
• Mention of the first day of the week
• Mention of the duration
• Other allusions

I will quote all the relevant passages with some discussion, remembering that one of my hermeneutical principles is to favour an interpretation that does justice to all relevant Scripture.

Messianic Miracles

The Old Testament prophesied about the coming of the Messiah. There were several clues that God had given his prophets over hundreds of years about who and when the Messiah would be. God brought these things to pass in Jesus.

Beresford Job has an interesting article on the rabbinical requirements for the Messiah. His article is based on material by Arnold Fruchtenbaum at Ariel Ministries. The ancient rabbis had a theory about the Messiah and grouped miracles into messianic and non-messianic miracles. The messianic miracles were a list of miracles that could only be performed by the Messiah. Their reasoning meant to them that the person doing these miracles would be the promised Messiah.

Now this is man's requirement so there is no divine necessity that these miracles be performed by Jesus. Further there is no reason to think the Pharisees were correct in their assertion that only the Messiah could perform these miracles; God could surely work these miracles in any of his servants by the power of his Spirit.

Nevertheless, Jesus acquiesced to these requirements-of-men and there could be no doubt Jesus was the Promised One of God.

What were these miracles?

Healing a Leper. Casting out a dumb demon. Healing a man born blind.

The healing of a leper miracle was reasoned because it had never happened to a Jew since the episode with Miriam. Further the Mosaic Law prescribed the law for investigating healing and ceremonial requirement for one who was healed but not a method for healing.

The healing of a man born blind was also because it had not been known to happen and it was reasoned that the Messiah would be able to do this.

The casting out of a dumb demon came about because of the rabbinical methodology for dealing with demons. They would start a conversation with the demon, get the demon to name himself, then cast the demon out with the use of his name. Obviously this would not work with a mute demon—one that would not speak and dumb he possessed person.

Jesus performed all 3 miracles and that in the presence of the Pharisees. Not that this was necessary for Jesus to do, he was under no obligation to the Pharisees, and the Bible did not hint at these as messianic signs, it gave other ones. Nor was the Pharisees' theology necessarily correct. But by Jesus' actions they were confronted with who he really was by their own reasoning.

The article is worth a read for expanded details about the so called messianic miracles, how Jesus used these miracles to confront the Pharisees with his Messiahhood, and how Jesus performed these miracles in ways that, while consistent with God's law, intentionally broke their traditions.

Random quote

If a man speaks in a forest and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong?

Hurricanes not evidence for global warming

My previous post mentioned recent data showing cooling. I usually follow links to the source. I was either remiss or the DailyTech did not initially have the links. Either way, the compilation of the source data is here. The data has been further normalised and smoothed.

This site mentioned a recent press release from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They have found that the number of hurricanes has not increased

...economic damages from hurricanes have increased in the U.S. over time due to greater population, infrastructure, and wealth on the U.S. coastlines, and not to any spike in the number or intensity of hurricanes.

and that there is no correlation between global warming and hurricane damage

There is nothing in the U.S. hurricane damage record that indicates global warming has caused a significant increase in destruction along our coasts.

The report appears to assume global warming.

Of course this press release has neglected to be mentioned in most news outlets.

The hurricane connection was always suspicious. When a link was not found in the all-hurricane data the analysis was restricted to category 4 and 5 hurricanes. This is suspect as multiple analyses will always lead to some apparent correlation that is purely chance. And better data collection means more recent hurricanes are likely to be graded higher than old ones of the same intensity.

Actually a warmer earth would likely lead to less hurricanes if the warming was predominantly the poles. This is due to the smaller difference in temperatures between the equator and the poles. Thermodynamics shows that work available is related to the difference in temperature. Hurricanes are quite complicated and not fully understood so this prediction is at the lowest level.

Global cooling?

Recent data confirms suspicions about winter in the northern hemisphere, that it was very cold. Which is interesting as we had a particularly nice summer, though our winter 6 months or so ago was colder than usual.


Not only did the world fail to continue warming after 1998, there has been a precipitous drop in the last year. The scale on the left says temperature, but I think it means difference in temperature (from some predefined point). The global temperature is about 15°C.

I am somewhat suspicious of global temperatures. Some stations are not ideally set up and there is a lot of data points unknown (like most of the Pacific Ocean). Satellite data is better but it is of shorter duration and represents non-surface temperatures.

Academically I find this pleasing. Of course I don't want a cooler earth, I want a warmer one, and I think that the complete loss of the northern polar cap would be beneficial allowing warmer seas in that area and possibly warmer winters in the northern hemisphere (but possibly cooler summers also).

It is pleasing because it may lead to increased suspicion about the anthropomorphic global warming theory.

I am aware that one cold summer does not discredit the theory—of course there are plenty of reasons pre-dating this summer that discredit it—general warming trends can theoretically have cooler spells. But the significant change may cause people to have second thoughts. And even if it doesn't change people's minds, giving them reason for increased doubt and an awareness that the data is not so certain is a good thing.

As beneficial as a warmer earth would be, it is not worth the political evil that is being enacted. So if we need to put up with a cooler earth until the naysayers have their theories cremated, so be it. Then we can hope for a sun cycle that gives us ice-free Arctic Sea and the benefits of more equitable climate.

Sons of Ham

Ham was the youngest son of Noah.

Sons of Ham(1): Cush(2), Seba(3), Havilah(3), Sabtah(3), Raamah(3), Sheba(4), Dedan(4), Sabteca(3), Mizraim(2), Ludim(3), Anamim(3), Lehabim(3), Naphtuhim(3), Pathrusim(3), Casluhim(3), Philistines(4), Caphtorim(3), Put(2), Canaan(2), Sidon(3), Heth(3), Jebusites(3), Amorites(3), Girgashites(3), Hivites(3), Arkites(3), Sinites(3), Arvadites(3), Zemarites(3), Hamathites(3).

The name Cush occurs frequently in Scripture. It is the region south of Egypt where Sudan and Ethiopia is located. They were a black race. This noted in a verse in Jeremiah,

Can the Cushite change his skin/
or the leopard his spots? (Jeremiah 13)

In the Septuagint the word Cushite is translated Ethiopian, however the region is likely to be more closely aligned to Sudan; essentially south of Aswan in Egypt.

Seba was the ancestor of the Sabeans who dwelt in south Arabia.

The name Havilah appears twice in the Table of Nations, the other is a Semitic tribe. The same name occurring in genealogical tables (in general) may suggest that descendants of both men lived in a similar area and possibly intermarried to become a single tribe. Bill Cooper thinks that in the case of Havilah however there were 2 distinct tribes living in different regions of Arabia.

Sabtah was the ancestor of the Hadhramaut people in southern Arabia.

Raamah's descendants were probably another Arabian tribe.

The nation of Sheba existed in southern Arabia in the area of Yemen. Though some claim this is the kingdom from whence came the queen of Sheba, a better case can be made for Queen (of) Sheba being an Egyptian.

Dedan dwelt in west Arabia. Interestingly Abraham several years later had a son called Jokshan by his wife Keturah whom Abraham took after Sarah's death. Abraham sent his other sons eastward as it was Isaac who was to inherit the land of Canaan. Jokshan is also named as the father of Sheba and Dedan. Presumably these Semites joined the Hamitic tribes. If this is not the case Jokshan's tribes may have got their name by dwelling in the same region as the Hamites. If the first suggestion is correct, then it would seem reasonable than the tribal blending occurred while Sheba and Dedan lived in close proximity with subsequent migration of the tribe(s) apart to their new locations.

Sabteca's descendants also dwelt in Arabia. In the area of modern day Yemen.

So Cush was the ancestor of several tribes that dwelt in Arabia, though his other descendants, who took his name, migrated to Africa.

Mizraim is unequivocally Egypt. Egypt is called Misr by its citizens. Mizraim is mentioned multiple times in the Bible. How closely the modern inhabitants are related to the ancient dynasties given the interactions of Egypt with its neighbours over the centuries would make for interesting research.

The Ludim (not to be confused with the Semitic Lud) are thought to have migrated to Libya in northern Africa, east of Egypt. Note that the Ludim are descendants of Mizraim. A possible inference that they migrated from Babel to Egypt as Mizraim and a tribe broke off and shifted west.

The people of Anamim are not well identified. The land of Anami was adjacent to the land of Caphtor, another descendant of Mizraim. Anami was probably located at Cyrene in the east of Libya.

The Lehabim are sparsely mentioned in ancient texts.

The Naphtuhim are mentioned in some Egyptian writings as dwelling in the Nile delta.

The Pathrusim possibly dwelt in Upper (ie. south) Egypt.

The Casluhim are little known though they are the ancestors of the Philistines.

The Philistines are well documented in the Bible from the time of Abraham. They dwelt in the Gaza region in Palestine. Palestine is clearly etymologically related to Philistine.

The land of Caphtor where the Caphtorim lived is frequently identified with Crete. This however is incorrect. Cretans spoke an Indo-European language and thus were Japhetic, they were likely descended from Javan whose sons colonised the regions of the Aegean Sea. The Caphtorim initially dwelt adjacent to the Anamim as mentioned above. The Targum (Aramaic) gives them the name Caphutkia which is identified with Pelusium, the eastern region of the Nile delta. The Captorim subsequently migrated (or some of them) to Gaza:

As for the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their place. (Deuteronomy 2)

This raises the question of whether they intermingled with the Philistines (see Jeremiah 47). But based on the migration of the Caphtorim, their identity in the Targums, the location of the Anamim, the locations the other descendants of Mizraim settled in, and that they were involved in the Ethiopic War; it is almost certain they settled in north-east Africa.

So Mizraim and his sons settled along the Nile and the southern coast of the Mediterranean.

Put was probably in the area of Libya near Cyrene.


Canaan was in the area of the Levant. Numbers mentions the Canaanites dwelling by the sea and next to the Jordan.

Sidon dwelt adjacent to the Mediterrean. The city of Sidon was well known in Biblical times and is often mentioned in conjunction with Tyre. The Sidonians are identified as the Phoneticians.

Heth is probably the father of the Hittites. They are mentioned frequently in the Bible. A dynasty that dwelt in Turkey was identified with the Hittites due to a similarity in name. While the latter group is now universally referred to as the Hittite nation in the English language, there is good reason to suspect the original identification was incorrect and the Hittites of the Bible are very unlikely to be the Hittites of Anatolia. The latter spoke an Indo-European language while the sons of Heth spoke a Semitic one. They almost certainly dwelt in the Levant and were a smaller tribe. Further confirmation can be seen in the report brought back by the spies sent into Canaan by Moses:

The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan. (Numbers 13)

The Jebusites occupied at least Jerusalem and probably the surrounding hills. David defeated them when he conquered the city.

The Amorites dwelt in the region of Canaan and were defeated by Israel during the conquest. Numbers mentions that Sihon was a king of the Amorites and he dwelt east of the Salt Sea, north of the Arnon River up to the Jabbok River. Another Amorite king, Og, was king of Bashan. His kingdom was north of Sihon's kingdom. Other Amorites dwelt in the hill country west of the Jordan. Joshua mentions 5 kings in the west: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. Given that the inhabitants of Jerusalem at time of Joshua were the Jebusites, they may have dwelt there with the Amorites, or more likely, Amorite may have become a more general term for many tribes in Canaan.

Cooper places the Girgashites east of the Jordan river.

The Hivites dwelt under Hermon in the land of Mizpah (Numbers 21). Hermon is north of the Sea of Chinnereth. The Gibeonites who made a treaty with Israel were Hivites.

The Arkites dwelt in region that is currently called Akkar in Lebanon.

The Sinites settled near the Arkites.

The Arvadites dwelt on the island of Arwad approximately 3 km west of the Syrian Coast.

The Zemarites dwelt near where the city of Tripoli, Lebanon is located.

The Hamathites lived in the region that still bears their name Hamat, which is a city in the north of modern day Lebanon.

This is more detailed map of the sons of Canaan, the son of Ham.

Sons of Shem

Japheth is possibly the oldest of the 3 sons of Noah. The translation of Genesis 10:21 is debated though currently it is thought that the Hebrew is best translated to state that Shem is the eldest. Shem was born when Noah was 502. Noah had his 3 sons after he was 500 suggesting that Japheth may have been born when Noah was 500 and Shem 2 years later. The chronology of Noah's family is less precise than the other patriarchs (except Terah which parallels it) and therefore the data should be held more tentatively. Ham is the youngest (Genesis 9:24).

Sons of Shem(1): Elam(2), Asshur(2), Arpachshad(2), Shelah(3), Eber (4), Peleg(5), Joktan(5), Almodad(6), Sheleph(6), Hazarmaveth(6), Jerah(6), Hadoram(6), Uzal(6), Diklah(6), Obal(6), Abimael(6), Sheba(6), Ophir(6), Havilah(6), Jobab(6), Lud(2), Aram(2), Uz(3), Hul(3), Gether(3), Mash(3).

The Elamites are well known and mentioned several times in the Bible. The dwelt north of the Persian Gulf in the area of modern day Iran.

Asshur was the ancestor of the Assyrians. The capital of Assyria was Nineveh.

Arpachshad is said to be the father of the Chaldeans. Chaldean history is somewhat difficult to pinpoint. It is known that they dwelt in the area of Babylonia, but some suggest that they shifted there from the north-west.

Shelah is notable as the father of Eber; whether any other nation descends from him is unknown.

Eber gave his name to the Hebrews though they are descended from Abraham who is several generations later. Eber's other descendants are not known by the name "Hebrew" which is essentially synonymous with Israelite.

Peleg is mentioned in the ancestry of Abraham and is also noted for the events documented in his name. He is not known to be the founder on any nations.

Joktan is the father of several Arab tribes along the southern and eastern border of the Arabian peninsula.

The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. (Genesis 10)

Many of Joktan's 13 sons mentioned in the Table of Nations are well documented, see Appendix 1 of After the Flood.

Almodad = al-Morad, location unknown. Sheleph = Salif; north of Sanaa, Yemen. Hazarmaveth dwelt around Hadramaut, Yemen. Jerah = Yarki; near Hadramaut, Yemen. Hadoram; near the Yarki. Uzal dwelt around Sanaa, Yemen. Diklah possibly near Kuwait. Obal dwelt between Hadeida and Sanaa, Yemen. Abimael dwelt in Yemen. Sheba possibly dwelt in Yemen. Ophir dwelt in Yemen. Havilah uncertain. Jobab dwelt near Mecca.

Josephus claims that Lud was the ancestor of the Lydians who dwelt in the area of modern day western Turkey. However the Lydian language was Indo-European (ie. Japhetic) and Lud was Semitic so this association may be incorrect.

The Arameans who descended from Aram are well documented and lived in the area of modern day Syria. Their interactions with Israel are documented thru-out Scripture.

Uz is unknown currently. Job lived in Uz but whether that is the same area or nation is unclear.

Descendants of Hul possibly dwelt north of the Sea of Galilee.

Descendants of Gether possibly dwelt south of Damascus.

Descendants of Mash possibly dwelt in the region of modern day Lebanon.

Sons of Japheth

So what are the nations that are mentioned in the Table of Nations? Some are clear from elsewhere in the Bible. Many are mentioned in ancient texts, Josephus gives some identifications, it may be hard to be certain for some.

Several modern authors have documented the identities of these nations. Bill Cooper has summarised many ancient sources in his book After the Flood. Parts of it are probably due for review and update. He has 3 appendices identifying the descendants of the sons of Noah including others mentioned in Genesis outside chapter 10. I will limit discussion in these 3 posts to names mentioned in the Table of Nations.

Sons of Japheth(1): Gomer(2), Ashkenaz(3), Riphath(3), Togarmah(3), Magog(2), Madai(2), Javan(2), Elishah(3), Tarshish(3), Kittim(3), Dodanim(3), Tubal(2), Meshech(2), Tiras(2).

Bracketed numbers are the generational number.

Gomer is thought by some to be the ancestor of the Cimmerians who initially lived near the Caspian Sea, though were driven out later. Josephus however identifies them with the Galatians in the area of modern day Turkey . The Galatians were the ancestors of the Gauls so if this identification is correct this gives us the source of the French.

Ashkenaz is well known to refer to Germanic. The Ashkenazim are thought to be the ancestors of the Germanic peoples though they first settled in Armenia before subsequently moving westward.

Riphath was the ancestor of the Paphlagonians who lived adjacent to the Black Sea. they are mentioned by Herodotus and Xenophon.

The descendants of Togarmah settled in Armenia.

So we can see that Gomer and his family travelled north and settled on the Caspian Sea and across Armenia to the Black Sea.

Magog in Scripture seems to refer north into the region that is now Ukraine or further north into Russia, though others claim he was the ancestor (solely or with the Ashkenazim) of the Scythians.

Madai was the ancestor of the Medes who lived north-west of Persia (both in modern day Iran). They became a world empire and with the Persians (who became the dominant power) conquered Babylon in the time of Daniel.

Javan was the ancestor of the Greeks.

Elishah was the ancester of the Aeolians, a Greek tribe who initially dwelt in the region of Thessaly, west of the Aegean Sea.

The descendants of Tarshish are traditionally said to have lived in what is now Spain. I am not fully convinced of this. Tarshish is where Jonah attempted to flee to. Josephus suggests Tarshish is the region of Cicilia which is part of modern day Turkey, north and north-east of Cyprus. The city of Tarsus, which appears to be etymologically related to Tarshish, is in the province of Cicilia.

The Kittim dwelt on Cyprus.

Dodanim is the Hebrew name for the Dardanians who settled in the Dardanelles, a small strait in East Turkey opening onto the Aegean Sea.

So Javan and his sons occupied the region of Greece and Southern Turkey along the Mediterranean as well as Cyprus. This adds credence to the view that Tarshish is the region of Cicilia (South Turkey) and not Spain.

Tubal's desendants were the Iberians who dwelt in the region which is now Georgia (north of Armenia). They (or some of them) subsequently migrated over the Caucasus mountains (northern border of Georgia) travelling north-east some distance into what is now Russian territory.

Meshech's descendants are less certain. Some claim they were the Cappadocians (who dwelt in the region of Turkey), others Russians.

Tiras was probably the ancestor of the Thracians who dwelt in a region north of the Aegean Sea and west of the Black Sea (parts of modern day Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova).

Following the listing of the sons of Japheth we read,

From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations. (Genesis 10)

I am uncertain whether the Japhetic nations mentioned above are to be identified as these coastland peoples or whether the coastland peoples references subsequent tribes descended from them (or possibly just Javan's line).

Below is a map of the earliest migrations I can identify. Note that they may not be contemporaneous.

Map of Japheth's descendants

The table of nations

In Genesis 10 we read about the descendants of the Flood survivors. Noah and his wife, with their 3 sons Shem, Ham and Japheth, and their wives, were the sole human survivors of the global deluge. All people descend from Noah's 3 sons (though I guess it is plausible that Noah and his wife had other children following the Flood).

Below are the names of Noah's descendants who were the forefathers of the subsequent tribes named after them.

Japheth	Gomer	Ashkenaz
		Riphath
		Togarmah
	Magog
	Madai
	Javan	Elishah
		Tarshish
		Kittim
		Dodanim
	Tubal
	Meshech
	Tiras
Shem	Elam
	Asshur
	Arpachshad	Shelah	Eber	Peleg
				Joktan	Almodad
					Sheleph
					Hazarmaveth
					Jerah
					Hadoram
					Uzal
					Diklah
					Obal
					Abimael
					Sheba
					Ophir
					Havilah
					Jobab
	Lud
	Aram	Uz
		Hul
		Gether
		Mash
Ham	Cush	Seba
		Havilah
		Sabtah
		Raamah	Sheba
			Dedan
		Sabteca
	Mizraim	Ludim
		Anamim
		Lehabim
		Naphtuhim
		Pathrusim
		Casluhim	Philistines
		Caphtorim
	Put
	Canaan	Sidon
		Heth
		Jebusites
		Amorites
		Girgashites
		Hivites
		Arkites
		Sinites
		Arvadites
		Zemarites
		Hamathites

The list has a combination of personal names and tribal names. The tribal names are italicised. Clearly Canaan is the forefather of the Canaanites and presumably the Ludim are descendants of Lud.

No specific tribes were named after Noah's sons though their names are attached to the major groupings. The Jews are Semitic (from Shem), the Europeans are Japhetic.

There has been significant intermarriage between some groups, especially those who live in close proximity to each other.

Excluding Noah's sons there are 70 families mentioned.

It is reasonable to think the confusion of languages at Babel was along family lines.

The list may not be completely exhaustive, though it may be as far as the number of generations mentioned. Madai was the father of a nation, while Gomer's sons Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah are the founders of 3 nations. Ii is possible that Gomerites are a grouping of separate descendants of Gomer. Alternatively Gomerite may be a term to describe the supertribe of Ashkenazim, Riphathites and Togarmahites combined. Or possibly Gomerite could be used in either way depending on context.

Some of these nations are known currently and most are referenced in history.

Random quote

As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand.

Josh Billings

Does temporal punishment attenuate eternal punishment?

This is a question I have pondered but have never read about elsewhere. I tend to think that hell will have degrees of punishment. Just as believers will be rewarded for their devotion to Christ, and that reward will vary, I think it is possible that the wicked man's punishment may be dependant on his sin. All sin is not equal and it is reasonable to think that punishment will match the crime. Of course God will take into consideration our heart, and an adulterous Christian may be more sinful than an adulterous infidel.

Jesus refers to men being hit with few or many lashes.

And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. (Luke 12)

Jesus also mentions men can be more severely punished.

And in his teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." (Mark 12)

The proposal I wish to suggest (at least for consideration) is that punishment on earth for wickedness means that punishment in eternity will be less.

I am suggesting that a murderer who is caught and imprisoned or sentenced to death receives a less nasty Hades (or possibly subsequent hell) than the man who is not caught or who is excused by a corrupt justice system (though in the later example the unjust judge may wear some of the guilt). This assumes all other things being equal such as the state of the murderer's heart and the lack of repentance before death.

There is no direct biblical evidence for this proposal, and I do hold it or consider it tentatively, but it seems consistent with Scripture.

I am suggesting this is the case because they have already received some of their punishment.

If I am incorrect it is still possible that a man is changed by the temporal punishment such that his heart is less opposed to God. Due to the lessening of his hatred of God his eternal punishment may be less severe, not because he has received his punishment in part.

If I am correct about this it has implications in biblical exegesis and God's expectations of government.

In terms of biblical understanding, temporal judgment will be seen as having an aspect of mercy. Those whom God judged in Sodom and those whom the Israelites destroyed in Canaan were already wicked. They had decided on a destiny without God. Their eternal dwelling place is unpleasant, yet possibly less than it may have been had God not acted decisively in the situation. Leviticus hints at this when God explains the disaster he will send if they disobey him. Progressive punishments thru to exile are promised if they persist in disobeying him. But even if progressive judgments finally result in exile, God says, on the condition of repentance,

Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God. But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 26)

Even in judgment there is the desire of God that we repent, and his actions, while just, are tempered with mercy and desire for us to return to him. Perhaps even final temporal judgments are actioned so that eternal ones will be less severe.

In terms of government, this brings an even greater responsibility to those who rule us. Failure to punish the wicked not only makes life more unpleasant for the righteous, it means that eternity may be worse for those than it could have been. Of course God's punishment will be just and appropriate, it is just that with poor government the wicked man is able to clock up that much more wickedness and not have any of it dealt with this side of death. Letting the evil man away with his actions may not be a kindness of a despot to his unjust cronies, rather a greater evil delayed. Interesting that Satan can lead a man to curse his friends while that man thinks he is blessing them.

Massive promotion

The story of Joseph makes for fascinating reading. One of the things of interest to myself is his change in status. Because of the false accusation by Potiphar's wife he was imprisoned. He was not just in jail but a slave in jail. There are not many people who have a social status lower than that. Those lower on lower rungs than Joseph are dead.

He proved himself as he had done in the past and was put in charge of the prisoners

And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed. (Genesis 39)

When Pharaoh had his dreams and Joseph revealed God's meaning, Joseph was elevated to second in command after Pharaoh. Egypt was possibly the world power at the time (2289 AM). So effectively, Joseph went from slave in jail to second in command to the emperor. Granted he was top prisoner at the time.

I do not think this promotion has been exceeded bar one. Jesus was crucified and dead 3 days prior to his resurrection. Then God subjected all things under him. From dead to ruler of the universe!

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

God has put all things in subjection under [Jesus'] feet. (1 Corinthians 15)

Random quote

But the left confuses freedom with license (just as it confuses tolerance with acceptance)

Dennis Prager