Son of Shem, grandson of Noah
Elam
Named in 2 verses across 2 books, first in Genesis 10:22.
עֵילָםElam
The name means “a young man; a virgin; a secret.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869
- Father
- Shem
- Brothers and sisters
- Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram
- People
- Early Patriarch
About Elam Written by AI
Elam is mentioned in Genesis 10:22 and 1 Chronicles 1:17 as one of the sons of Shem, the son of Noah. Elam is listed among the descendants of Shem, who spread out into various lands after the flood, giving rise to different nations. Elam is significant as the ancestor of the Elamites, an ancient people who inhabited the region east of Mesopotamia, in present-day Iran. The Elamites developed a powerful kingdom that interacted with the Mesopotamian civilizations.
Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.
Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897
This entry is on the name Elam, and may cover more than one person or place by that name.
Highland, the son of Shem (Gen. 10:22), and the name of the country inhabited by his descendants (14:1, 9; Isa. 11:11; 21:2, etc.) lying to the east of Babylonia, and extending to the shore of the Mediterranean, a distance in a direct line of about 1,000 miles. The name Elam is an Assyrian word meaning “high.”
“The inhabitants of Elam, or ‘the Highlands,’ to the east of Babylon, were called Elamites. They were divided into several branches, speaking different dialects of the same agglutinative language. The race to which they belonged was brachycephalic, or short-headed, like the pre-Semitic Sumerians of Babylonia.
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“The earliest Elamite kingdom seems to have been that of Anzan, the exact site of which is uncertain; but in the time of Abraham, Shushan or Susa appears to have already become the capital of the country. Babylonia was frequently invaded by the Elamite kings, who at times asserted their supremacy over it (as in the case of Chedorlaomer, the Kudur-Lagamar, or ‘servant of the goddess Lagamar,’ of the cuneiform texts).
“The later Assyrian monarchs made several campaigns against Elam, and finally Assur-bani-pal (about B.C. 650) succeeded in conquering the country, which was ravaged with fire and sword. On the fall of the Assyrian Empire, Elam passed into the hands of the Persians” (A.H. Sayce).
This country was called by the Greeks Cissia or Susiana.
M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.
Where the Bible names him
- Genesis 10:22
The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
- 1 Chronicles 1:17
The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.
From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.