As with the suppositions of the other Biblical Articles in this site, this one about the lineages is again hardly complete. And although the very last of Genesis 5:32 ends with “…and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth,” I chose not to go there. It actually is the beginning of the next chapter, Genesis 6. Subsequently, to break down and investigate all the Qabalistic nuances surrounding the three names would beg an entirely new article with pages of investigations through Genesis 6, 7, 8, and 9. And then there is Genesis 10 with the Descendants of Noah.
But for those ardent, Literal Qabalists out there, who may feel ‘left hanging’ concerning the other bits about Noah, let this be added. In Genesis 7:6 it is written that Noah was 600 ‘years’ old when the Flood waters came. Number 600 is that of Hebrew letter ם, Mem-final, and Mem means ‘water’. This was allegedly 100 ‘years’ after the births of Shem, Ham and Japheth. So the boys must have been about 100 years old when the Flood came, as one commentator opined.
Then, from Genesis 9:28, Noah lived another 350 ‘years’ after the Flood. This is followed by Genesis 7:29 where it is written of Noah to have lived a total of 950 ‘years,’ and he died. Lots of numbers to speculate and play with. Employ all the tools and uses of the Qabalists that you can, and the joy of discovery is yours!
Initially, so far as the branches from the root of Noah are concerned, there is:
Shem, שם, ShM, whose name means ‘the name’, is an esoteric reference to the unspeakable name of God, written as IHVH. Shem’s gematria sums to 340, or 900 when the final form for Mem is considered.
Ham, חם, chem, actually, whose gematria sums to 48 and 70, and suggests the very earliest word-form for al-chem-y. And Ham mysteriously came out of the Ark after the Flood with a ‘son’ named Canaan (Genesis 9:18). This would make 9 ‘persons’ coming out of the Ark. A new Foundation, perhaps?
Japheth, יפת, IphTh, with gematria at 490.
Moreover, as with Cain and Able, the ‘authorized’ ecclesiastic and secular commentators of Biblical literature argued whether the three sons of Noah could have been triplets, since they were all born supposedly within Noah’s 500th ‘year’. On the other hand, debates over which one might be the eldest, the second, and the youngest seemed important to some. It is not. Literal Qabalists take an entirely tangential point of view over all these peripatetic speculations.
So, to any of the readers of these pages, it would be most appreciated if any harbor feelings strong enough to add input to any of the above, or to anything in this site. It is my hope to share with and learn more from you.This ends the supposition on Genealogy II: Adam to Seth.
James Investigates 