178 JASTROW — THE KAM1TE3 AND SEMITES. [April 4, 



the enumeration of the thirty-four nations or groups included in 

 P's Volkertafel is not done from the point of view of one inter- 

 •ested in Hebrew history. The situation is just reversed when we 

 come to the other source, known as J, which has been combined 

 by later compilers with P. Though, unfortunately, only a frag- 

 ment of the original Volkeriafel of the Jahwist has been preserved, 

 yet what data there are, including a number of later glosses and 

 other additions, are all of a kind that betray a manifest interest in 

 Hebrew history and not in general ethnology, 



ni. 



For the introduction to the second version, we must go back to 

 the close of the 9th chapter where we read (verses 18-19) : 



'' The sons of Noah that went forth of the ark were Shem, 

 Ham and Japheth.^ These three were the sons of Noah and of 

 them was the whole earth overspread." 



The continuation of the genealogical tradition appears chap. 10, i'': 



..,.*' to them sons were born after the flood." 



After which a break occurs and when we again encounter this 

 Jahwistic version (10, 8) we are in the midst of the genealogy of 

 the Hamites, which extends from verses 8 to 19. First Cush, who 

 begets Nimrod, is taken up, then Egypt and finally Canaan with 

 its offshoots. A second break follows and when the Jahwistic source 

 is again resumed, verses 21 and 24-30, the genealogy of Eber the 

 son of Shem is set forth. Fragmentary as the version thus is— the 

 genealogy of Japheth, e.g., being entirely wanting — a further 

 analysis points to at least two strata of tradition which, apparently 

 distinct from the Jahwistic Volkertafel, have been combined with 

 it, together with a number of supplementary or explanatory glosses. 

 The little section 8^^ to 12, enlarging upon Nimrod and the origin 

 and extension of Babylonia and Assyria, is couched in an entirely 

 different style from 9, 18-19 and from 10, 13-14, and even in this 

 section verse 9% which aims to furnish an explanation for a 



^ There is added here a gloss, " and Ham is the father of Canaan f to pre- 

 pare us for the tale of Ham's disgrace and for the confusion between Ham and 

 Canaan in the curse pronounced by Noah upon his youngest son (vv, 25-27). 



2 The words " and Cush begat Nimrod (S^) may belong to the original 

 Jahwistic Volkertafel. 



