The 70 Nations

After the flood, the growing population that descended from Noach’s sons used the same language to communicate. As the families traveled westward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar where they settled. During this time, they decided to make bricks and mortar to build a city with a tower with a top reaching up into the heaven. They wanted to make a name for themselves and not be scattered throughout the earth.

Adonai descended from His heavenly realm to see the tower and the city. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the alef tav or the ‘sign’ of Yeshua comes before the word ‘see’ suggesting it was Yeshua who ‘descended’ and saw.

Because the people were united with one language, Adonai realized the people could accomplish anything they wanted. Adonai called forth his Divine Council and said, “Come, let’s go down and confuse their language, so that they won’t understand each other’s speech” (Genesis 11:6). After Adonai confused their language, they had to stop building the city and its tower. He did what they wanted to avoid –– He scattered them all over the earth.

According to Genesis 11, Adonai dispersed the peoples around the earth. From the clues given in Deuteronomy 32:8, they were separated according to the ‘sons of God,’ a reference to the angels. Although the Hebrew Masoretic text says ‘sons of Israel’ or bene Yisra’el, there was no Israel at this time. The Septuagint and the Qumran Dead Sea Scroll’s text says ‘sons of God’ or bene elohim. This suggests that Adonai divided the nations based on a number of angelic beings who convened in His Divine Council.

Who are Adonai’s sons? Psalm 82 suggests His ‘sons’ are part of the Divine Assembly in the heavenly realm. They are created beings, angels, who have been given the authority to judge and rule over the nations of the earth.

“Elohim [God] stands in the divine assembly; there with the elohim [gods], he judges: “How long will you go on judging unfairly, favoring the wicked?” (Psalm 82:1).

The Book of Enoch describes these ‘gods’ or ‘sons of Elohim‘ as shepherds that Elohim placed over the nations to protect them. However, they abused their authority and became murderers; consequently, they were judged, found guilty, and thrown into the fiery abyss (1 Enoch 89:59, 90:22,25). Before this judgment, each of these ‘princes’ were given a nation to rule over.

In the book of Daniel, there are two references to ‘princes’ that rule over earthly kingdoms: the Prince of Persia and the Prince of Greece. Daniel humbled himself in prayer for three weeks when a heavenly ‘son of Elohim’ appeared to him. He told Daniel that his prayer had been heard, but he had been delayed due to a battle with the Prince of Persia. Michael, the chief of the princes, assisted him so he could leave the Prince of Persia and come to Daniel with the answer to his prayer (Daniel 10:13, 20).

These ‘gods’ are the powers and principalities that Sha’ul (Paul) speaks about in Ephesians:

“For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm” (Ephesians 6:12).

The List of 70 Nations

In Genesis 10, the Table of Nations is listed directly before the account of the Tower of Babel. Each of these 70 nations was given a governing ‘prince’ that stood in the the Divine Council of the Most High Elohim.

“For who in the skies can be compared with Adonai? Which of these gods can rival Adonai, a God dreaded in the great assembly of the holy ones and feared by all around him?” (Psalm 89:6-7).

The list of nations comes from the descendants of the sons of Noach: Japeth, Ham, and Seth. There are 14 nations from Japeth, 30 nations from Ham, and 26 from Seth. Each nation settled in a specific area in Asia Minor, the Middle East, and Africa.

Sons of Japeth:

1. Gomer: (aka Sythians, settled north of the Caspian Sea)
   8. Ashkenaz (settled Siberia to Ukraine, Ashkenazi Jews from Asia Minor)
   9. Riphath (settled in the Ural mountains)
   10. Togarmah (settled northeast of Cilicia)
2. Magog – (settled Hungary eastward to the Aural Sea, north to the Upper Volga, and its southern region extending to the Caucasus Mountains between the Black and Caspian seas)
3. Madai (northwest Iran)
4. Javan: (Ionia or Greece, became the Maritime nations, Mediterranean peoples). It is thought that Joppa is named after Japeth and is the world’s oldest seaport.
   11. Elishah (settled Cyprus)
   12. Tarshish (settled around the Mediterranean)
   13. Kittim (settled east coast of Cyprus)
   14. Rodanim
5. Tubal (settled Siberia)
6. Meshech (English name is Moscow, settled north of Jerusalem)
7. Tiras

Sons of Ham:

15. Kush: (settled northern Sudan and area known as Nubia, central Africa)
    19. Seba (settled east Africa)
    20. Havilah (settled southern Arabia, north Somailia)
    21. Sabtah
    22. Raamah (Ezekiel 27:22).
        24. Sheba (settled Yemen, Queen of Sheba)
        25. Dedan (oasis and city-state in northwest Arabia)
    23. Sabteca
        Nimrod (settled and built Babylon, Nineveh, Calah)
        Erech, Akkad, Claneh (his sons settled Shinar). Nimrod is not listed as one of the 70 nations.
16. Egypt: (also known as Mitzrayim)
    26. Ludim
    27. Anamim
    28. Lehabim
    29. Naphtuhim
    30. Pathrusim
        31. Casluhim
    31. Caphtorim
    32. Philistines
17. Put (settled Libya)
18. Canaan: (settled Palestine, Lebanon, Phoencia – Sidon, Gaza, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiin, near Lasha)
    34. Sidon
    35. Heth
        36. Jebusites
        37. Amorites
        38. Girgashites
        39. Hivites
        Phoenicia:
        40. Arkites
        41. Sinites
        42. Arvadites
        43. Zemarites
        44. Hamathites

Sons of Shem: (the Semitic people):

45. Elam (northwest Iran or Persia)
46. Asshur (Assyria, modern Iraq)
47. Arpachshad: (southern Mesopotamia, Chaldeans)
    54. Shelah
    55. Eber (Ivrit or Hebrew, ancestor of Abraham, Genesis 10:21)
        56. Peleg (settled Phaliga at the Khabur and Euprhates River)
            Abraham’s genealogy (Genesis 11:16-26)
        57. Joktan (settled southern Arabia)
            58. Almodad
            59. Sheleph
            60. Hazarmaveth
            61. Jerah
            62. Hadoram
            63. Uzal
            64. Diklah
            65. Obal
            66. Abimael
            67. Sheba
            68. Ophir (known for its gold)
            69. Havilah
            70. Jobab
48. Lud (aka Lydia settled western Asia Minor)
49. Aram: (modern-day Syria, Aramaic Language)
    50. Uz (home of Job)
    51. Hul
    52. Gether
    53. Mash

Each of these base nations had a governing ‘god,’ with the exception of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel #55) who had Adonai. He is not like other ‘gods’ as He chose His own people, grew them into a nation, gave them His teachings and instructions, and promised to keep them as the ‘apple of His eye.’ This is why Joshua tells the Israelites as they enter the Promised Land that they must choose between the ‘gods of their fathers’ or Adonai. When they choose Adonai, they will be protected by ‘the angel of Adonai,’ the God of Israel –– in the flesh, Yesha, the Commander of Adonai’s army.

“If it seems bad to you to serve Adonai, then choose today whom you are going to serve! Will it be the gods your ancestors served beyond the River? or the gods of the Emori, in whose land you are living? As for me and my household, we will serve Adonai!” (Joshua 24:15).

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