It's an ancient Jewish text, considered apocryphal by some, pseudepigraphal by others. Basically, it's an "outside book," a text that exists outside the traditionally accepted biblical canon. But it offers a unique, richly detailed retelling of biblical history from creation to Moses, all framed within a cosmic calendar. It’s considered canon in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
And within its pages, we find a very specific breakdown of how Noah, after the great flood, divided the earth among his three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Today, let’s look at a small slice of that division, as it’s described in Jubilees, chapter 8. It's less about the "why" behind the division and more about the "where."
First up, there’s Japheth. His portion, according to Jubilees, includes "all the region beyond the sea, which is beyond the mountains of Asshur towards the north, a blessed and spacious land, and all that is in it is very good." Think vast, northern territories. A "blessed and spacious land." It’s a pretty glowing description, isn't it? A land of promise and potential.
Then comes Ham. His share is described as "beyond the Gihon towards the south to the right of the Garden, and it extendeth towards the south and it extendeth to all the mountains of fire, and it extendeth towards the west to the sea of ’Atêl and it extendeth towards the west till it reacheth the sea of Mâ’ûk --that (sea) into which everything which is not destroyed descendeth."
Okay, let's unpack that a bit. The Gihon is one of the rivers of Paradise, mentioned in Genesis. So, Ham's territory starts south of the Garden of Eden. "Mountains of fire" suggests volcanic regions, doesn’t it? And then we have these two seas: the sea of ’Atêl and the sea of Mâ’ûk. The sea of Mâ’ûk is particularly interesting: "that (sea) into which everything which is not destroyed descendeth." What does that even mean? Is it a symbolic description of a region associated with destruction or a literal place where things are mysteriously preserved? It’s one of those details that sparks the imagination.
Of course, pinpointing these locations precisely on a modern map is a challenge. The geography of the ancient world, as understood by the author of Jubilees, might not perfectly align with our modern understanding. And some of these place names are obscure, their exact locations lost to time. But that's part of the beauty, isn't it? It invites us to imagine, to speculate, to delve deeper into the worldview of the text.
These geographical descriptions in Jubilees aren’t just dry facts. They’re clues. Clues into how ancient people understood their world, their place in it, and the destinies of nations descended from Noah's sons. They remind us that even the seemingly mundane details of a story can hold layers of meaning, waiting to be uncovered.
So, next time you look at a map, remember the Book of Jubilees. Remember Noah and his sons, and the ancient division of the earth. And remember that every place has a story, a history, a mythology woven into its very soil.