Gen. vi. 10.SHEM, or Sem, Son of Noah. He was born in the Year of the World 1558, before the Deluge 98 Years, before Christ 2442, before the vulgar Era 2446. We think he was younger than Japheth, and older than Ham1. He enter’d into the Ark with Noah his Father; and when the good old Man was overtaken with Wine, and was found lying naked in his Tent,2 Shem and Japheth cover’d him, nor would see any thing in him that was indecent. When Noah awoke, he conferr’d his Blessings upon Shem, saying; Let the Lord God of Shem be blessed, and let Canaan be the Slave of Shem. The greatest Prerogative of Shem was, that from his Race the Messiah was to proceed, and the Worship of the true God was to be preserved among his Posterity. Being an hundred Years of Age he begat Arphaxad, and died at the Age of six hundred Years, in the Year of the World 2158, before Christ 1842, before the vulgar Era 1846. The Posterity of Shem obtain’d for their Portion the best Provinces of Asia.
The Jews ascribe to Shem the Theological Tradition of the Things that Noah had learn’d from the first Men. Shem communicated them to his Children, and by this means the true Religion was preserved in the World. The Rabbins think also, that Shem set up an Academy or School of Religion upon Mount Tabor. They say that Shem is the same as Melchizedek, and that he himself had been at the School of Methuselah before the Deluge for seventyeight Years; that he gave Abraham the whole Tradition, the Ceremonies of the Sacrifices of Religion, according to which this Patriarch afterwards offer’d his Sacrifices. Lastly, the Hebrews think, that he taught Men the Law of Justice, and the manner of reckoning Months and Years, and the Intercalations of the Months. They pretend God gave him the Spirit of Prophecy an hundred Years after the Deluge, and that he prophesy’d for four hundred Years, tho’ with little Success, because Men were become so corrupted. Methodius says, that he dwelt in the Island of the Sun, that he invented Astronomy, and that he was the first King that govern’d upon the Earth. They impute to him the Foundation of Septa, a Maritime City of Africa, of Salernum in Italy, and of Salem in Judea. Those that confound him with Melchizedek, ascribe to him Psalm cx. The Lord said unto my Lord, &c. and a Book of Physick which is found in an Hebrew Manuscript in the Library of the Elector of Bavaria. See P. Scipio Sgambat, Archiv. vet. Testament. l. 1. p. 165.
Shem had five Sons, Elam, Asher, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aran, who peopled the finest Provinces of the East. See their several Articles. The principal Design of Moses being to give the History and the Laws of the Jews; he has carry’d the Genealogy of Shem farther than that of the other Sons of Noah, which did not directly belong to his Subject. ‘Tis pretended that Noah committed to Shem the Care of the Body of Adam, which he sent and buried upon Calvary. ‘Tis said also, he deposited his Will with him, by which he distributed the whole Earth among his three Sons. There is reason to conjecture, that the Heathen have confounded him with Typhon a famous Giant, or hurtful Deity. Ham is Jupiter, Japheth is Neptune, and Shem is Pluto. See Bochart’s Phaleg. l. 1. c. 1.
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