Here's what Genesis 10 tells us about Yapheth, the youngest of Noah's sons.

At first glance, in Genesis 10:1, the names of Noah's sons appear in the traditional order, i.e. from eldest to youngest: Shem, Ham and Yapheth, yet the list of their descendants is reversed, as it begins with Yapheth (10:2-5), then Ham (10:6-20) and finally Shem (10:21-31).

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Yapheth begat Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Mesech and Tiras. They settled in the islands and formed the great nations of Europe, including France, Italy, Greece, Russia, England and others.

• Genesis 10:5 "C’est par eux que furent peuplées les îles des nations, selon la langue de chacun, selon leurs familles et leurs peuples."

When we take a closer look at the division of the earth according to the Book of Jubilees, classified as apocryphal, we find details that substantiate biblical writings.

Allocation of the Lands of Yapheth according to the Book of Jubilees

Chap 8: 25-30

"Japheth received the third portion beyond the river Tina to the north of the outflow of its waters, and it extends north-easterly to the whole region of Gog, and to all the country east of it. It extends northerly, and it extends to the mountains of Qelt towards the north, and towards the sea of Ma’uk, and it goes out to the east of Gadir as far as the region of the waters of the sea. It extends until it approaches the west of Fara and it returns towards Aferag, and it extends easterly to the waters of the sea of Me’at. It extends to the region of the river Tina in a northeasterly direction until it approaches the boundary of its waters towards the mountain Rafa, and it turns round towards the north. This is the land that came out for Japheth and his sons as the portion of his inheritance that he should possess five great islands, and a great land in the north, for himself and his sons, for their generations forever. But it is cold, and the land of Ham is hot, and the land of Shem is neither hot nor cold, but it is of blended cold and heat."

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Chapter 8:25-30 of the Book of Jubilees, tells us that Yapheth and his descendants inherited the northeastern part of the earth beyond the Atlantic Ocean; similarly, all Scripture indicates that his descendants migrated to the western lands and islands north of the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas, i.e. the entire European continent..

It should also be noted that, according to the Book of Jubilees, the division of the Earth would have been as shown on the map below. Now, if Yapheth inherited the Northeast, Shem the Middle East and Ham the African continent, as we have been taught by contemporary scholars, who then would have inherited North and South America?

In Genesis 10:5, Moses explained that Yapheth's sons are those who occupy the islands, namely the “Gentiles”. Note that this fact, once mentioned in all pre-18th-century Bibles, is no longer included in our modern ones. This is an important detail, as we will see.

Most biblical theologians use the term “gentile” in a non-literal sense to refer to any non-Jewish person. However, translating the word gentile as non-Jew is problematic for the following reasons:

Reason 1

The Law of First Mention, a principle used in biblical hermeneutics (the study of biblical interpretation), suggests that the first time a concept, theme or word appears in Scripture, it holds a fundamental truth and sets a precedent for its subsequent development in the text. The law of first mention would therefore require the biblical term “Gentile” to be associated with Yapheth and his descendants.

Furthermore, the word “Jew” did not appear in the English language until the year 1275. Yet the term “gentile” existed long before the birth of the Jews and was used in reference to Yapheth and his descendants, as indicated in Genesis 10:1-5. Therefore, by virtue of the Law of First Mention, the term “gentile” cannot mean “non-Jew”.

Reason 2

💡The word “gentile” comes from the Latin gentilis, an adjective meaning “belonging to the same family, people or nation”.

💡The Hebrew word goy, which is translated as “gentile”, means “nation”, a meaning similar to that of the Latin word.

💡The word “ethnos” which is translated as “Greek” has the same meaning as the word “gentile” i.e. “One who belongs to a tribe or clan, a nation".

💡According to the Dictionnaire Royal, Français-Anglois Et Anglois-François written in the year 1769, on pages 329 & 441c, it is stated that “the gentiles are the pagan nations in the sense of the Holy Scriptures."

The apostle Paul always spoke of “Jews and Gentiles”, but he generally used the expression “Jew and Greek”, because both expressions “Gentile” and “Greek” have the same meaning, i.e. “those who belong to a tribe or clan, a nation”.

Note that in most contemporary French Bibles, the term “gentiles” has been replaced by the terms “peoples of the land” or “nations”. 

Here are some examples:

The Bible is clear, and so is the transliteration, yet there seems to be a cover-up. In biblical times, the “gentiles” lived in the part of the world known today as Europe. The “gentiles” would therefore be the European nations, descended from Yapheth. Now, if we cross-reference the different definitions of the word “gentile”, here's what we get:

Descendants of Japhet = Gentiles = peoples of the land or pagan nations = Greeks = non-Jews

May the Holy Spirit guide you in understanding this message.

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