Introduction
Ham is a son of Noah, one of the three sons who survived the flood, remembered in Genesis chiefly for the episode of Noah's drunkenness, in which his conduct leads to a curse pronounced not on Ham himself but on his son Canaan.
This article follows the biblical account in Genesis. Where later Jewish, Christian or Islamic tradition adds detail not found in the text itself, the article identifies it as such.
Family
Noah's drunkenness
After the flood, Noah planted a vineyard, drank its wine, and lay uncovered and drunk in his tent. Genesis states that Ham, "the father of Canaan," saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers, Shem and Japheth, who then entered the tent walking backward to cover Noah without looking at him.
The curse on Canaan
When Noah awoke and learned what Ham had done, he cursed not Ham directly but Ham's son Canaan, declaring he would be "the lowest of slaves" to his brothers. The exact nature of Ham's offence, and why the curse falls on Canaan rather than Ham himself, has been much debated by biblical scholars and commentators across history.
Descendants
Genesis 10 lists Ham's sons as Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan, with numerous further descendants, including Nimrod (through Cush) and the various Canaanite peoples (through Canaan), forming a significant portion of the Table of Nations.