Introduction
Japheth is a son of Noah, one of the three sons who survived the flood, whose descendants, listed in Genesis 10, are traditionally associated with peoples inhabiting regions to the north and west of the biblical writers' immediate world, including Anatolia, the Aegean and beyond.
Family
- Father: Noah
- Mother: Noah's wife
- Sons: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Tiras
- Siblings: Shem, Ham
After the flood
Along with Shem, Japheth is commended in the account of Noah's drunkenness for covering their father respectfully rather than looking upon his nakedness, in contrast to Ham. Noah's blessing includes the statement that God "will make space for Japheth", traditionally read as a reference to territorial expansion.
Descendants
Genesis 10 lists Japheth's sons as Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras, with further descendants including Ashkenaz and others, generally associated by scholars with peoples of Anatolia, the Iranian plateau, the Aegean world and the broader Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, though precise historical identifications remain debated.