Children of Eber
The Sons of Eber or Bnei Ever (בני-עבר) a synonym for the earliest cultural Hebrews, are first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 10:21 (text). In orthodox circles the term is understood to refer to the wider family of Hebrew peoples from whom Abraham came. Each of the names of the children in question is understood to stand for the different Hebrew nations. In Protestant and Reform circles, Hebrews are defined as descending from Abraham and the identification of the Bnei Ever of Genesis 10:21 remains obscure except for the eighth generation, around whose descendants the biblical narratives are mainly concerned.
The first contemporary dynasties of Bnei Ever consists solely of Joktan and Peleg in whose time "the earth was divided" (Gen 10:25).
In the second generation there are thirteen children of Joktan – Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Havilah, Jobab and Ophir are mentioned while only Reu is recorded as being from Peleg.
In the third to fifth generations, only Reu's descendants are mentioned, namely Serug or Surug/Sun, who fathered the first Nahor, whence came Terah.
In the sixth generation, only Terah's children are mentioned in the Bible: the second Nahor, Haran, and Abram.
In the seventh generation, Nahor and Milcah's children were Uz, Buz, Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, Bethuel (Laban's father) and Kemuel (Genesis 22:20-23). Harran fathered Lot. Abram fathered Ishmael and then as Abraham fathered Isaac, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah.
In the eighth generation the nations of the biblical settings finally emerge. Bethuel's son is Laban, and Kemuel's son is Aram (Aram of the Two Rivers or Aram-Narharaim), by whom the Nahorites came to be known as Arameans. Lot's children were the Ammonites and Moabites.
In the eighth generation a special "cousin" relationship is supposed to be the ideal amongst the following: Ishmael's children Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah; Isaac's children the Edomites and Israelites; Jokshan's children Sheba and Dedan; and finally Midian's children Ephah, Henoch, Abida, Eldaah and Epher.
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