‘And Joktan begat Almodad and Sheleph and Hazarmaveth and Jerah and Hadoram and Uzal and Diklah and Obal and Abimael and Ophir and Havilah and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.'

Hazarmaveth probably connects with the kingdom of Hadramaut in southern Arabia. Jerah means ‘the moon' in Hebrew and occurs in southern Arabian inscriptions with this meaning. However no city or people of that name are yet known. Uzal perhaps connects with ‘Azal given by Arab historians as the ancient name for San‘a in Yemen.

Ophir is a tribe known from pre-islamic inscriptions lying between Saba and Havilah. This may or may not be the Ophir mentioned later as a source of gold (1 Chronicles 29:4 etc) but Havilah is connected with gold in Genesis 2:11. Havilah means ‘circle' or ‘district' (see also Genesis 10:7) - the site is unknown but is probably somewhere in Arabia, compare the Havilah mentioned in Genesis 25:18 in north west Arabia. This Havilah may be a different Havilah from the one in Genesis 10:7 but alternatively there may have been an absorption of one tribe by another with a consequent mixing of races. It is apparent from all this that at least some of Joktan's descendants have affinities with Arabia

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