Mizraim

From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science

Mizraim (Hebrew: מצרים, Mitzráyim; Arabic: مصر, Miṣr; "the two straits") was son of Ham and the brother of Cush who, together along with Phut and Canaan, made up the Hamite branch of Noah's descendants.

Descendants

Mizraim's sons were Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim (out of whom came the Philistines), and Caphtorim. In order for Mizraim's name to have any meaning, Egypt must have already been founded (and also divided into Upper and Lower Egypt).

The name Mizraim means "the two straits", referring to the dynastic separation of upper and lower Egypt or "the two Mazors", i.e. walls of fortifications. On the border with Asia, Egypt had a chain of these forts. It was the Canaanites who called them "Shar" or "the wall". The Arabs called Egypt "Miṣr", and in modern Egyptian Arabic it is known as Maṣr. While the Assyrians and Babylonians called it "Misri", "Museri", or "Musri". But, it was the Mycenaeans who called it a-ku-pi-ti-yo (𐁁𐀓𐀠𐀴𐀍) from whence the Greek word "Aígyptos" (Αίγυπτος) originated. Strabo suggested that the word came from the compound Aigaiou huptiōs (Aἰγαίου ὑπτίως), meaning "below the Aegean". After Octavian (the future emperor Augustus) annexed the Greek Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt to the Roman Empire in 30 BC, it was called Ægyptus in Latin.