Elam (Hebrew Bible)
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Elam (עֵילָם) in the Hebrew Bible is a name for the Elamites. The name is a loan from the Akkadian language. By aitiology, the Elamites were considered the offspring of Elam son of Shem (Genesis 10:22, Ezra 4:9;) (Incidentally, this implies that the Elamites were considered Semites by the Hebrews, in spite of their language being unrelated to the Semitic languages). The Book of Jubilees may reflect ancient tradition when it mentions a son (or daughter, in some versions) of 'Elam named "Susan", whose daughter Rasuaya married Arpachshad, progenitor of another branch of Shemites. Shushan was the ancient capital of the Elamite Empire.
Elam as a personal name also refers to eight other figures appearing in the Hebrew Bible:
- Elam is a son of Shashak of the tribe of Benjamin in 1 Chronicles 8:24 .
- Elam is the son of Meshelemiah, a Levite of the family of Kohath in 1 Chronicles 26:3.
- Elam is the ancestor of a family that returned with Zerubbabel in Ezra 2:1-2,7.
- Elam is the ancestor of a family that returned from the Captivity in Ezra 2:31. This is possibly the same man and family as in Ezra 2:1-2,7.
- Elam is the ancestor of a family that returned with Ezra in Ezra 8:7 .
- Elam is the grandfather of Shechaniah in Ezra 10:3.
- Elam is one of the men who joins Nehemiah in sealing the new covenant in Nehemiah 10:14.
- Elam is a priest who helps in the rededication of the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem in Nehemiah 12:42.
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