Genesis Encyclopedia:

J

Jaalam
     A son of Esau by his wife Aholibamah (also called Oholibamah). (35:2,5,14) He was born in the land of Canaan. (36:5) He was a chief of one of the Edomite clans. (36:18)

Jabal
     A son of Lamech by his wife Adah. The forbearer of all nomads and shepherds. (4:20) He had a brother named Jubal.

Jabbock
     A river east of the Jordan river. Jacob crossed this river on his way from Mesopotamia to Canaan. (32:22-23)

Jachin
     A son of Simeon. He was one of Jacob's family that moved to Egypt. (46:5-8,10)

Jacob
     Jacob has his own page. To read about Jacob, click here.

Jahleel
     A son of Zebulun. He was one of Jacob's family that moved to Egypt. (46:5-8,14)

Jahzeel
     A son of Naphtali. He was one of Jacob's family that moved to Egypt. (46:5-8,24)

Jamin
     A son of Simeon. He was one of Jacob's family that moved to Egypt. (46:5-8,10)

Japeth
     The youngest son of Noah. He helped Noah build the ark. (chapter 6)
     When Noah lay drunk in his tent, naked, Japeth and his older brother Shem covered him. (9:23) For this, they were blessed. Japeth's blessing was that God would enlarge his territory. (9:27)
     Japeth had seven sons: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tirah. (10:2)

Jared
     A son of Mahaleel (also called Mahalel). He lived 962 years. At age 162, he became the father of Enoch. Then he had other sons and daughters. (15:15-20)

Javan
     A son of Japeth. He had four sons: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. (10:2-4)

Jebusites
     A subdivision of the Canaanites. (10:16; 16:16,21)

Jegar-Shathadutha (also called Jegarshhadutha)
     A heap of stones gathered by Jacob and Laban as a testimony to their peace treaty, and as a boundary division between their two countries. "Jegar-Shahadutha" was Laban's name for it. Jacob's was "Galleel." (31:43-53) The heap was made in the mountainous area of Gilead. (31:21-25)

Jemuel
     A son of Simeon. He was one of Jacob's family that moved to Egypt. (46:5-8,10)

Jerah
     A son of Joktan. (10:26)

Jetheth
     A chief of Esau. (36:40)

Jetur
     A son of Ishmael. (25:13-14)

Jeush
     A son of Esau by his wife Aholibamah (also called Oholibamah). (36:2,5,14) He was born in the land of Canaan. (36:5) He was a chief in Edom. (36:18)

Jezer
     A son of Naphtali. He was one of Jacob's family that moved to Egypt. (46:5-8,24)

Jidlaph
     A son of Nahor (Abraham's brother) by his wife Milcah. (22:20-23)

Jimna (also called Jimnah)
     A son of Asher. He was one of Jacob's family that moved to Egypt. (46:5-8,17)

Jimnah (also called Jimna)
     A son of Asher. He was one of Jacob's family that moved to Egypt. (46:5-8,17)

Jobab - There are two:
     1. A son of Joktan. (10:29)
     2. A king of Edom. He was the son of Zerah of Bozrah. (36:33)

Jokshan
     A son of Abraham by his second wife, Keturah. (25:2) He was the father of Sheba and Dedan. (25:3)

Joktan
     A son of Eber. (10:25) He had 13 sons: Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. (10:26-29)

Jordan
     The largest river in Palestine, located east of the land of Canaan.
     When Lot separated from Abraham, he went along the plains of the Jordan. (13:10-11)
     When Jacob returned to Canaan after his visit to Mesopotamia, he crossed over the Jordan river. (32:10)
     After Jacob's death, his family brought his body to Canaan for burial. On the way to Canaan, they stopped at a place near the Jordan river for a period of seven days of mourning. (50:7-11)

Joseph
     Joseph has his own page. To read about Joseph, click here.

Jubal
     A son of Lamech by his wife Adah. He was "the father of all those who play the harp and flute". (4:20-21) He had a  brother named Jabal.

Judah
     The fourth son of Jacob by his wife Leah. (29:35)
     When Judah grew up, he visited the house of Hirah in the city of Adullam (a city in the southern part of Canaan). While there, Judah met and took a wife, named Bathshua. Judah and Bathshua had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah.
     Er grew up, and took a wife, named Tamar. Later, Er died without Tamar giving him a son. According to custom, if the husband dies without getting a child, then the husband's brother must have sex with the wife, so that the wife will bear a child. The child will be legally the child of the dead husband. Judah told his second son, Onan, to do his duty as the husband's brother, and have sex with Tamar so that Er could have a child. Onan didn't like this. The baby wouldn't legally be his own. So whenever he had sex with Tamar, he spilled his semen on the ground so that Tamar wouldn't get pregnant. God didn't like this, and killed Onan.
     Judah told Tamar "Live in your father's house as a widow until my last remaining son, Shelah, grows up." She did so. But when Shelah grew up, Judah did not give him to Tamar because he was afraid that Shelah would die like his brothers. Soon after this, Bathshua died.
     Judah and Hirah went to the town of Timnath (also called Timnah) to sheer their sheep. Tamar heard of this. She disguised herself as a prostitute, and waited on the road to Timnath, at the place where the road forked. On the way to Timnath, Judah saw Tamar in disguise. He didn't know that she was his ex-daughter-in-law; he thought that she was a prostitute. He asked her to service him. As payment, he would give her an animal from his flock. He would send it to her. The "prostitute" asked for a pledge until he sent her the animal. The pledge would be Judah's seal and its cord, and his staff. Judah agreed, and they had sex.
     Later, Judah sent Hirah to the fork in the road to find the prostitute and give her the animal. Hirah went there, but couldn't find her. He asked around, but no luck. He returned to Judah, and told him what happened. Judah said "Let her keep the pledge. If we keep searching, word will get out that I picked up a prostitute, and we will get a bad name."
     Three months later, Judah was told that Tamar had sex out of marriage, and was now pregnant. Judah said "She shall be burned at the stake." But when Tamar was brought to Judah, she showed him the seal, cord, and staff that Judah gave her. This proved that Tamar was the prostitute that had serviced Judah. Judah figured that Tamar was more in the right than he was, because he didn't send Shelah to her. Later, Tamar gave birth to twins, Perez and Zerah.(chapter38)

Judith
     One of Esau's wives. He married her when he was 40 years old. She was a daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and therefore a Canaanite woman. Isaac and Rebekah didn't want him to marry Judith because she was a Canaanite woman. But he did anyway. (26:34-35)


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