Bible Figure
Elam
Biblical character, son of Shem
Elam was a son of Shem and the ancestral name associated with the people and territory of Elam east of Babylonia.
Biography
Genesis 10 and 1 Chronicles 1 list Elam among the sons of Shem. Later Scripture refers frequently to Elam as a kingdom or people, including the Elamite king Chedorlaomer in Genesis 14 and prophetic references in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. People from Elam are also present at Pentecost in Acts 2. The ancestral Elam himself has no separate narrative.
Biblical Significance
Elam links the Table of Nations with a historically important eastern kingdom that appears repeatedly in biblical history and prophecy. The ancestor and later nation should be distinguished.