According to Genesis, Shem was Noah’s son identified as an ancestor of the Israelites.
Genesis presents Shem, Ham, and Japheth as Noah’s three sons. After the flood, the text describes their descendants in a genealogical table commonly called the Table of Nations. Shem’s line leads through Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, and later generations to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose descendants become the Israelites.
Shem is therefore especially important in biblical genealogy. The term “Semitic,” used in modern historical and linguistic classification, was formed from Shem’s name, although modern scholarship does not treat biblical genealogy as a scientific account of population history. Semitic languages include Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, and others.
The other sons also have major roles in the Genesis narrative. Ham is associated with Canaan and other peoples, while Japheth is linked in the genealogy with several groups traditionally located farther north and west. These associations belong to the text’s ancient worldview and should not be confused with modern racial categories.