According to Genesis, Ham was Noah’s son who became the father of Canaan after the Flood.
Genesis names Noah’s three sons as Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After the Flood, Noah planted a vineyard and became drunk. Ham saw his father’s nakedness and told his brothers, while Shem and Japheth covered Noah respectfully. When Noah awoke, he pronounced a curse on Canaan, Ham’s son, rather than directly cursing Ham.
The passage has often been misunderstood and misused to justify racial slavery. The biblical text does not identify Ham with a modern racial group, and the so-called “curse of Ham” is actually spoken against Canaan. Genesis later presents Canaan as the ancestor of peoples living in the land of Canaan.
Ham is also named in genealogical lists as the father of Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. These names connect the story with ancient regions and peoples, although the genealogies are theological traditions rather than modern historical population records.