In Genesis, whose sons are named as Noah’s fellow survivors in the Ark?

The story behind the answer

In Genesis, Noah’s fellow human survivors in the Ark include his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 7:13 names Noah, his wife, his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and the wives of his sons as entering the ark. These three sons are central to the post-Flood genealogies in Genesis, especially chapters 10 and 11, where nations and family lines are traced through them.

The question asks for the sons as a group, not their birth order. Genesis mentions the sons in several different orders in different passages, and interpreters have debated details about their relative ages. Their names, however, are consistently given as Shem, Ham, and Japheth in the ark account.

This group should not be confused with Noah’s wider family tree or with the people named in later biblical genealogies. The text specifically identifies these three as Noah’s sons who enter the ark with their wives.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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