Shem was Noah’s eldest son in the Genesis account. Genesis lists Noah’s sons as Shem, Ham, and Japheth and later traces a major genealogy through Shem.
Shem is especially important in the biblical genealogical tradition because Genesis 11 connects his line to Abram, later known as Abraham. The term “Semitic,” used in modern historical and linguistic contexts, was formed from Shem’s name, although modern scholarship does not treat the biblical genealogy as a simple scientific classification of peoples.
The order of the brothers in Genesis is not always interpreted identically by readers, because another passage discusses their ages in a way that requires careful reading. Still, traditional summaries commonly identify Shem as the eldest, followed by Japheth and Ham in relevant chronological interpretations.
Shem’s name is also written “Sem” in some languages and older translations.