Ham was Noah’s son who was the father of Canaan in Genesis. Noah’s three sons are named Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Genesis 9 identifies Canaan as Ham’s son.
The family episode follows the flood. After leaving the ark, Noah plants a vineyard and becomes drunk. Ham sees his father uncovered and tells his brothers, while Shem and Japheth cover Noah without looking at him. Noah then pronounces a curse on Canaan, not directly on Ham, and blesses Shem and Japheth.
This passage has been used historically to support racial and social theories that are not stated by the text and have been employed to justify slavery and racism. Those later interpretations are widely rejected by modern scholars. The genealogical point itself is specific: within Genesis, Ham is presented as Canaan’s father, while Shem and Japheth are his brothers.