Shem is the son of Noah traditionally associated with the ancestry of the Israelites.
Genesis 10 places Shem’s descendants in a genealogy that includes Aram, Asshur, and Arpachshad. Later biblical genealogies connect Arpachshad to the line leading through Abraham and the Israelites. The term “Semitic,” used in modern historical and linguistic contexts, was derived from Shem’s name, although language classification is not identical to a biblical genealogy.
Noah’s three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—are presented in Genesis 9 and 10 as ancestors of nations after the flood. The “Table of Nations” assigns different peoples to their lines, though its categories reflect the worldview and geography of the ancient text rather than modern population science.
The answer is sometimes confused with Abraham, who is a later descendant in the biblical narrative, not Noah’s son. Shem is the direct son named in the relevant genealogy.