From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Shem (or Sem) was the first of the sons of Noah in the Bible. He is mentioned in Genesis 5:32, 6:10; 7:13; 9:18,23,26-27; 10; 11:10; also in 1 Chronicles 1:4. The Messiah is descended from Shem in an unbroken line. The Jews derive their origin from Shem and are sometimes referred to as Semitic. However, a more recent theory states that the name may be derived from Sumer or the Sumerians and the modern term Shemite is used to refer to people of similar obscure eastern origins like the Elamites and Hetto-Iberians. The Children of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Aram, Arpachshad and Lud.
Terms like "Shemites" and "sons" of an eponymous "father" in general, are not supported outside of religious studies by modern scholarship: see Sons of Noah for further discussion.
Sem is also the name of a commune in the Ariège département, in France
SEM is the abbreviation for scanning electron microscope
