Editing Shem (section)

==In later Jewish sources==
The 1st-century historian [[Flavius Josephus]] told a legendary, non-scriptural account that Shem's five sons were the progenitors of the nations of [[Elam]], [[Assyria]], [[Chaldea]], [[Lydia]], and [[Levant]]ine, respectively.<ref>Flavius Josephus, ''Antiquities of the Jews'', trans. William Whiston (University of Cambridge, 1737): book 1, ch. 6, v. 4; online at https://penelope.uchicago.edu/josephus/ant-1.html</ref>

According to some Jewish traditions (e.g., [[B. Talmud]] [[Nedarim (tractate)|Nedarim]] 32b; [[Genesis Rabba]]h 46:7; Genesis Rabbah 56:10; [[Leviticus Rabbah]] 25:6; [[Numbers Rabbah]] 4:8.), Shem is believed to have been [[Melchizedek]], King of Salem, whom Abraham is recorded to have met after the [[Battle of Siddim|Battle of the Four Kings]].{{Cn|date=November 2022}}

A rabbinic document that surfaced in the 17th century, claiming to be the lost [[Sefer haYashar (midrash)|Book of Jasher]], provides some names not found in any other source.{{huh|date=December 2019}}