Editing Generations of Noah (section)

==Ethnological interpretations==
{{main|Biblical terminology for race}}
{{further|Darwinism|Historical race concepts}}
{{MeyersLexikonEthnographicMap}}

Identifying geographically-defined groups of people in terms of their biblical lineage, based on the Generations of Noah, has been common since antiquity. By the end of the 19th century, the influential German [[encyclopaedia]], ''[[Meyers Konversations-Lexikon]]'', divided humanity into three major races called ''[[Caucasoid]]'', ''[[Mongoloid]]'', and ''[[Negroid]]'', each comprising various sub-races. While the "[[Hamites]]" of northern Africa were seen as ''Caucasoid'', "[[Aboriginal Australians|Australians]]", "[[Melanesians]]", and "[[Negritoes]]" were seen as ''Negroid'' sub-races, although living outside the African continent. The only sub-races attributed to Africa were the "African Negroes" and the "[[Hottentot (racial term)|Hottentots]]".<ref>The German legend of the map shows the following names: Hamiten, Australier, Melanesier, Negritos, Afrikanische Neger, Hottentotten.</ref>

The [[early modern]] biblical division of the world's "[[Race (human categorization)|races]]" into [[Semites]], [[Hamites]], and [[Japhetites]] was coined at the [[Göttingen school of history]] in the late 18th century, in parallel with the [[color terminology for race]] which divided mankind into five "colored" races ("[[Caucasoid|Caucasian or White]]", "[[Mongoloid|Mongolian or Yellow]]", "[[Negroid|Aethiopian or Black]]", "[[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|American or Red]]", and "[[Malay race|Malayan or Brown]]").