HAM, the youngest son of Noah. He was the fa-
ther of Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan; each whereof had the several countries peopled by them. With respect to Ham, it is believed that he had all Africa for his inheritance, and that he peopled it with his children. As for himself, it is thought by some that he dwelt in Egypt; but M. Bafnage is rather of opinion, that neither Ham nor Mizraim ever were in Egypt, but that their posterity settled in this country, and called it by the name of their ancestors. And as to Ham's being worshipped as a god, and called Jupiter Hammon, he thinks people may have been led into this mistake by the similitude of names; and that Jupiter Hammon was the sun, to which divine honours have been paid at all times in Egypt. However that may be, Africa is called the land of Ham, in several places of the psalms, (Psalm lxxvii. 51. civ. 23. cv. 22.) In Plutarch, Egypt is called Chemia; and there are some footsteps of the name of Ham or Cham observed in Ptochemmis, Pitta-chemmis, which are cantons of Egypt.