‫פרשת חי וצומח‬

In the Parsha Noach

Plants Places
Animals
Compiled from: WWW.ORT.ORG The Living Torah by Aryeh Kaplan
Cypress The Hebrew term gopher in Genesis 6:14 is considered
‫ גפר‬by some translators to be a reference to a cypress.
Some scholars dispute this and suggest instead that the
term is a reference to a species of pine(Arbarbanel); a
species of cedar (R.H. 23a); or merely a reference to
"squared wood" (Saaia Gaon).

The term appears in the text in which G-d instructs

Noah as to the manner in which he is to build the ark.

This conifer has a tall columnar shape.

Habitat: Gilead, Galilee, Edom and the Judaean

mountains.
Akkad A city in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) mentioned in Genesis 10:10 as part of the
kingdom of Nimrod. The term 'Akkadian' is often used for the language
common to Babylonia and Assyria which was widely used as a diplomatic
language in the ancient Near East.
Ararat The Hebrew form of the Assyrian Urartu, a kingdom in the north of modern-day
‫אררט‬ Armenia. The traditional landing-place of Noah's Ark was Mount Ararat, which is
situated on the right bank of the Araxes river. The summit of Ararat (called by the
Persians 'the mountain of Noah') is approximately 17,000 ft (518,160 km) above
sea-level.
Babylon The capital of Babylonia was founded by King Nimrod in the land of Shinar.
(Bavel) Located on the river Euphrates (50 m/80 km south of Baghdad, Iraq), it became
‫בבל‬ the centre of Babylonian civilisation, religion, and political life. In Genesis
10:10 it is called Bavel, 'Gate of G-d'. The history of the building of the tower of
Babel is described in Genesis 11:1-11.
Calach Calach (sometimes spelt Calah) is mentioned in Genesis 10:11 as having
‫כלח‬ been founded by Asshur. Rabbinic sources make several attempts to identify it:
Perhaps, the city of Nimrud in modern Iraq, a few miles south of Ninveh
Calneh A city in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) mentioned in Genesis 10:10 as part of the
‫כלנה‬ kingdom of Nimrod. Identified as Nofar-Ninfi (Yoma 10a)
Erekh Also spelt Erech. This Mesopotamian city is mentioned at Genesis 10:10 as
‫ארך‬ part of the kingdom of Nimrod. It is situated in modern Iraq. In the Babylonian
Epic of Gilgamesh it is mentioned, under the name of Uruk, as the seat of
Gilgamesh's kingdom. Midrash identifies as Charan.

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 ‫פרשת חי וצומח‬
Charan A city in north-west Mesopotamia (now Altinbashak, near Urfa in modern Turkey)
‫חרן‬ situated on a tributary of the Euphrates river. Terach and Abraham settled in
Charan after leaving Ur Casdim (Genesis 11:31) about 600 miles. Charan
was home to Isaac's bride Rebecca.Jacob fled to Charan to escape the wrath
of Esau (Genesis 29:4) and married Laban's daughters Rachel and Leah. All
of Jacob's children with the exception of Benjamin were born in Charan
(Genesis 29:32-32:24). Known in classical times as Carrhae, it later became
the headquarters of the Sabbean religion described by Maimonides.
Gaza, A city in Canaan, mentioned in Genesis 10:19 as the southern border of the
Gazza Promised Land. Gerar, a town in Gaza, was later one of the principal cities of
‫עזה‬ the Philistines (Genesis 20:2). The Avvim, said to have been a Canaanite
tribe related to the Rephaim, lived there (Deuteronomy 2:23).
Lasha The furthest limit of the territory of Canaan traveling inward from the
‫לשע‬ Mediterranean Sea(Genesis 10:19): possibly Callirohoe near the south-
eastern shore of the Dead Sea, a resort city.
Meshah The outer limit of the sons of Yoktan(Genesis 10:30).. Some scholars identify
‫משא‬ Meshah with a city in northern Arabia (perhaps Mecca), and some rabbinical
sources suggest its location to be either in Yemen, or at the mouth of the Tigris
river where it joins the Persian Gulf
Moab, 1. The area from Gilead and the Red Sea, lying between the tribal areas of
Moabites Ammon and Edom. It occupies the southern part of modern-day Jordan. The
‫מואב‬ Israelites passed through the territory of Moab during the latter part of the forty
years of the Exodus from Egypt, but did not fight the Moabites, as instructed by
G-d (Deuteronomy 2:9). A City of Moab is mentioned at Numbers 22:36 as
the place where Balak met Balaam. 2. Son of Lot by his incestuous union with
his elder daughter. Said to be the ancestor of the Moabites, an ancient tribe
living east of the Jordan river (Genesis 19:37) and may have been identified in
Numbers 24:17-18 by Balaam as the descendants of Seth, the third son of
Adam and Eve. Like the Ammonites and the Edomites, they were not among
the pre-Israelites who lived in the land of Canaan (Genesis 10:15-20).
Nineveh A city in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) mentioned in Genesis 10:11 as founded
‫ננוה‬ by Asshur. It is mentioned in later Biblical books (eg Jonah) as the capital of
Assyria.
Rechovoth A place in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) mentioned in Genesis 10:11 as
Ir founded by Asshur. Its exact location is uncertain but it may have been a
‫רחבת עיר‬ suburb of Nineveh. Literally, the broad places (streets) of the city.
Resen A city in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) mentioned in Genesis 10:12 as having
‫רסן‬ been founded by Asshur. Its site is uncertain but it was probably near Nineveh.
Sepher A mountain delineating the eastern outer limit of the territory of the sons of
‫ספר‬ Yoktan (Genesis 10:30). Some scholars believe it to be in southern Arabia.
Shinar A country mentioned in Genesis 10:10 as the kingdom of Nimrod, this is
‫שנער‬ another name for ancient Babylonia (southern Iraq).

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