By Sameer Ibrahim
There are many books and various theories about the origin of the Semites and the language they spoke. The term was first used in 1781 by the German historian and linguist August Ludwig Schlözer to refer to peoples who originated in West Asia and shared certain linguistic and ethnic ties. Later, the German orientalist and historian Johann Gottfried Eichhorn popularized the term.
Introduction by German historian
Schlözer studied theology at the University of Wittenberg and prepared for a trip to Palestine by studying the geography and languages of the Orient. He based his work on the biblical story and history of Noah. Noah, who saved humanity from the Great Flood, had three sons, from whom the peoples of the world descended after the flood: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Schlözer chose the name Shem to refer to the peoples of Western Asia.
Many peoples are Semitic
The Babylonians, Phoenicians and Assyrians are considered Semitic peoples. The peoples who still speak Semitic languages today include the Arabs, Arameans, Maltese, and Israelis, as well as many other language groups. Therefore, using the term “Semites” to refer to only one ethnic group of the aforementioned peoples is neither accurate nor neutral and objective. Furthermore, this term is sometimes used in racist and prejudiced contexts.
Criticism from an Iraqi scholar
Khazal al-Majidi, a contemporary Iraqi scholar specializing in the science and history of religions and ancient civilizations, explains that the term is wrong from an original point of view. There is no historical or archaeological evidence for the existence of three people named Shem, Ham and Japheth. Rather, they are part of a biblical narrative. Al-Majidi believes that the Semites were peoples who spoke different dialects. These can be traced back to an unknown common language. They wrote in Akkadian cuneiform, although cuneiform was originally a Sumerian invention.
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